Changing the Way we Create - One Puppy at a Time

"Sit in this cubicle, with these gray walls, don't talk to any of the other designers, don't leave the office, and create something amazing that we can sell or you will get a pay cut and a demotion. Remember, don't talk to anyone and don't use the computer for anything other that communication with staff or to do your design work on. No browsing websites."

Does this sound familiar to any of you? If it doesn't you haven't ever worked in an office as a professional designer. Maybe this is too extreme. I was allowed to browse the internet occasionally and I did talk to the designers, but then I got written up on it at review time. I talked too much. How does one stay creative without ANY outside influence? I did get to travel occasionally too, to Mexico, Asia and shows in other states for work. Not totally sheltered, but not as much stimulus as a designer really needs.

I got to the point in my life, where I decided that I would rather have a job standing and scanning, than having a supervisor standing behind me, watching me work, over my shoulder. As a matter of fact, mid menopause, I blew up at the owner who was doing just that. There was more to it, but the explosion left me totally disillusioned and needing to escape. I joined the circus, figuratively. First starting on Etsy, then moving around the internet and now on Artfire and my own website. I did a little freelance work at first, and still do a little, but I seem to pick the scariest companies to work for. I think there must be good ones too.

Creativity has to be fed. No matter what way you find you need it. If human contact is the way, or travel, or just browsing the internet for inspiration. Did you know that many art museums have virtual exhibits? They do. It's pretty amazing. Better in person, but not bad online.

I think, like our country, the model for the workplace was created by old school white men. I think if we want to get anywhere in the global economy, we all need to tear down those gray walls install lavender sofas, and all sit down with a puppy, next to a bouquet of roses with a cup of Chai tea, a sketchpad and ideate (that's a product design term) together.

Creativity On The Run

A few days ago, I was waiting for my cousin to pick me up to go to the Art Museum. It was fairly early in the morning, and we don't have the greatest roads, so I was meeting her a few blocks from home.

While I was waiting I realized I didn't grab any jewelry for my arms or fingers and I kind of felt bare. I started to look around and saw some nice stones, if only I had something to mount them on, and a decent sized length of white electrical wire.

The night before I was looking at a Wire knot ring tutorial, kind of like this one on Handmadeology. I couldn't find the one I was looking at. It was a bit bigger, more like a rose. So I thought, I could do that with the electrical wire. Before I started, I checked my bag for a Swiss Army knife with scissors to snip the end. Yep I had them.  And here's the Ring.

Not too fancy, but I had to twist the wires by hand. Not that shabby considering it was made from garbage I found at the side of the road. Too bad I didn't have time to snip a beer can into a bracelet too.

What Evah! - Websites and Whatnots

I still have lots to do. Bathroom and all. That's almost done. Hopefully this week I'll get the trim up and I'll post some new pictures. But with all the orders finished and packed, I'm getting bored.

I had this brilliant idea. I need to sell my Jewelry in Brick and Mortar shops. So how do I do that. I can't walk all over the country. I also want to focus on shops that will appreciate my eco-friendly flowers. So I'm starting by designing a Web Site. I started with the cool one from Weebly. If you don't have a site yet, they have free ones and the pay ones are pretty reasonable too. The thing I really like about it is that it is so EASY to set up it's sic.

I got the free one for now, I'm still working on it but I like where I'm going. Something good to work on to keep me busy on the slow days between Christmas and New years, before Valentine sales. If you're interested use this link http://www.weebly.com/link/UDhLfS to start yours. You will get a free month of their pro service when you use the link (I'll get one too, thank you)

When I'm done with my website. I'll be sending samples of my flower jewelry to various stores, first in my home town, then around the country. I think, garden societies, floral designers, and health food/naturalist shops will be great places to start. I'm only offering items that I can produce at a reasonable price so that they can be marked up for the retailer. I think I'll have to make some new designs too. Maybe with other recycled materials like glass.

So what is a whatnot? Merriam Webster "any of various other things that might also be mentioned" Word of the Day! Now back to the Bathroom trim and whatnot.

Biz Buzz - Great Ideas Down the Drain?

Twice this week I heard mention of Crafters/Artists getting their ideas in the Shower. I must say that I found it funny, but not surprising, because I always get my best ideas in the Shower or Bath. Usually a nice long bath with some great floral smelling bubbles works best for me. As a matter of fact, if I'm having a creative drought, I will draw up a bath, because I usually take showers.

