Lost Muse and Fast Earrings

As a ceramic artist that makes beads and small bits and pieces,

I find it quite difficult sometimes to just sit and make something.

I have tools, materials of all sorts - but no inspiration...

Get me some music, imagery (nature, design, color, texture, etc) and ceramic clay that wants to play without cracking and some favorite tools - and my must shows up almost immediately, and we can play for as much time allows.

But putting it all together - making finished work - that is a whole other being, and my muse…

she usually goes off wandering somewhere else.

Luckily I have a good friend that lives about a coffee break distance away.

Jenny Davies-Reazor is a ceramic artist, jewelry designer, and mixed media artist.

jdaviesreazor on Instagram

And she invited me over for an afternoon of just hanging out and making stuff at her jewelry table.

I brought beads and tools and left with three simple, fast designs to make into earrings, which once I was home and working with more of my beads, headpins, caps and fibers - led to full on fun...

Oh, the frustration that was coming out of trying to wire wrap these simple forms in my traditional way.

Jenny showed me how to do a briolet wrap that just allowed me to fly through these.

Here are the caps and headpins sitting on my table for the next time I go to sit and make earrings.

I though using the sari ribbon would be a good way to hide a lot of the nichrome wire that is embedded in the ceramic clay headpin.

So these are not only fast - they are light weight and move great!

All things I love in an earring.

Sometimes finding your muse and keeping her around are as simple as time spent with a good friend, looking and using what you have in front of you, without any pressure or deadlines (basically forgetting them for an hour or so and letting creativity settle in), and just stick to the basics and expand from there…

Marsha Neal Studio Rustic Beads used for Wire Wrapped Earrings.

How do you find your muse and then keep her around?