Jewelry Stash Challenge Conclusion

At the beginning of 2016, I made a goal to wear every piece of jewelry in my stash of handmade pieces at least once. It was a tricky challenge for many reasons, such as the fact that I often get dressed in a rush and don’t have time to carefully pick a piece that matches my outfit, and most of the time I’m wearing a work uniform that covers up my jewelry anyway. Then there’s the occasional piece that doesn’t fit me or that just doesn’t work.

The Done Pile

At first it was fun and easy to come up with fun jewelry combinations and I was going through pieces very quickly. Once all of my favorites were out of the way, though, things got a lot harder. There were many days when I just didn’t bother putting on a necklace or a bracelet. There were days when I had to force myself to wear something just so that I could add it to the ‘done’ pile. This has been happening a lot over the last couple of weeks, which was a sure sign that it’s time to wrap up the challenge. The purpose of wearing every piece was to give them all a chance to make it into my regular fashion rotation. Anything that I have to wear grudgingly is just going to get ignored after the challenge anyway, so at this point I think I've achieved my goal of test-driving all of my jewelry and starting fresh.

2010 Jewelry Stash

One of the things I really looked forward to with this challenge is cultivating a selection of pieces that I want to wear all the time, and packing the rest away for possible frogging, or to use as a weird, beady time capsule. I wish that I had taken a ‘before’ picture of my jewelry stash at the beginning of the challenge. It would be great to compare how many pieces have remained, and how many have been omitted. Not to mention all of the pieces that have been added since I've been making and keeping tutorial projects since the start of the challenge. I do have a photo of my necklace stash from a few years ago that looks pretty much the way it did this January. There are lots of old favorites there, and a few pieces that I still haven't worn even once since making them sometime between 2006 and 2009.

Challenge-Depleted Necklace Stash

Today, my necklace stash was almost completely depleted. There are just a few outrageous statement pieces that I will probably never wear, a handful of slightly broken pieces, and one or two things that I just didn’t get around to wearing. I think I can safely say that I got close enough to wearing 'everything', and can call off the challenge so that I can get back to wearing my favorites again! I wish I could say that I learned a few things about my jewelry tastes and the changes in my beading repertoire, but I've been looking back on most of these designs from time to time, and there weren't many surprises there.

Favorites-Only Necklaces and Bangles

Once I had removed everything from my jewelry racks that I wanted to stow, I grabbed my pile of already worn jewelry and started adding the pieces that I want to keep out for everyday wear. There were a few pleasant reveals waiting in the box. Because I had blown through a bunch of newer pieces right at the beginning, there were a few things that I forgot I had. I’m looking forward to trying them out again. More than half of the new stash is pieces that I have been wearing faithfully for years, but it’s great to see the collection filled out with some of the designs that I’ve been making recently. It was rather refreshing to re-organize them by style, and I hope that I'll have an easier time grabbing necklaces and bracelets to layer in the mornings.

Bracelet Stash and Stowed Jewelry

Everything that remained after I'd chosen my pet designs is currently piled in an old jewelry box that is way too small for it all. I feel sort of bad for banishing everything that way, but I don’t have the time or the energy to deal with such a mountain of beadwork right now. After hanging on to some of those pieces for a lot of years and passing them over every day, it will be nice to have them out of sight and out of mind for a while. Perhaps one day I’ll be able to pass them on to a young dress-up artist.

Did you make any creative resolutions this year? How are they progressing?

Mortira

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5 Ways to Spark Bead Creativity

I think many beaders want to believe that if we owned bead stores, we would have never-ending inspiration every day. And most bead store owners would tell you that when you run your own brick and mortar business, you don’t have time to bead. The truth is, no matter how well stocked we are, gaps in inspiration can happen at any time. Sometimes we just run out of ideas, or out of creative energy. I often get stuck in a rut when I try to make something that I don’t find enjoyable, and before I know it I’m in full procrastination mode. It can take days or even weeks until I’m ready to do anything creative again.