Once I interviewed for a design job with a leading toy company. I was being interviewed by a panel of the head of all the departments. They asked me how I brainstorm, and I replied "I get my best ideas in the bath".  Well apparently they were not in tune with how wonderful a tool the bath/shower is because they gave me the "OMG she's an Alien" look. OK so maybe I am a bit odd, but wouldn't that kind of imagination be just what is needed in toy design?

That was my first outing in the design world after graduation. I ended up in decorative residential lighting. Those people didn't mind at all that I was quirky. Not the socially affecting kind of job I was looking for, but it was a job.

After hearing that several other of my friends use the shower method, I decided to do a little research. I turns out that this is a very effective method of creating.

Here is a link to 20 Reasons Why the Best Ideas Come in the Shower

And Why your Best Ideas Come in the Shower

While some suggest using a waterproof dry erase marker on the shower wall. I kind of like this idea of a waterproof Notepad I found on an AOL News  post Waterproof Notepad Helps You Record Ideas in the Shower could be the best idea of all.

Notepad in the Shower and Notepad by the bedside help gather those fleeting thoughts that you just can't grab hold of once they have passed. For that matter, I wish I had a notepad in the shower a few weeks ago when I came up with the idea of this post. It took a few reminders from twitter friends to pull it back out of my subconscious.

There is a plethora of posts (I like that, plethora of posts) on ideas in the shower. You can search it yourself to see them all. But the most important thing to remember is if you are having a creative drought, just go to that secluded space and turn on the faucet. Relax and let your mind free to do it's own thing. The subconscious is an amazing thing, and the best tool we have as artists.

Biz Buzz - Christmas in July

Well it's almost my favorite time of the year (not) Time to pull out the Red, White and Green rugs, Jewelry, Table Covers and promote, promote, promote, all things winter that no one really gives a damn about this time of year. That's not entirely True, the Southern Hemisphere is experiencing Winter now (you know Australia etc) and I'm SURE they need to be reminded.

I am talking about the worse marketing scheme EVAH - Christmas in July. There is a long history of Christmas in July starting in 1892, but I won't go into it, you can read about it on Wikipedia.

Christmas in July conjures up images of Santa on the Beach, catching waves with his elves, and the Mrs. Reading her Romance novel.

I hear that Christmas in July is enjoyed in New Zealand, because they don't get to celebrate Christmas in the Snow, like we do. Whopee.

Not that I don't want to think about snow or have a tall cool drink while I'm at the beach, but I really don't want to sit there, wearing a Red and Green striped bathing suit and Snow Man earrings, because people are just going to think I'm Freddy Krueger in Drag.

Don't get me wrong, I love Christmas in December, but seriously, do you think that many people want to spend the whole month of July sitting by the TV watching what QVC has to offer in the way of "Holiday Previews"? Summer is for Fun in the Sun!

I know all the seller sites are promoting "Christmas in July" but can't we be a little more creative and original? Maybe there is a reason that sales are down in July and way up in December - NO ONE WANTS CHRISTMAS IN JULY!!!!!

Come on all you wonderfully creative people. How about Summer Sizzle, or Hot Deals - Cool Creations. You think of something better...PLEASE... and post it in the comments. Maybe we can start a Handmade Revolution. NO MORE CHRISTMAS IN JULY.

INSPIRING CREATIVITY

I've recently felt that I've not been as creative as I used to be. I wasn't sure what I could do, then I remember an exercise that I learned in school. I tried it and it was amazing.

Do you ever hit a creativity block? You can't think of a new idea for your shop, new marketing, or new way to photograph that will make your shop stand out. You know it needs something but you can't put a finger on it. Try this little exercise to open your mind to the ideas that you have buried in your subconscious.

Read this story, then retell in to yourself with your eyes closed. If you can't remember it perfectly it's not important to remember every detail. I you are a perfectionist (some of us are) record it and play it back with your eyes closed, head down, relaxed. Maybe you have a partner or friend with a more inspiring voice, have them record it. You can even change the scene a bit if you like, but don't add to many details, the lack of detail is what brings new ideas to mind. 

Have Paper and Pencil next to you.  Relax, close your eyes and start the story.

