Stepping Back to Step Forward

It’s the middle of winter, and my creative spark is more like a low flame. I could blame the weather, and maybe I will, but nothing stifles my creativity like the “have-to’s”. As in, I have to make ten red and white beads, or I have to torch every day or else I won’t be any good at this, or my favorite, I have to do at least one show a month and get my Etsy shop sales going faster, and write more and participate in all the online forums, and, and, and…

It can be exhausting.

It took me a while to figure out that I don’t have to do anything at all. I can do what I want to in my own time, and still come out with great work that people like.

Sometimes I put away all glass and jewelry supplies and forget about them for a little while. Stepping back from your project can not only give perspective, but can allow you to unclutter your mind so when you re-approach, you are coming freshly to the task. Lately I have been struggling with making disc beads. I use a HotHead torch and batch anneal my beads, and my discs were always beautiful and round, but would split or shatter during the cooling phase. Arrg! Very frustrating! So I just stopped trying for a while, hoping that with more reading online and talking to other glass artists, I’d figure out what I was doing wrong (besides needing a kiln I could garage my newly-made beads in!).

The other day, I set aside time for torch work after a short hiatus. I had no preconceived notion about what I had to make, I just played in the glass and fire. This is the result:

Disc beads! I have been practically killing myself trying to make disc beads that didn’t explode before I could anneal them! I was totally thrilled with them, and even more thrilled that they just sort of….happened. I hadn’t been at the torch with the goal of making them.

I love it when I can let my creative self take over and not worry about the outcome, just enjoy the process.  Things can really start to happen! I don’t know what these beads will become, but I know I don’t have to make anything out of them, I can just enjoy them, or I might just offer them in my shop as they are.

Today the sun is out and the weather is mild. Ideas are dancing around in my head, fairly begging to get created. It’s almost spring, time to step forward….back to the torch! Stay tuned….

Christine Brandel is waiting for spring.  She blogs and creates in Richmond, VA.