Since this is something that has happened to me often over the years, I’ve discovered a lot of little tricks for getting the beads rolling again. Sometimes all it takes is a little nudge; other times you need a complete creative detox and reset. These methods have worked for me time and again.

5. Browse Your Favorite Sites

The easiest and cheapest way to spark a little creativity is to do some artistic window shopping. Check out what other artists are making, look at the designs in museums and catalogues, browse interesting color palettes and patterns, or just ogle beads until something fires you up.

Your favorite bead shops, Pinterest, fashion mag sites, and museum catalogues are a great place to start. A lot of sites offer a little more in the form of interaction, where you can play with the inspirations and see what happens. I like ColourLovers.com and Pantone.com when I want to experiment.

Browse and Create Color Palettes on COLOURLovers.com

4. Flip Through Some Pages

Books and magazines always offer a wealth of inspiration, whether you buy or borrow. Your public library likely has a great selection of jewelry, beading, and craft books, as well as back issues of craft and fashion magazines. If you subscribe – or have ever subscribed – to magazines or catalogues, all you have to do is haul out your back issues and start flipping. You’re bound to find something that calls out to be beaded.

If, like me, you have a lot of beading magazines from years ago, you can go back and try out projects and techniques that you once overlooked. I tried this earlier this year, and it worked so well I haven't had to go back to it since! If you're not ready to commit your bead stash to old projects, you could always peruse the ads for new material and color ideas.

3. Make Collages

Making digital collages like those you can tinker with on Pantone and ColourLovers is a great way to spark creativity, but nothing beats the good old fashioned scissors and glue stick collage. Almost any type of magazine or catalogue will do to make an inspiration collage. Cut out any pictures that speak to you and arrange them together to get a palette of ideas to help you on your way to new designs. And don’t overlook the potential of ads for color and pattern ideas!

Once you’ve made a few collages, you can hole-punch them and store them in a binder for future use, or wallpaper your creative space for inspiration at any time of the day or night. If you want to skip the arranging step, you can also paste whole pictures and snippets in a scrapbook or sketchbook. As an added bonus, collage-making can often lead to sketching, which is a great way to experiment and plan new design ideas.

Lime Lizard by mortira featuring modern home decor

2. Try Something New

When all else fails, grabbing some new beads is a great way to get your designs flowing again. Even if the project doesn’t work out, you’re bound to come up with other ideas while you’re working. Beads are just too exciting to ignore! You don’t have to go outside of your normal comfort zone when trying out new beads. A new color, shape, or finish in a style you’re already familiar with is often enough to rev things up.

There are also zillions of tutorials out there to try when you need a little boost. Whether you choose a free project or purchase one from an instructor, working from someone else's pattern gives your creative side a chance to relax and reset. By the time you’ve finished the project, you’ll likely have a whole to-do list to look forward to.

The Necklace a Day Challenge

1. Challenge Yourself

By far my favorite way to start new inspirations and keep them going is with a challenge. Big or small, they never fail to give me a reason to bead (and learn new things along the way). It’s important to set a challenge that you want to do, and that you have the time and resources to stick with. While there’s plenty to be learned from failure, a successful challenge is much more exciting.

There’s no exact way to go about creating a challenge, but the easiest way to start is to pick something you want to repeat on some scale and set a time limit to do it in. It could be variations in a single design, or a variety of designs based on a theme. It could be a once-a-day challenge, or creating X number of projects by a certain date. Pretty much anything goes! Chronicling your challenge, whether in a journal or online, is a great way to stay motivated, too.

What’s your favorite way to deal with a creative slump?

Mortira

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Mini Collar a Week Challenge

For many months now I’ve been saying that I have to use up some of my accent beads. Over the last couple of years I have amassed a pretty great collection of beads that I love and love to use, but I recently reached a point where I just didn’t know where to begin. I’ve long since passed the hoarding stage and am ready to see what my beads can do. I just never have an idea that I think is good enough. I’ve been taking beads out, trying them on different palettes, imagining what they can do, but never really getting down to making something with them. I’ve also been busy with tutorial projects and other pursuits, so I haven’t been concentrating on just making jewelry for fun. I decided it was time to do something about it.

