Where We Create

I believe the creative process is strongly influenced by the environment in which we choose to work.  This belief goes back to my days in the corporate world, when I’d take decorating my cubicle seriously.  Splashes of color and whimsy would (tastefully) adorn my little square of gray, and my computer desktop always had fun wallpaper.

Now that I am a full-time jewelry designer, I can decorate with wild abandon, like a child with a brand new box of crayons.  No rules, no parameters, the only limitations the size of the room.

I use a lot of color in my work.  I do make classic designs, but my whimsical, funky pieces are definitely the best sellers.  So it’s not surprising that my office mimics that look.  Take this wall, for instance:

This is probably my favorite part of my office, because it houses my collection of eclectic treasures.  A vintage camera shares space with a patchwork mermaid.  A glass collage painting shares space with a tiny plastic ballerina.  Lots of art and bead books wait to be read and reread.  Nothing seems to match — how could a vase of vintage buttons and wooden spools of thread have anything to do with a stuffed animal I brought back from Japan?  But to me, it all makes sense, and this random assortment of vintage, modern, functional, and ornamental, match my web site, which also caters to those who want Classic, Vintage, or Whimsical jewelry.

This is one of my signature pieces, a necklace that is colorful and off-beat and full of life.

Tons of color!  Just like this little corner of my office…..

The wrap was made for me by a lovely blog reader, and it matches the stripes of my web site perfectly.  It’s lovely to have it right by my computer for nights when it’s chilly.

I’ve started a necklace collection for the dressmaker’s mannequin.  Right now I’ve only made two — a Scrabble pendant and a layered paper flower with a huge Swarovski crystal center — but eventually, I hope to have all types and lengths of necklaces layered on her.

The plates by the mannequin are from a local artist and are just my style — random, colorful, and cheery.  Against my purple walls, they’re just perfect.  I mixed the funkiness with the vintage by using a vintage-inspired iron plate holder.

Yes, having a pretty place in which to work is important.  The office is where I take photos of jewelry, use PhotoShop, and do all the shipping.  Actually making jewelry takes place elsewhere.  However, the mundane, behind-the-scenes tasks of running a business, the non-creative part that takes up so much time, demands an extra-special place.   This way, I feel like I am creating, purely because of my surroundings.

I’d love to see pictures of your spaces — add your links in the Comments section!

Lori Anderson designs jewelry in her studio in Easton, MD.  You can see her work at www.lorianderson.net and read her blog at www.prettythingsblog.com.  She will be launching a new blog, An Artist’s Year Off, January 1st.