Being Creative...How Does One Get Better?

It's Friday and a good one at that.

Mardi Gras is over and now I can finally relax and get back into the studio.

Yesterday I saw a post from a friend by Ira Glass that I would like to share.

Who is that, you ask?

Google and Wiki tells me he's a radio personality. That is as far as I got.

Anyway listen to his YouTube video.

I am totally on board with what he said except would like to add something to it.

Something that I have experienced.

For me the gap is constantly closing and re-opening.

I can make something were I'm like WOW now that was NICE

and then there are days when I say,

WHAT THE HELL WAS I THINKING?

AND

that is after 7 years of being a metalsmith.

LOL!

So the gap never seals shut for me.

The best advice anyone gave me and still gives me is to

just keep making stuff.

Regardless if I like where a piece is going or not I must complete it.
Sometimes those are the pieces people like the most.

Whaaaat?

I wish I could insert emoticons.
There would be a dude scratching his head with a big question mark above it.

So in the words of Dora from Finding Nemo...

but in our case

Just Keep Making!

And do it because you love it
although you may not love it all the time but I would rather do this
instead of anything else in the world.
Well, for now anyway. :)))

Have a great Friday!

Namaste

Kalaya

Comments

The Risk to Bloom

It all started with an acorn button and grew from there. In an earlier post I mentioned this button swap blog hop, that I am participating in, and how I was immediately drawn to the acorn button. Every day I would hold it in my hand, feel its essence, exam it, and then put it down. This lasted for about 2 weeks. Then I remembered I had etched an oak tree on to brass when making buttons for my partner Kylie of Lotus Out Loud . And... so begins the journey of creating something with this wonderful acorn button, which only started yesterday. Haha! Etched brass was copper riveted to a piece of oak. Merci beaucoup Papi for finding some oak! I am using what Jesse taught me in his workshop . It was the first time trying his technique. It worked beautifully! The riveted brass was then captured with a piece of pierced copper. Voila! And then the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk to bloom.

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South of the border in Oaxaca, Mexico

I've been idle for too long but I have lots to share with you! Oh where to begin? Let me first say that Oaxaca is a place full of beautiful people. The city was VERY safe and the place we stayed in was absolutely wonderful. And the very best thing about it all...the plane ride was only 3.5 hours from New Orleans! Gotta love that. I don't want to bore you with all the details so I think I will stick to the art side of things. Oaxaca is known for their textiles but I didn't take any pictures of any textiles. :( Lo siento. There was this place that we stumbled upon called La Mano Magica #26 Macedonio Alcala 203, Centro . This place had a variety of high end pieces for the taking and a price. Off to the side we noticed a show going on and I immediately knew the work. It was the work of ceramicist Alfonso Castillo. One of the the great folk artist of Mexico. Eeeee!!! How exciting! FAMILIA CASTILLO Candelabro Ofrenda a mi papa Alfonso died i

Kalaya Steede

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