I was looking through old photos for something or other when I started reminiscing about some of my favorite creative challenges. Although the Egyptian Gods challenge was by far the most rewarding for me, the early marathons like A Ring a Day and A Bracelet a Week were the ones that taught me the most overall. Like the Destash Challenge, they also helped me to stretch out my limits and use up things in my bead stash. I did try out a new challenge at the start of this year, but it fizzled out. I thought that I would end up going without for the rest of 2016, but a marvelous idea finally emerged.

For the remainder of 2016, or until I’ve used all of my small accent beads at least once, I’m going to make a mini collar every week. I chose mini collars because they stitch up quickly, and I’d really love to have a few more of them for my shop, which I’ve been neglecting lately. Although the chevron chain design that I use for them is pretty simple, there are lots of different ways to add patterns and highlight exciting beads. I can’t wait to start experimenting!

To kick off the challenge I used a couple of old favorites – lime green and cobalt blue Indonesian glass spacers. In order to include these large-hole beads in the design, I ended up increasing the stitches quite a bit to make room for 8/o bumpers. The netting is roomier and the collar is much bigger overall than my usual designs. I’m really happy with results, because it means that I can take more chances with other accents as well. Plus I love the palette with rainbow patriot blue for the netting.

Next I’m going to try out some drops or magatamas, and perhaps a new pattern. Wish me luck!

Mortira

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Jewelry Resolution Update

We’re now about 10 weeks into 2016 and I’m pleased to report that most of my creative resolutions are still going. I’ve been chipping away at my goals to make more tutorials and frog old designs, though I’m still a bit behind on my commitment to stay organized and put away my beads on a regular basis. I have managed to keep my desk from getting completely out of control, but I haven’t yet done a 100% overhaul of my workspace. I’m sure I’ll find the time sooner or later.

Meanwhile, I’ve been sticking to my challenge of wearing every single piece of beaded jewelry in my stash. I haven’t been moving through them quite as quickly as before. Back in January I wasn’t wearing a uniform to work every day, so I had many more opportunities to layer on multiple designs. Lately I’ve been sticking to just one necklace or bracelet, with the occasional combination.

One of my favorite combos of late was an embroidered medallion which I paired with two cuff bracelets in similar palettes. I’ve nearly worked through all of my favorite pieces and I’m now finding it more difficult to choose designs that I want to wear. I want to say that I had more time to pick pieces to complement my outfits back in January, but I think it’s more likely that I just need more time to decide on which of the remaining pieces I actually want to wear.

My out-box of worn jewelry is starting to overflow now. I’ll be moving these pieces to a new container to wait until the challenge is complete and I can reorganize my wardrobe. On the plus side, this challenge has provided yet another opportunity to stress-test my designs. It's always nice to see how well they hold up when I treat them with the opposite of proper jewelry care - like stuffing them into a tiny shoe box at random.

How are your creative goals going so far? What’s been your biggest challenge this year?

Mortira

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Frog it or Wear it Update

One of my creative resolutions for this year was to finally try frogging some old designs and salvage the beads. I’ve never really bothered with this beading step before, since it always seems a shame to cut up Fireline when I could just wear the designs instead. After my most recent jewelry shop overhaul, I was left with a lot of pieces that actually seemed to be worth ripping up. I thought I would give it a go and see if the resulting salvage would be worth the time spent.

I went through the box in my bead cupboard labelled ‘Frogs’ and sorted them into piles – one to wear and one to deconstruct. There are quite a few pieces that are mostly seed beads – I think it would probably be cheaper just to purchase the same beads again than to go to all the trouble of ripping out those stitches. I added a few pieces to my jewelry collection, including a spiral rope pendant and a couple of fun bracelets. At first I wasn’t sure about the peyote tube and cat eye bracelet, but decided that I didn’t want the beads that badly, and it would be more fun to just wear it instead.

