To say that I have been in a 'creative slump' would be a huge understatement. It seems like the 'mo-jo' is gone, the 'muse' is away on holiday, the 'juices' have run dry. Truth be told, I have several art pieces started (10 to be exact) but for some reason none of them can get finished . . . . and I can't tell you why that is.
Has that ever happened to you?
Anyway, this past weekend, I invited 6 of my friends over because they all wanted to learn how to make mosaic stepping stones. . . . . I love making mosaics. And teaching my friends how to mosaic fulfilled my need to 'create' and, I guess I can also say that I just conducted my first little 'workshop'.
Everyone did great, the stepping stones were beautiful, they all loved the process and I know they are hooked! Anyway, these are the two stepping stones I made. At least I can say I finished something, right? (please click on any image to take a closer look)
Thanks for stopping by. I hope I can have something "fun and finished" from the studio to show you next week . . . .
Cheers!
You know it's perfectly acceptable to take a "creative", "no boxes for a while" vacation while you delve into other areas. Another thought; have you considered embedding some interesting mosaic imagery into one of your boxes? I'm just saying... ~ :D
ReplyDeleteDaryl W.
I would have been right there at your workshop Rebeca. Mosaics is a little passion of mine that I've never tried--only with paper.
ReplyDeleteAnd just finish one of those pieces. This does happen to me and I just start doing without thinking and it helps....
Daryl, artist friends have said that taking a 'creative break' is what they do. so i guess that's what i'm doing. thanks for stopping by.
ReplyDeleteDiane, i would have loved having you stop by. it was a blast! we ended up with 9 finished stones! quite a haul. you suggestion is that i just start doing? i will try that today. thanks!
Beautiful mosaics! Its so horrible when we're not feeling inspired. I always think just playing with or sorting our supplies can sometimes unlock creativity. I hope you are back to creating your wonders really soon. penny
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear you are in a creative dry spot, but I have been there many times, and seemingly with some regularity. Take a deep breathe, and relax, and as one of the other commenters said, sometimes sorting through your things and cleaning them up a bit allows you to find things you haven't run across in a while and some of them might work on those unfinished pieces. Take advantage of the time to focus on something different, and it will come back. The mosaics look fabulous, and I wish I was there, too!
ReplyDeletethanks penny, thanks jackie -
ReplyDeleteyour comments make a lot of sense. i agree, I need to 'sort' through all my stuff. as a hunter-gatherer, i tend to really love collecting stuff, after a while it becomes overwhelming, and i can't find things in the studio, or i can't move without tripping, or i can't find a clear spot to work. maybe i just need a bigger studio? (HA!)
just kidding. i do need to clear out the things i will never use. i tried having a garage sale to move of some of this stuff, but most garage sale goers do not 'get' a bag full of barbie doll heads, or a box of rusted washers and drawer pulls, or chair parts . . . do they?)
thanks again for stopping by, it's good to know, i am not the only one that goes through this.
tu commence à casser les assiettes en porcelaine , pour les assembler à l'envers ? joli..:)
ReplyDeleteHI Rebeca I'm back to answer your question about my door on my blog--Thanks so much for coming over!
ReplyDeleteThe size is about 16 x 24, and it's just the door and nothing else--no need for a canvas. This is why I like working on these, because they have their own little frames built right in. This particular door was already this cream color so I didn't do anything to prep it. I usually sand them down and paint them, but it worked out the way it was.
And yes, those are 3d embellishments on their--I always scatter some around...
love your stepping stones and don't worry we've all been there...I definitely have started to see a similar cycle in my own creativity...gather...create...make a huge mess...slump...clean up...gather more stuff...create....make a huge mess...slump...
ReplyDeleteMerci, Elfi!
ReplyDeletethanks diane, i went back and looked again, and now i get how it is, first i thought the white frame was the whole door . . . thanks
pam:
HA!
that's funny, cause that's about all i've been doing! thanks for stopping by.
I'd go to that garage sale for a box of rusted washers! Don't think of the time as a slump, think of it as ebb and flow. It will come back to you in time. Thanks for stopping by my blog.
ReplyDeleteAs I've often said in the past, if you call yourself an artist and you tell people you have never had a period where you can't create, you are lying to yourself and others. It happens to all of us. I've been in a slump since March. I have trouble making anything and I am not really inspired to make art, even when I have to (for committed swaps and round robins). So, all I can say it, "this too shall pass."
ReplyDeleteIn the past, to get over my slump, I have cleaned, organized, and visited blogs I enjoy. Making the stepping stones and teaching others was the perfect beginning to a return to artistic "normalcy."
They are wonderful.
ReplyDeleteThanks for becoming a follower - I've reciprocated!
Slump? been there, done that. Stones look good.
ReplyDelete