You are in the woods. It's a beautiful day, the air is crisp and the sky is clear. You can see it through the trees. You take a deep breath to take in all the wonderful scents of the forest.

You start to walk, not even knowing where your walk might take you. The ground is soft with moss, but you are also crunching fallen leaves with each step. The walk in the woods is exhilarating. You haven't felt this energized in a long time. The sounds and smells of the forest

inspiring you to explore.

Ahead in the distance you see what looks like a house. As you get closer, the house becomes clearer. Unusual, that there is a house in the middle of these woods. You reach it and the door is open. You call out, but no one answers. Curiosity has the better of you and you look in the door.

The interior is beautiful. There are wonderful paintings on the wall. In front of them, there is a piano with a large sculpture on it. You are drawn into the house to take a closer look. There is a chandelier over the piano. You've never seen anything like it.

There is so much beauty in this room, it's hard to describe. But your curiosity has gotten the better of you. You wander around the house. All of the rooms are open, and full of the most amazing things. You come across a room with a closed door. You reach for the handle and turn it. You can't believe what you have found there. You walk up to it and pick it up. Turn it around in your hand to see and feel it. It's amazing. This is just what you were looking for to inspire you.

Open your eyes when you are ready and start writing down everything that comes to you. You mind should be flooded with all kinds of wonderful ideas.

I suggest you try this story first, but you can change scene to whatever you think might inspire you. You could be on a beach or in the desert. Maybe you'd like to be on a tropical island or in the cold antarctic, whatever place might give you new insight. 

Phote Editing on a Budget

Getting good photos first is always best, but, if your images are a little less than perfect, there are several things you can do to improve them. Photo editing is a wonderful way to improve your images, even if they are not quite perfect.

Of course Photoshop is the best program to use, but it can be very expensive. Here is a link listing several free image editing programs and the pros and cons. www.readwriteweb.com/archives/free_alternatives_to_photoshop_with_all_the_bells.php I always get my free software from downloads.com I find their rating system to be helpful and they are pretty safe. Although nothing is free, just make sure you have a good spyware and adware removal program running on your PC.

Now that you have a photo editing program, play with it. Your less than perfect photo CAN be improved on. I always take my photos with a fairly high resolution. This will make a crisper picture. You can always reduce your resolution later.

Here is an example of an edited image:



The first picture is too light, not enough contrast and definition, and the composition could be more interesting.

First: adjust levels. Play with these settings until you get a look you like. This can add definition and contrast.

Second adjust brightness and contrast. In this case I would make darker and raise contrast.

Your photo editing program may not have a levels setting but they all have brightness and contrast.

Third step is color balance. Have your item in front of you and adjust the color on your screen to match what is in your hand. This will not be perfect, as all monitors do not have the same color settings. You may get complaints about your color, but it is impossible to have your color match every screen in the world. The best you can do is match yours and add a disclaimer on your site.

Once your photo is perfect, crop your image. Try a few different compositions, until you get the one that looks the most interesting and show off your art. Remember, your first image is a teaser to make a buyer want to see more. Your remaining pictures should show your complete item with as much clear detail as possible.

Finally reduce your resolution to your sites specifications.

Now look at your pictures. Would you buy from this shop? Would you add these pictures to a treasury? If yes, you have done a great job. Congrats!!!

Down Economy Inspiring Creativity

When I first discovered Etsy, there were only about 1000 members, including buyers. Now there are over 160,000 sellers worldwide.

Can this be bad? Well, maybe for those who have been living on craft for years, competing with the newbies is tough, but maybe idle time inspires creativity.

I for one, was a commercial artist who lost my job as a lighting designer due to cutbacks. I went from designing tiffany inspired floral lighing to designing floral inspired eco-friendly jewelry. Although I am an artist, I wasn't really selling on Etsy before the economic downturn.

My delema, I live in a town where cost of living is managable. To continue in the lighting field, I would have to relocate and live even leaner than I do where I am at. So here I stay and sell on Etsy.

So the downside? So many sellers and not enough money for buying. The upside? Maybe with imagination, the artists and crafters of the world will find a new way to make the world work for us. I see it every day in the creative uses of upcycled and recycled materials.

Hang tight Etsyians, be creative, make our world a better place. If you have food and shelter and good health, isn't that all you really need? Share your craft, be the light in a darker world.