The pile of pieces to be frogged was a lot bigger. There were a few designs that I really liked, and I almost added them to the wear pile. The stick pearl necklace was definitely a tough one. But with this piece, I like the beads a lot more than I need another necklace, so I decided to rippit! I also decided to finally dismantle a necklace set that I made for an Egyptian Hallowe’en costume about 20 years ago. Most of the beads are acrylic, but there are some really great teal Czech glass beads in both pieces that I’ve had my eye on for a long time. I’ve always liked having the necklaces around as decoration, but since I was going to be frogging, I thought it was time to take back those glass beads.

I ended up with a pretty good haul of worthwhile accents. I’m particularly happy to have some black and white druks again. I’m not sure how or when I’ll use them, but it feels good to have them in my stash. I wasn’t quite brave – or patient – enough to take apart the beaded flowers from that piece, so I’ll be saving them to use in other designs – possibly a set of rings!

I also got some lovely bead soups out of the deal. When I was finished frogging, I mixed the seed beads with assorted leftovers from my stash and now I’ve got all kinds of new inspirations for later. I think there might be a few multistrand necklaces and herringbone cuffs in my future.

In all, I think this particular frogging session was worthwhile. I still can’t see myself sitting down to rip a single piece at a time, but I would definitely like to keep them saved up for an occasional destruction fest. It was rather therapeutic, and it gave me a break from the monster collar that I’m currently working on.

Do you find it difficult to dismantle unwanted or unfinished designs? What do you like to do with your mishaps?

Mortira

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Jewelry Resolution Update

When I made my New Year’s resolution to wear more jewelry, I didn’t really think much about my methods for achieving that goal – so long as I was putting on a piece or two every day, I’d be winning. As I started to look at mixing and matching pieces in new ways, I decided it would be a fun challenge to quarantine everything I’d worn and work my way through the entire stash a bracelet and necklace at a time. Not only would this give me a chance to wear some of my oft-forgotten designs, but I would have to make some interesting choices in how to mix pieces with each other, and my wardrobe.

So far things are going really well, and at this rate I’ll probably be through the stash in no time. It’s a bit difficult to set aside some of my favorite pieces – especially the ones that I already use to combine and bring together different designs. I can’t promise that I won’t cheat and pull out some essentials here and there when I need a dash of something or other.

The first combination that I wore was my new floral chevron bracelet and a fish leather pendant. Normally I don’t worry much about matching color in accessories, but I like the way the reds connect these two pieces together. I'm a little sad to be putting the pendant aside as it's one of my go-to pieces when I just want to throw something on and run out the door. It goes with basically everything and it's a really fun piece to wear.

Some days I kept it simple with just a cuff or a pendant. Other days I want to experiment. A few times I went with old stand-bys.

I really like to wear a big stack of bracelets whenever I’m in a fun mood, or when I’m wearing a top that doesn’t work with a necklace. I always start with 3 or 4 simple stretch bracelets and an ombre crochet chain wrap. Then I layer on some petite bangles, and maybe a leather cord bracelet. I’ve already used this combo twice, so I’m running low on options. Soon I’ll have to discover new combinations from the bottom of my bracelet box.

One of my favorite new combinations so far was a German glass scarab pendant with a super long St.Petersburg chain necklace. When doubled or trebled, the chain creates an awesome cascade look. With the scarab at the center it looks even better. Once again this combo has a few hints of similar hues, so it really comes together.

At some point I’ll have to transfer the ‘used’ jewelry to a new location, as my current out-box gets filled up. This will give me an opportunity to really reorganize my collection, so that’s a nice bonus.

Are you sticking to your creative resolutions? What’s your biggest success so far?

