When Your Muse Takes A Powder

 

From June 22, 2009

An author friend posed some answers to the question what do you do when your creative well runs dry?

Creating something with my hands is such a rush. Though I sometimes refer to my work as play, it's still work. (Though some don't view it as such). It's hard to be creative every single day. Sometimes the demands of work and family just sap my energy. When I feel that happen, it's best just to step back and leave the drawing board. I find if I'm not in a good mood, not happy, my mood comes through my hands. But there's also the need to get that creative energy back. Some things I do:

1. Being a couch potato and watching movies.

2. Cleaning and organizing the studio. Though this can also be a procrastination technique, touching the art supplies sometimes cause my fingers to itch. Sometimes I just have to get my hands in the paint. Afterall, art is a contact sport.

3. Reading blogs by creative friends and colleagues. Looking at what they are doing can be very energizing.

4. Flipping through my calligraphy books, art books, and color swatch book, makes me want to get back in the saddle.

5. Making ATCs just for me and not a trade. Too many times things made are given away or sold (a blessing). I can try a new technique and have fun without the pressure someone is waiting for a piece to be completed.

What are some of the things you do when your muse takes a powder?

Second on the Second - Sticky Journal Pages

 

From May 17, 2011:

Some of my journal pages that were painted with tube acrylics were sticking together. Not happy. An online search to the problem turned out to be using Dorland's Wax Medium or Turtle Wax. Not having either of those items on hand, and too lazy and cheap to go out to buy them, I tried an even simpler solution to the problem. I rubbed a white candle (unlit, of course) over the sticky pages and buffed with a soft cloth. Ta Da! It worked. Bet if I used a scented candle it would make the pages smell purty.

It's your turn to play. From Elizabeth: Now it's time to share your Second on the 2nd.  The rules are quite simple and everyone is welcome to join the fun look back.  All you have to do is bring back a post that you are especially proud of, or perhaps one you shared before anyone knew your blog existed.  Any post, any genre, any artistic endeavor is acceptable.  Join hosts Bleubeard and Elizabeth to see what else is being served up the Second Time Around.

The Friday Five Good Things

Five good things that happened this week.

1. Had a great time at Master Beef's birthday party. Tons of food: a Chinese buffet, sushi, sashimi, lots of goodies, and a champagne toast. Grandmaster E also gave out favors in cute red, Chinese food boxes filled with a pen, gumballs, and her out of this world Italian cookies.

2. Had fun with our Pi Day celebration. I love geek holidays. Food, fun, and no gifts

3. The Eldest and I had a Ruroni Kenshin marathon.

4. Art supplies arrived. New toys to play with

5. For St. Patrick's day, he, he Himself cooked the corned beef.

How was your week?

The Friday Five Good Things

Five good things that happened this week.

1. Enjoyed watching the Patriot's season opener with Himself from the comfort of the sun room.

2. My dad stopped by for a visit. For some reason, they were living some place in New York (Himself is going to be extremely unhappy if New York is Heaven and he has to like the Yankees). Dad complained he had washed the kitchen floor for Ma, and she was unhappy. (I never saw Dad wash the kitchen floor!)  Ma only had one way to do things right, her way. I think she made an appearance, too, and complained how the kitchen floor had not been washed the "right way". Some things never change. :-D

3. Still can't believe the personal help I received from Mr. C from MassDOT after the problem I had on the Mass Pike on Tuesday.

4. Art supplies arrived! New toys to play with and books to read.

5. I had a two cowboy hat first day of calligraphy class. Exciting to be able to share my art with students who are engaged and want to learn.

How was your week?

Time Stood Still

Saturday, I took my journal, watercolor pencils, and a waterbrush to the courtyard of WAM. The weather was perfect, not too hot or too cold and sunny. At first, I thought what a shame no one was at the museum. No one in the courtyard. And then I was glad I had the space all to myself. I let go of the guilt of the time away. There were no phone calls.  No one fell. No decisions to be made about healthcare or medications. The dishes in the sink, the boxes creating snail trails through the hoarders heaven of the living room were still  there. But I didn't care. 


The image from Beltain had been stuck in my head waiting to be put down on paper. It was only a month or so ago, but seemed like ages. Sometimes, there are responsibilities one can't walk away from no matter how much one wants to. And on this day, this perfect Saturday, I had the luxury to escape into my head into the line, into the color.  My universe cooperated and time stood still for an hour and a half. 


And don't forget. Leave a comment on the blog for a chance to win the tea cup to celebrate the opening of my Etsy shop. The winner will be announced on Friday.

Sticky Journal Pages

Some of my journal pages that were painted with tube acrylics were sticking together. Not happy. An online search to the problem turned out to be using Dorland's Wax Medium or Turtle Wax. Not having either of those items on hand, and too lazy and cheap to go out to buy them, I tried an even simpler solution to the problem. I rubbed a white candle (unlit, of course) over the sticky pages and buffed with a soft cloth. Ta Da! It worked. Bet if I used a scented candle it would make the pages smell purty.

Perfect Pencil Sharpener

I was on a hunt for a pencil sharpener, one that would sharpen colored pencils. Doesn't sound like a big deal, but it is. The small, colored plastic sharpeners sharpen but just when the pencil is nearing the perfect point, the lead breaks especially if the razor in the sharpener is dull. Electric sharpeners have an auto stop when the perfect point is reached. Unfortunately, electric sharpeners eat lots of lead. You start with a nice long pencil, and by the time the auto stop kicks in, you're left with a stub. Not good especially using colored pencils. Battery powered sharpeners seem like they would be convenient but the batteries wear out quickly especially if you're trying to sharpen the big colored pencil sets. Then there's the pencil shape factor. Some pencils are round. Some are hexagonal. Some are thin. Some are thick. Some fit the sharpeners. Some don't. I wanted one tool to sharpen them all.

While searching online, I came across Jerry's Artarama and Multipoint Professional Deluxe Sharpener for $27.99 (plus shipping). The packaging description boasted "virtually no waste of lead. automatic self-feed clutch design with auto stop, takes large diameter pencils (8mm - 12mm) in most shapes including triangular, round, hexagonal, and sharpens in a choice of 5 point shapes."  Sounded perfect, almost too good to be true, but I bought one.

I have to say this is a great tool and does all that the packaging said it would. I was even able to sharpen the Prismacolor Verithin Pencils as well as a couple of Husky pencils. The grinders didn't  eat the pencils down to a stub. The pencil sharpener also comes with a table clamp.

Two pencils up for this product.

When Your Muse Takes A Powder

Erica at On the Write Path posed some answers to the question what do you do when your creative well runs dry?

Creating something with my hands is such a rush. Though I sometimes refer to my work as play, it's still work. (Though some don't view it as such). It's hard to be creative every single day. Sometimes the demands of work and family just sap my energy. When I feel that happen, it's best just to step back and leave the drawing board. I find if I'm not in a good mood, not happy, my mood comes through my hands. But there's also the need to get that creative energy back. Some things I do:

1. Being a couch potato and watching movies.

2. Cleaning and organizing the studio. Though this can also be a procrastination technique, touching the art supplies sometimes cause my fingers to itch. Sometimes I just have to get my hands in the paint. Afterall, art is a contact sport.

3. Reading blogs by creative friends and colleagues. Looking at what they are doing can be very energizing.

4. Flipping through my calligraphy books, art books, and color swatch book, makes me want to get back in the saddle.

5. Making ATCs just for me and not a trade. Too many times things made are given away or sold (a blessing). I can try a new technique and have fun without the pressure someone is waiting for a piece to be completed.

What are some of the things you do when your muse takes a powder?