This morning I read a lovely post on making space for playtime and realized how easy it is to become consumed by earning an income. It’s not that I don’t like my house and my lifestyle – I most certainly do! It’s just that sometimes I get lost in the endless and on-going process of earning a living. And forget that, especially as an artist, inspiration creeps in while I’m daydreaming. If I’m crunching numbers or plotting my next eseminar, my mind is full. It takes browsing pages of Niche and American Style, reading Ceramics Montly and even Architectural Digest and Coastal Living and Southern Maryland This is Living to encourage my non-linear, picture thinking side to come out to play. Play. Not to work: to play.
Now that I think of it, isn’t it the feeling of space that gives anyone, not just artists, time to mentally dawdle and conjecture? Isn’t that where magic really happens?
Sankofa Song has a really great post on this on his blog today.
What do you do to slow down and play?
I play with beads.
Have I ever mentioned that I love beads? As an affiliate of Artbeads.com I get to make lovely jewelry with their beads and then blog about it (and, as always, keep it real). Here are some pieces I put together last night while watching the SciFi channel (I forget exactly what – it was more about using the TV for white noise while I focused on jewelry making and tried not to lose too many crystals in the carpet piling).
Fire Agate is one of my favorite stones. It literally glows from within. Here, I’ve put swarovski bicones between these lovely diagonal pieces for a simple design that can be worn for work or play or dress-up.
I created another simple piece using some locally purchased pewter beads and new to me Simplicity swarovski crystals in jonquil, peridot and violet. The faceting of these beads is just enough different from the bicones to add a lot of interest and sparkle to the design. (see below). And the colors remind me of Easter eggs.
Want to make your own? Use Coupon code CP10P-2X3A-0210 (exp 3/31/10) for 10% off on your order of $50 or more. You can click here to see more gemstone possibilities for your work.
Beads allow me to finish a project or two and have that completion joy all in one evening. Working with clay, the final piece is always at least a week away. Being an Aries, I tend to be impatient, although Clay has certainly taught me that beautiful things are worth waiting for!
How can you make a space to play today? What activity relaxes you and makes you smile? Do you have a community around you (or one good friend) who reminds you that right now is as good as any time to play and says: “let’s go!”?
Surprise spring jewelry special!
Buy either of the sets on this page before March 31, 2010, and get 25% off!
Wylde Women’s Wisdom:
We enter our sacred garden through a variety of gates.
