Getting Started

April 11th, 2008

For me, the hardest step in my creative process is just to begin! Some days I am overwhelmed with the possibilites of what to make and I freeze up and decide to do the laundry instead.

So, something that works for me is to give myself small tasks or assignments. This seems to do the trick in not only getting my hands busy doing art, but it relaxes my brain and the ideas then start to flow.

So for instance,

• I will assign myself to draw 20 flower designs-no pressure- just draw whatever.
• Then I will assign to interpret two or three of my favorite designs in another media- polymer clay, wire, collage?
• Then I will assign to make five of one of the designs I just made.

This not only helps me to refine the design and streamline the techniques, but helps me decide if I LIKE making the design and might want to do a production line of the design.

This is how I made the masks pictured here- which became a line of brooches.

Now I have gone further and created for each a “place to live” via a fabric collage wall display. More on that in a coming post!

Entry Filed under: Fibers