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Boro Room -- For Boro-related tips, techniques, and questions.

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  #1  
Old 2015-07-02, 8:23pm
untamedrose's Avatar
untamedrose untamedrose is offline
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Default Feeeling Stagnant...

In a creative, progress stump I think....

Random kinda funny weird "thing" I figured out a few days ago....
I had pulled up my first "Ya torch is light!" Photo on FB looking for the date of my "anny".
Date hit me then.....had not before as I was way to excited with well fire.
The kinda weird this IS.....I joined the Navy Aug 2nd, 2001...on Aug 3rd, 2001 I had my first sleepless night at boot(I of course being the teen girl I was had huffed and rolled my eyes great start!) Spent about 4 hours of it standing at attention with my nose to a glass window...and an RDA randomly yelling at me. Said I couldnt leave until I told him the chemical composition of that glass window.... which course I didnt know. Im all like umm well sand? n stuffs I think 0o Which course he didnt care it was just a mess with the recruits head method of the moment. (and I got proof! Cause my first letter home I told dad what happened and please let me know the answer And if you are suddenly wondering there isnt a single chemical composition for glass varies by type and maker ... Anyway)
Exactly ten years later Aug 3rd, 2011 ..... I got the last needed parts in for studio and I fired up for the first time ever, started lampworking officially, and melted my first slug blob thingy.(and course being of such generation took a photo and stuck in on FB to show all my friends Before I even sat down) But its Weird no?


Anyway...whole point of post is(just randomly felt like sharing that story bit)
Is I am feeling really stuck with my work atm. Have felt like I was always growing for years...each new was a bit better then last time! and I do know Ive come a hell of long way in glass, in photography, in learning to market myself all around.

But the Last few months...lot more just making copies of stuff I've already made. Hating on made to orders ATM... And it's fine work, customers are happy but it's not better...and its sure not a push forward artistically nor in skills. Oh Joy another yellow submarine sold... which I was tickled pink with when I made the first for my brother(he's a Beatles fan, a submariner in the navy, and loves wine was like the perfect gift on all counts) Now Im just like Crappp...
Yes My attitude bloody sucks right now!

I bought a bunch of millies, alien/enterprise/r2dr to stick in my starry nights.... At First I was really excited going to geek out stuffs! and Meh some how its the same old crap I just stuck someone else's hard work in the middle of mine as the focus point! OH YAaaaa They will likely sell but.. still... and ya need stuffs to sell as that's how we feed kids around here now but Still feelin BLAH!

And I know everything has cycles, and this likely is to be expected.....all creative types have slumps.
Suggestions on how the heck to push forward?
What do you do when it gets like this.
Help
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  #2  
Old 2015-07-02, 9:41pm
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KJohn KJohn is offline
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Oh my gosh, surprised it took you this long. I go through this about every six months or so.

When you have reached a certain level what you make becomes an important question again, as you probably can do the how. This is when you have to work to find the things that please you and balance with the biz part.

I look at old photos and remember how I felt. Doing it for a biz is so different. I have to set aside time to play and try things out, even if I don't know if they sell. I tell myself I don't have to make everything count.

I'll try a new-to-me color, or new combos or shapes. I try not to buy more things like rollers or presses, but sometimes do.

I try something off the wall and see how that goes. Just about anything but the regular stuff.

I guess my thinking is that you just work your way through it, like everything else.
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Last edited by KJohn; 2015-07-02 at 9:45pm.
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  #3  
Old 2015-07-03, 6:05am
Myssi Myssi is offline
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Join an exchange. They push you to try things you haven't before!
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  #4  
Old 2015-07-03, 6:44am
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Elizabeth Beads Elizabeth Beads is offline
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I'm feeling the same. After 7 years, I think my skills are what they will be, so the really big thing is artistry. And then my muse goes on vacation and doesn't even bother to tell me.

I just keep going though. I make simple sets, I try new color combinations, new frit blends on different colors, I revisit old styles that I haven't made for a while.

Artistry is elusive though. Sometimes I think you either have it or you don't, in which case you are a production hack.

As my DH says, you can't practice genius.
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Last edited by Elizabeth Beads; 2015-07-03 at 6:20pm.
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Old 2015-07-03, 6:11pm
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Perhaps just to play without a goal.

Do the weird stuff.

Ever do a witches ball?
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  #6  
Old 2015-07-11, 4:31am
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sandree sandree is offline
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I can relate. I stopped making beads quite a few years ago to switch to working in alternative health, energy healing. It was just time for me to make that change. I felt as though I had made every bead, every color combo that I could think of and the immense joy that I started with had changed into that business thing of having to come up with something new for the business, not because I was excited. Today feeling bittersweet about it. I miss the colors and the patterns and the community but I don't actually miss the process of making the beads, if that makes sense.

So now I can just enjoy other people's work and marvel at how much it continues to evolve and people's skill level continues to grow. Amazing!

Sandy Seaman
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  #7  
Old 2015-07-11, 2:49pm
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Onekura Onekura is offline
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my oh my, we all know this - just has to happen at some stage. Now, you can either have a little break from the torch, but keep on watching what others are doing and that will eventually give you new ideas, or in my case, I usuall take one element and explore all possibilities - the old question of "what happens if I do / change this". I call that my experimental stage. I especially watch and analyse my "mistakes" as they usually give me new and unexpected ideas . . and then I follow up on those, tweeking all the time. It keeps my interest going and even a "fail" is a good thing. Go away from the thought that everything has to have a selling value - it has to have a creative value to yourself!!!!!!
I hope this might help you a little - best regards - Bernhard
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