Mortira

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Time Capsule: Beading Challenges

January is a time for looking forward, but it’s also a great opportunity to look back. Perhaps it’s best to just look over your shoulder as you move ahead to new things, but reflection is definitely a healthy exercise. When I looked back at what was happening three years ago this month on Inspirational Beading, I was surprised to discover that it was the start of the Egyptian Gods jewelry challenge.

Geb and Bast Egyptian Designs

Even though I could have done the math without looking and known that this challenge began 3 years ago, it was still a bit of a shock to discover just how long it’s been since I took on that exciting journey of inspiration. When I look back through some of my favorite designs from the series, I find that they are still inspiring me to this day.

One important thing I did discover is that I’m not feeling the same amount of excitement and inspiration for my current challenge theme. I’m having the hardest time trying to fit my favorite geek characters and ideas into the type of beadwork that I like to do. It’s just not working, and I think I’m going to pack in the Geekspiration challenge and look for something new to broaden my repertoire with. I might get an idea for the series here or there, but I'm going to focus most of my creativity elsewhere for now.

Donna and Aurra Designs

The good news is that I’ll probably be able to get new projects ready for the Master Class series even faster than I thought. I’ve been a bit limited by work schedules and the sun’s winter timetable, but I should have the first installment ready soon. After that, who knows what inspirations await?

Have you ever had a great beading idea fizzle out before completion? What did you take away from the experience?

Mortira

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My 2016 Beading Resolutions

Although setting lofty goals in the New Year can be an exercise in futility, I’ve always thought that this tradition provides a good opportunity to make small changes in one’s routine. If you set reasonable, doable goals, then this time of the year is a great way to reflect and improve. I’ve decided to make a couple of 2016 resolutions in my workspace, which I’ll hopefully be able to stick to and keep up with in years to come.

1. Staying Organized

If I were to make a resolution to put away all of my beads at the end of every project, I would be doomed to failure. I’m usually much too excited to start the next project on my list to stop and tidy up first. Also, I’m usually beading in the middle of the night, while a movie is playing, so taking 5-10 minutes to cart bead caddies back and forth to my desk is out of the question.

I made these 2 years ago and still haven't done anything with them.

Instead, my first resolution will be to make time every week to sort and replace all of my materials in one go. Several months ago I added a container to my workspace for tossing in beads that I’m finished with to deal with later. Although it keeps my workspace tidy, it also means that I never know where anything is half the time. I’ve got to make an effort to put things away more regularly so that I can stay organized and make more stuff!

2. Create More Tutorials

Technically, I had already set this goal a few weeks back, but I think it’s worth adding to the list because I am so determined to keep up with it. I have a big list of stitches and projects that I want to share, and I’m hoping that I can make at least 2 per month. I’m also planning to revamp some old tutorials, and I’ve got the first series of Master Class tutorials planned. They are going to be so much fun!

3. Make Practice Projects

For the longest time, I felt that making things for myself was a waste of materials, but I’ve had a change of heart. This year, I want to do more experimenting, make practice pieces, and try out techniques and projects by other artists. I’m interested to see how this new approach will change my skillset and overall bead outlook. The bonus is that I’ll be able to share my experiences and we can learn some new things together.

4. Wear More Jewelry

I have a ridiculous collection of beadwork jewelry, but most of it never gets worn. Often it’s because the pieces I have don’t go with my work ensemble, and any other time I’m wearing jewelry I just stick to my favorites. This year I want to make an effort to wear and experiment with all of the designs in my personal stash. Perhaps I can think of a way to share these as well!

Just a tiny portion of my jewelry collection.

5. Frog Old Pieces

I’ve been doing beadwork for almost 10 years, and apart from my first few projects, I have never ripped apart old designs to salvage the materials. Just like making designs for myself, I never felt that the time spent would be worth it - especially if I can just add unwanted designs to my wardrobe, or save them for Ugly projects.

This year, I want to try frogging and see if I can incorporate the process into my beading routine. I have a box full of pieces that I discontinued from my shop in recent years. Anything I don’t want to wear will get repurposed, and perhaps I’ll rediscover some favorite materials.

