When I Don’t Feel Creative: My Top 6 Fixes

Am I the only one that has moments when the creative muse takes a vacation? When you don’t feel creative…what do you do?

This is a topic that seems to raise it’s head when I’m the busiest. I have tons to do but can’t seem to rid myself of the cobwebs long enough to get through it. Well…when I don’t feel creative here’s my top 6 fixes I put into action to try to coax my muse around.

Seth Apter messy worktable 1
1. I clean. Believe me when I say cleaning is not my favorite thing but wandering around the studio, organizing, and picking things up always seems to loosen up the creative spirit. Not only does it help clear the cobwebs but I always seem to find things I had forgotten I had. And those things seem to sneak into my next creations!

Doodling
2. Pull out the sketch books and doodle. Draw anything…straight lines, stick figures, swirls…anything and everything! Just put pen or pencil to paper and see what manifests itself. I draw whatever comes to mind and pay no attention to whether it is “art” or not. Just the simple putting pen to paper allows me to feel more creative.

A break with coffee and sweets...
3. Take a break…go eat something, have tea or coffee maybe a glass of water or take a handful of vitamins. Just be for a few minutes.

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4. This goes along with taking a break but do something goofy with your family. Go lighten up and be free with comedy! Laugh lots and then laugh some more. Play cards, dig out a board game…watch a silly movie. I promise being crazily happy with laughter will take your mind off things and your muse will crawl back without you noticing.

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5. Find your creative peeps and do something together! Lean on your tribe for support when you can’t find your own muse…maybe one of theirs will pop over and let you borrow some ideas!

Sleep it off
6. Sleep it off until the next day. Sometimes all you need is a good nights sleep and all things appear new again.

Be kind to yourself.  Those moments of “stuck” never hang out for long. That muse will come running back.

Until next time!

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Show Ready: The Season Of Crazy

So it’s October. The days are getting shorter and the nights have a certain chill in the breeze that wasn’t noticeable a month ago.

For me this time of year means it’s  almost show season…the season of crazy and high gear! 15 hour days. 7 days a week. All the way through December.

I thought you might like a peek into how I get show ready and how crazy it can be. Let’s start with the state of my studio…

Seth Apter messy worktable 1
So. I feel the need to explain. When one tries to be show ready several things seem to explode. The most common occurrence happens all over the flat surfaces. Things seem to multiply. Procreate. This area is actually 2 feet wide and 8 feet long. Guess how much of it I can work on right now? Um. Yeah. None of it. Moving on…

Seth Apter messy worktable 2
This is my main work area. Yes. I still have a 12″ square to work in. Really! I do. A square foot. Yeah.

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My resin area. You get the idea. Show ready means every surface is covered in something that needs to be beaded, wired, coated, sanded, tagged, cured, colored, painted, glued, left alone, cast, patinaed, ground, sawed, polished, sealed…and or finished in some way. Otherwise show ready would just be a myth.

More to come…

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Ice Resin Play: This Week

Last week’s Ice Resin Play was with rings and some other things.

This week I can show you how Ice Resin changes everything you saw in that post. Beautiful changes!

Here is the before of what you are about to see. The two top circles of color are the beginnings of the druzzy. Coarse glitter glued down before resin.

Resin Tray Set-Up

Faux Druzzy Cast Resin RingAfter seeing a few Ice resin samples of faux druzzy (naturally forming crystal) techniques I had to try it out. Using the chunky turquoise glitter I glued it thickly to the bottom of the bezel. Over that poured the Ice resin to make a smooth top and placed a previously cast heart on top of that. Yum! I love it. Also made on in purple.

Faux Druzzy Cast Ring in Purple

You can see where the cast heart caught two air bubbles underneath it…but I don’t care. It’s really pretty anyway.

And here is another you’ve only seen before the resin was poured..now afterwards!

Klimt Inspired Face Ring

This is inspired by a Klimt painting and I embellished it with gold glitter throughout her tears. Everyone should cry in gold glitter…don’t you think?

One more…here’s the before…

Art In Rings

The bezel on the top that is just color went into the piece below.

Cast Face in Resin Ring

The background here was from a mixed media painting which was then enameled around the edges. The cast face was placed after a thin coat of resin was applied in the bezel.

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I love that it’s raised and this piece is quite large. Oval in shape probably about 2 inches from chin to forehead.

Okay…one more! Here is the skull from the top picture after pouring the resin.

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He’s just good old fashioned fun!

Until next time!

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Ice Resin Play: Rings & Things

Welcome to my world of ICE resin with rings and other things!

Resin Druzy Experiment

If you haven’t played with ICE resin you need to get your keys and head for the nearest craft store to pick up a package of it…right now!! (also available in my shop) The cup above photographed a touch yellow in the light of my studio but it isn’t. It is perfectly clear. Those few bubbles all went away with a blow of breathe through a straw passed over the top.

Resin Tray Set-Up

 My set up is on a tray for several reasons. A tray allows for many projects to be set out at one time, it’s easily moved if i need the space at the table, and simple to level if my work surface is wonky. It’s lined with a silicone mat so drips don’t mess up it’s surface.

At the top of the tray are some faux druzy experiments using the chunky German glass glitter from the Iced Enamels line. Moving right a skull and enameled (Iced Enamels of course) ring that i made from scratch…meaning that i actually made the metal ring base. A new skill i’ve been working on (read obsessed over).

Coming clockwise along the bottom there are six skully bezels. Lots of Ice Enamels plus a layer of yummy opal mica flakes…my favorite! Under those are some polymer clay transfers coated in resin and almost ready for beading into earrings.

Last but not least an open back ring that resembles the outside frame of a pocket watch. The lady’s face on the left is a tape transfer for that circle. Hopefully it will come out the way i want it. See through and a memento of my clients Mother.

Art In Rings

And then there are these. Giant copper trays that i soldered onto etched rings bands. Filled with huge artsy fartsy paper colages…and more enameling. They are just waiting for resin.

Next time i’ll show you how the resin changes them…

Always,

Susan

My Messy Studio Table Courtesy of Seth Apter

A couple of weeks ago Seth Apter’s blog was recommended by a friend as a “don’t miss out” blog to read. Upon arriving the first post I read was one about allowing the world to see us, we as artists, in our true habitat. (you can read the post here: Seth’s Call for The Studio Table)

Also known as the cluttered studio and messy worktable!

Seth Apter messy worktable 2

 

This is my main work table area. Normally this is 4′ X 3′ but, as you can see, I’m working in about 1′ X 1′.

Why are we always worried about cleaning everything up? What’s the deal? Isn’t it true to form if you’re a working artist then you have a messy work area?

I know for me that this is completely, without a doubt, true almost everyday.

So here goes…here’s your MESSY tour. And believe me it is. I’m in the midst of working at the stocking of several shops and three shows plus two classes in about 6 weeks time. Oy!

 

Seth Apter messy worktable 4

 

This is the opposite side of my main work area, also the same size, but now covered in resin supplies plus some other things.

I know where everything is…it appears normal to me.

 

Seth Apter messy worktable 1

 

And this is another work area usually 8′ X 3′. Not sure there’s even an inch there if I wanted it to be.

I have two more full lengths of counter space that I’m not showing off. They look pretty much the same just serve different purposes.

So…what does your space look like? Are you productive? I may be have a messy space but I can crank out some artsy stuff!!

Lots of good things happen over on Seth’s blog!

Until next time!

Susan
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