For the love of : Blogability v. Creativity

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Blogability v. Creativity

I have been told to blog as a means of promoting my beads. I try. I don't blog as often as I should.

Part of my problem is spending time on the computer. I seem to spend hours here reading blogs, reading posts from my forums, downloading photos from my camera, resizing those same photos, uploading the photos--well, you get the picture. Pardon the pun.

I have also recently joined a new team on etsy.com It's called Lampworketc. Street Team or LEST for short. This is a very active group of artists and promotion is the name of the game. Since joining this group, my sales have greatly improved, so I am truly grateful for this street team. However, we do have to be active participants in the group and on the forums of Lamworketc. This adds up to more computer time. The patch for the group is at the top of this blog.

Now, what happens to the creative urge as I blog and post photos, comments and ideas? My muse seems to sleep through it all. I have fallen asleep at the computer along with my muse. When I wake up in the mornings, my muse is still groggy, but when we go do to torch, she opens and eye and begins her work. Somedays, my muse simply stays in the background as I work on basic skills. Other days, my muse sleeps in. I don't like those days. Those days are not productive days. Then there are days when my muse is so active that I cannot keep up with the ideas that flow through my brain. I try to slow them down, but they won't slow down!
I make quick sketches. I try to bring these sketches to life in a bead. Sometimes I can, and sometimes can't.

Then there are the days when the glass wants to speak. I have learned that on those days, it is best to let the glass direct the creative flow. I might want one result, but the glass wants another. It is best to allow the glass to flow on to the mandrel and take shape as it wants.
My muse is silent then. My muse recognizes that glass must flow as it choose, like molten lava, and change the space it occupies.

Creativity vs. Blogability. That's a difficult choice to make. Today I chose to blog. I hope my muse is happy since I mentioned her in this blog. I hope that the glass is happy, too. Me, I'm just tired. My brain needs a break. Look for me to come back when my muse is directing me to blog.

This is a necklace made with a kumihimo braid I made with a big holed bead to keep it together.

I call this bead, expanding star. The light in the center is the reflection from the flash. I love both the bead and the photo. I doubt that I can do this again.