Do you like to set New Year’s resolutions? What are you beading goals for 2016?

Mortira

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Time Capsule: Creative Challenges

Five years ago this month I was beading non-stop for my Necklace a Day challenge, attempting to create and post 30 necklaces in 30 days. Although it was exhausting, I loved doing that challenge. I learned a lot about the materials and techniques that I was using, and discovered a lot of new designs thanks to the pressure of coming up with quick projects.

Some of my favorite designs were created during a Necklace a Day, including the first herringbone fringe necklace and some very tasty lariats. It’s always interesting to look back on collective projects like these and see how much my style has changed, and wonder if these old techniques could ever be made new again.

I’ll probably never do a daily challenge again, but since then I’ve developed a lot of affection for creative challenges. It’s such a fantastic way to keep new ideas coming, not to mention creating opportunities to fail and learn from it. The successes can be pretty inspiring, too!

My most recent design challenge was a more casual approach. The Egyptian Gods series had no deadlines, just the hope of eventually making a design for each of the most well-known Ancient Egyptian deities. I ended up cutting it short with only two projects to go in order to get started on Ancient Worlds Modern Beads, and once that was complete the challenge had lost its inspirational appeal.

Really embracing the Egyptian themes that I love was incredibly inspiring and gave me the opportunity to create pieces that I really liked. It feels like a good time to start that kind of challenge again. This time, I want to explore my geek side – something that I haven’t shared here much before. The Geekspiration challenge isn’t one I can put a number on – there are just too many possibilities - so I’m going to put a one year deadline on it. We’ll check in and see how many designs I can come up with by November 2016.

Right now most of my ideas are revolving around geek heroines, and designs inspired by their style. There might also be some more obvious inspirations that come along, too. I'm not saying I will definitely do a Minecraft pattern tutorial, but I'm not saying I definitely won't, either. Can’t wait to see what the beads will do!

Mortira

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Inspirational Beading - Now Bigger and Better

It’s hard to believe – even for me – but Inspirational Beading turned 7 this past summer. It’s been an amazing journey of learning and inspiration. I’ve had so much fun sharing ideas and projects with all of my fabulous readers! There have been many changes and revisions over the years, with new segments, awesome guest posts, and fun giveaways to spice things up. Over the past year or so, things have been pretty casual as I put the finishing touches on Ancient Worlds Modern Beads – and that is about to change!

2010 Bead Palette

One of the only things that I’ve stuck with almost as long as the blog is my day job. Unfortunately, I recently found out that it is going to be downsized. I have something else lined up, but it won't be nearly as secure as what I've got now. The good news is that I’ll have even more free time to bring you great content – including more tutorials and projects! It’s time at last to get serious and make Inspirational Beading the best that it can be.

To begin this new journey, I’ve launched a Patreon campaign to help fund the blog and all the things I’ll need to keep it going (and growing). If you’re not familiar with Patreon, it’s an exciting crowd-funding style program that lets artists earn their bread by doing what they love. It’s very popular with YouTube and comic creators, as well as musicians and artists like Amanda Palmer. Unlike a Kickstarter campaign for a one-time project, Patreon allows artists to earn a bit of income for doing the work that they want to do, and maybe even do it a little bit better.

2011 Bead Palette

Here’s how it works: interested readers can become ‘patrons’ by pledging a monthly donation of $1 or more. In return, patrons get lots of awesome perks, plus the warm fuzzy feeling that comes with helping to support something you love. You can edit your pledge at any time, and any perks you receive are yours to keep!

Inspirational Beading patrons will have access to lots of great inspirations including: exclusive giveaways, free tutorials, a special member’s-only blog and newsletter, plus early access to special content like tutorials, projects, and videos. I have so many exciting things planned for you – I can’t wait to start sharing them!

If you’re not able to become a patron right now, not to worry. Inspirational Beading posts will always be free, and they’re going to be better than ever.

