Designing Your Own World

I have said many times that artists create because they want to enhance the world in some way. But sometimes the well of inspiration runs dry. Other times we just don't know which direction to go in. In the back of our brains live ideas that never quite seem to make it to the forefront. We push them aside in favor of other ideas for various reasons, but they seem to live on...lurking in the murky depths of our minds.

I have had a million ideas lately and can't quite seem to bring a lot of them to fruition. I wasn't sure why until I had one of those wayward moments that brings clarity. Those moments always arrive in the most unexpected ways.

This particular moment arrived because I was watching TV. An ad came on for some show. (Don't ask me what it was, I don't remember.) But the ad wasn't what caught my attention, it was the song playing in the ad. I had to find out what it was so I googled the main phrase and found it. I went to Youtube and watched a live version of it. The song was both intriguing and disturbing with a touch of whimsy. But what really fascinated me were the two lovely young girls who sang it. They had quite a developed sense of style. One was reminiscent of a gypsy/hippy from the
60's and the other was almost flapperish. I sat watching in rapt fascination as they belted out the tune. These girls have fashioned themselves a world they want to live in. They didn't conform to the world around them. In no way were they Britney clones as so many young female singers are these days.

So I started thinking...if I were to fashion my own world, what would it be? I realized that if I can answer that question, I will also be answering the question of which direction I want to take my work in. If you have the luxury of creating your own world, you should be able to include all the things you love in it whether they make sense or not. You just have to have faith that it will all work together, and if there is one thing I am blessed with...it's a lot of faith in my own vision. I think I just needed to define it.

Last night I dozed off mentally building my world. The most important thing about my world is that it would be personal. While technology is a great thing it seems to be making our world rather impersonal. I would rather see people out in public tipping their hats and smiling and looking strangers in the eye rather than hooked into iPods and texting and chatting with someone far away on their cell phones completely oblivious to their surroundings and the people in it.

A personal world would also involve things that are crafted with beauty and function by people who are truly proud of what they create instead of mass produced on an assembly line by people who are just living for the paycheck and waiting for the weekend so they can escape their jobs.

I also like a world where people can express their style without labels or constraints of a modern time period, so the fashions would be a mix of anywhere from Elizabethan to Edwardian to the Roaring 20's to the 40's to ballet tu tu's to wearing beat up cowboy boot with a dainty nigtgown, with a touch of 80's and Venetian Mardi Gras thrown in. People would have grace naturally and apply it their everyday lives, but they wouldn't be perfect. That would be boring. Every once in a while a wild or just slightly wicked streak would take hold and get it's way.

I also like fancy things with flourishes. So everyday objects would be fanciful even in their practicality. Those extra little touches that make things just a bit...more. Just for fun I tossed in tall ships for travel dirigibles as a common mode of transportation because I have always had a secret desire to have one.

There would be gothic architecture, victorian manor's and thatched roof cottages. There would be paned window atriums and stained glass windows. I would have chandeliers in the bathroom, and angel wings attached to the clock face of Big Ben.

My world would be solid and grounded...but with an other worldly feel but never in a serious way. So there you have it! It may not make sense to you, but to me it tells me exactly where I need to go with my work. What would your world be like?

~*~ Time Flies ~*~

A lot of people have asked me to do banners and graphics for their blogs or websites lately, so I decided to start making some banners for etsy and offering them for 5.00 each in my shop there. I am going to add some Halloween ones next.

You can see it here: Time Flies Banner

Things That Go Wrong

My horoscope for today said I was a little low on energy. Now I don't put much stock in horoscopes, but I must say that is pretty accurate today. If my energy was any lower I would fall off the grid.

I thought I had stomach flu for a couple weeks and as it turns out something has gone wrong internally. It sort of looks like it's my gallbladder. Now I know that's pretty common and not a HUGE thing. But I don't want to have another surgery. I had a bone spur a few years ago that had to be removed, hand surgery and something rather major I don't want to go into.

While I like things that are vintage and worn looking, I don't really want to be one of those things! I have been a little slow getting things done as a result of all this. It's also why I haven't been posting much. Every time I eat I get sick and have to deal with a lot of pain. So I have been trying not eat. Either alternative isn't that great. I really am low on energy.

I had the ultra sound yesterday, so wish me luck guys! Maybe I will find out it's no big thing. *Crosses her fingers* Until then...I am going to try to keep working. Hopefully I will have something to show you before tomorrow night.

Etsy Showcase

My spot in the main showcase on esty just went live for the next 24 hours!

Etsy Main Showcase

Creation And Clean Up

Creation is messy. Any time anyone creates anything, there is always left over mess to be cleaned up. My husband did a major renovation in my bathroom. It looks amazing, but the mess left over is horrifying! I swear the man rolled in grout and then brushed against every surface between there and the garage at least 3 times. So today while he is at work creating a mess for someone else to clean up, I am here cleaning up my bathroom...and landing...and foyer...and stairs...and doors...and the banister...and...*groans*

Once I am done with that, I get to create a new bear to put on etsy. I have a spot in Tuesday's Main Showcase so I want to make sure I have ten items available for that. When I am done I will have to clean up my own mess left over from creation.

I have to wonder...are the stars and planets just left over mess from the creation of the universe? Maybe someone is coming our way with a giant bottle of windex!

Wide Awake Early

So here I sit in a hotel room, wide awake on a Saturday morning. I am only five miles from home and I wish I could go back home. But right this minute I can't. (No I didn't leave R!) He is remodeling my bathroom. It's noisy and raises the dust and mold level and I have asthma. Just one of the many little things I picked up from so many years of making bears.

I don't know why I always wake up at the crack of dawn when I stay in hotel. To be honest with you, I am kind of bored. I don't want to turn on the TV this early because I think someone is in the next room and I don't want to wake them up. I can't go swimming yet because the pool isn't open. I am half tempted to go jog some laps around the building.

Normally when I stay in a hotel it's for a bear show or we are traveling to some lovely destination. But what do you do when you're stuck in a hotel at home? I guess I will go read the book I brought. I would rather be home working on one of the bears I cut our or one of the masks I want to make. Sadly even if I was home I can't get to the bear parts because most of my stuff from the bathroom is in boxes sitting on the studio floor. I had a lot of stuff in there!

I guess I will go read...sigh~

~*~ Crowella De Ville ~*~

I just finished this little Halloween bird. She will be on my website in a bit and Etsy tonight as well.