[Jewelry making - Article 00620] - Re: [Orchid] Getting unstuck

[Cynthia Wiig]

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Hello Catherine -

    I have to agree with Ekrem - that the very piece you are working on
    may  be for a particular - yet to be known - individual.  :) 

    When I first started out full time in the public - as an independent
    - I  had several half baked "cookies" on my bench.  I was up against
    a  deadline for an event and my sister-in-law, who stopped by said,
    "Cindy,  what is this and what is that - sell them!".  So, I
    finished up these  things and sure enough, they sold.  It's then,
    that I told myself -  "Gee, what do I know"?!  My pleasure is in
    making the jewelry - I'm not  one who wears jewelry particularly. 
    So, I see this work as a big  science experiment - to complete
    pieces and watch the results - of their  finding a "home".  

    I am so self critical sometimes that it can be stifling.  When I
    lighten  up on that quality (which actually is a good trait for the
    technical  difficulty involved in our medium) - and detach from the
    work more - it  becomes more of a dance.  Sometimes pieces sit
    partially finished for a  while - and when I come back to them with
    "fresh" eyes - I'll be able to  have "fun" with them and see them to
    completion.  That's the beauty of  working for oneself - and not
    having to please a customer or  supervisor's deadline.  Special
    orders are another challenge that need  to be solved in spite of
    myself. 

    When you are selling at shows again, you will have direct customer
    feedback - which is very helpful in proceeding and possibly
    continuing  (or not continuing) in certain directions. More
    importantly, though, listen to yourself and what works for your own
    creative process. 

    Very often, in my creative process, the work transforms into
    something  that was not my original intention.  The pieces find their
    own life.  I  just try to pay attention and be willing to modify the
    work -  especially, if the difficulty is beyond my time restraints or
     capability.  A piece of jewelry cannot sell unless it is finished! 
    We  are all different - and although I do sketch and plan ahead, I
    prefer to stay open to the possibility of  changing the piece while
    working on it.  This is a personal preference - and, to me, there is
    no right or wrong way to proceed - if it works. Sometimes, forcing a
    piece to completion will end up in disaster. But,  on the same
    breath - fortunately, stretching to that uncomfortable zone  more
    often ends up with a decent result. 

    I also recommend the book, "The Artist's Way" - Julia Cameron.  In
    the  past, there have been strings on Orchid on this subject.  Even
    now, I  will still dip into the book and have continued to write the
    three pages  most every day.  The complexities and challenges of
    managing my time  with family obligations and still having "fresh"
    work in the works - can  be overwhelming sometimes. 

    Your decision was "made" for you - to leap - and, I'm sure you will
    rise  to the occasion and proceed.  Have fun with it - and know that
    the  unfolding of work is a process.  As you go along, you may have
    to set  limitations.  That idea has also helped me in proceeding.  
    Jewelry/metalwork is such a broad field of possibilities.  I do work
    on  new skills behind the scenes and wait until I've mastered them
    to a  level that I'm comfortable with - before presenting things to
    the  public. 

    Deadlines, for me, are essential - self imposed or externally
    imposed.   (This isn't a problem that you have, but I have had to
    learn to work in  "snippets" of time - rather than marathon style. 
    I prefer totally  immersing myself with large chunks of bench time,
    but, have not been  able to do that for some time, now.)  

    My recommendation would be to take one or two partially completed
    pieces  and see them to finality.  One step at a time is always good
    approach -  rather than focusing on the big picture or being
    concerned with being  successful - which can be distracting,
    actually.  Yes, challenge  yourself and stick to your level of
    integrity - but, perhaps be willing  to modify the work as it
    unfolds - especially if the difficulty of the  fabrication is more
    than you bargained for in the original intention. 

    One more thought . . . I have found that the public is very
    supportive  and appreciative of my efforts - even if I am never
    satisfied and always  expect more from myself.  :) 

    Wishing you the best and this forum is a perfect place to pose 
    questions. (I tend to be wordy, but hope these thoughts are of some
    use.) 

Aloha,
Cynthia 

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