There is one extra way that you can help me and your fellow readers though: send me your questions, and I’ll turn them into informative posts for the blog. I want to hear all of your questions about beading, beads, jewelry design, blogging, and anything else you can think of! Want to talk books, Ancient Egypt, or fashion? Ask me about anything you’ve been pondering and I’ll turn it into a fun video. Email your questions with “Mailbag” in the subject line to InspiraitonalBeading@gmail.com and I’ll get started!

2013 Bead Palette

I want to extend a huge thank you to everyone who has been reading along so far, and all new readers, too! You keep my creative wheels turning. I couldn’t have made it this far without you, and I can’t wait to see where we go next. If you’d like to become an Inspirational Beading patron, or check out the available perks, visit my new creator’s page to learn more. Thank you!

Happy beading,

-Mortira


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Operation Inspiration: Phase Four

At last my mission to find new inspirations is complete with the arrival of my first bead order of the year. I didn’t spend a whole lot, and did a bit of stocking up on important elements like jet black 8/o seedbeads and Fireline, but there are some pretty exciting new beads in my stash now as well.

My absolute favorite grab from this haul is a pair of dyed horn rondelles in red and amber. I first tried these natural beads in a round shape last year, and I absolutely fell in love. The natural translucent finish and warm colors are so fantastic, and perfect for the designs I like to make. I can’t wait to start using these!

I also picked up a few things that were on sale and just called to me for the fun of it, including a big bag of carved mother of pearl butterfly pendants. I have no idea what I’m going to do with them, but there were some pretty great colors in the bag, including these turquoise, lime and black pieces.

Now I feel pretty much back on track, and I’m ready to start creating at my normal pace again. Although I’ll be working a lot throughout the summer – not to mention spending time at the beach – I know I’ll be able to make time for beading and sharing ideas, too. It’s good to be back!

Do you like to try out new beads for inspiration? What styles do you tend to go for?

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Operation Inspiration: Phase One

Although I have been relishing the extra time I’ve been getting to relax, veg out, and just hang around with my family lately, it’s definitely time to get back to beading and all of the creative things I used to do once upon a time. Somewhere inside of me there’s a person who loves to create jewelry, photograph it, write about it and experiment with colors at every opportunity. I just have to figure out where she’s been hiding.

In order to get back on track, I’ve got to find my creative grooves again – refresh and start new. There are quite a few methods that I’ve mapped out, including finally getting around to deciding on a new shop platform and filling it up with pieces from Ancient Worlds, Modern Beads. I think that starting there will help me figure out what I want to do with the rest of my inventory and get back on track shop-wise.

Beading Workspace: Before

In the meantime, I’m determined to start making again. To get my motivation and inspiration going, I’m going to try out some proven methods, only this time I’ll be doing them all in a heap, like a great creative detox. Phase one is almost complete.

First I rolled up my sleeves and cleaned my workspace. Over the past few months, I’ve been a bit lazy about putting beads away, and filing things where they ought to go. My workspace also managed to accumulate a lot of unnecessary objects such as a DVD I meant to watch and forgot about, and a big bag full of little bead baggies that was just taking up too much space. Although it’s convenient to have them there whenever I need a place to put a recently cut strand or hank, it’s not worth it to have it cluttering up space that could be holding beads, or books, or nothing at all.

I realized that the herringbone collar I was working on was dragging me down as much as anything else, so I’ve packed up the beads for now. As soon as I get a chance to re-file all of the beads that had collected on my table, I’ll be ready to start fresh.

Now my workspace has only the essentials: my tool jar, inspiration notebook and 7-year pen, my bag of culled beads and my beeswax. I left my collection of seed bead leftovers in the hopes that I’ll be inspired to use them. All that’s left is the paint and glitter stains that only sandpaper can remove!

Beading Workspace: After

Phase Two will be even more cleansing and I'm really looking forward to getting started. How do you work through creative blocks?

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