Back to the Source
March 4, 2008 by weefolkmaureen
I’ve been on inspiration overload for a few weeks (or maybe a lifetime!). First I was at the Cabin Fever Clay Festival in Laurel, Maryland, then at the National Polymer Clay Guild Synergy Conference in Baltimore, then at the American Craft Council Show at the Baltimore Convention Center, then back at my own dear studio and home where many unfinished projects and sketched ideas awaited my return. Yikes. Made me want to bury my head under a pillow to dream of finding my own voice (which I did, literally, waking up my husband Dan as I struggled in my sleep to give sound to my voice! Must have worked. He answered!)
I know that the thing that I have to do is to just MAKE A CHOICE AND DO IT. I can’t eat all the candy in the box or see all the movies that attract my attention or keep all of the ideas that float through my head. Life is about choice, and finding a balance line along which we can walk with a sense of equilibrium. So, I’m walking. Today I have to finish the 4th in our series of Puzzle-Face Push Molds, and then I will put my body into my studio chair and create. Art isn’t about dreaming the work, but about making it visible.
I admire those people like Val Daniels and Leslie Blackford who seem to work directly from their heart and souls to their fingertips, without spending endless time analyzing and revisiting and, like my high school Spanish teacher said, “chewing my cabbage twice”. I sat with Leslie for an afternoon at the Synergy Conference, while we both worked at our Vendor Tables. I think I’ll make a little doll in the image of Leslie and set her beside me on my worktable to act as my encourager. There, that’s a decision made!
And now just a word about inspiration. I’ve been seeing seeds and pods everywhere, not only in the “flesh” on the trees in Jordan, where my studio is, but in artwork ranging from doll making to ceramics to polymer clay to paintings and prints, as well as an interesting,though not verified posting, about the origination of the shape of the cocoa cola bottle. Fascinating: http://www.snopes.com/cokelore/bottle.asp
This photo represents work from one of my favorite booths at the Baltimore ACC show. The colors were mesmerizing and so calming. I wanted to LIVE in that booth! The artist is Andy Rogers, who also does photography for other artists. Check him out! http://www.andyrogersceramics.com
Other wonderful pod-related work is that of polymer clay artists Jeff Dever and Kathleen Dustin.
Now back to walking that line ….
Maureen
It was great to meet you at Synergy, Maureen! And I’m glad to know about your blog. Creativity & spirituality are concepts that really interest me. I’ve spent much of the last year being incredibly prolific in one of those areas but somewhat neglectful of the other…
And inspiration overload is something I can definitely relate to. I’ve got so many ideas for things I want to try, ideas I want to play with, it’s hard to know where to start! I spent over a week after Synergy just letting things percolate. I finally just jumped in a few days ago to see where the playing would lead me, and I am so pleased with my results. I am excited for my next opportunity to refine my ideas, whenever it comes.
I sometimes wish I didn’t have any other responsibilities, because I could very easily fill all of my days just trying out one creative idea or another!
[...] Carlson posted about Making Choices on her blog- “Whistling through the Cracks” also check out her poem about this [...]