Carol Dekle-Foss
To my fellow creative souls,
Do you ever beat yourself up and think that you are not talented enough?
Or that you don't have what it takes to make beautiful art?
Do you compare your work to that of others and feel yours doesn't measure up?
I'm guilty of this from time to time. If I'm feeling down and depressed, I think why am I creating? Who do I think I am? There is so much talent out there, let others be the creators.
But then, I step into my studio and just create. I quit judging myself and just have fun.
So what I want to say is this, lets forget about what others are doing and be patient with ourselves. Everyone has to start at the beginning. Sometimes it takes years to hone a craft, and when we are learning, we should only compare our work to OUR OWN. When we practice and experiment we develop a stronger sense of our creative self, and our craft becomes a part of who we are.
Last month, my creative journey took me down a new path. Ceramics! I blame MaryAnn for my love of ceramic beads, I just can't resist her little wood-fired gems!
It took me awhile to figure out the basics, and I am especially grateful for all the talented ladies over at the Beads of Clay Blog. Our very own Marsha did a post here where she shows how she loads her kiln with bead trees. I was quite impressed with how she made all those beads fit so nice and organized. Thank you Marsha for sharing!
Here is my very first kiln opening!
There was squealing involved. I was shocked that none of the beads fell off or that there wasn't drips of glaze everywhere.
My loot. All these pieces were just experiments, and I have a lot to learn about clay and glazes. But that's ok, this is the fun part, the learning and honing of a craft. I have to be patient with this process, and take my time.
My favorite piece.This little guy has been SANDBLASTED. Who would have thought you could sandblast bisque? Not me. But I experimented and this little odd thing evolved. It's sure ugly, but nonetheless, my favorite piece. I plan to expand on this and maybe even sandblast after glazing. My head is spinning with creative ideas!
We are each on our own creative journey. We should focus on crushing our own limitations, so we can develop into the creative person we were meant to be.
Thank you for reading!
12 comments:
Uh Oh! You're hooked..... I'm jealous of how lovely you kiln opening looks! My handmade racks do make my beads looks beautiful in comparison though! lol! Great job! I LOVE them! It's exciting, isn't it? Did you get that kiln on craigslist (I think that's where is was)?
Those semi-round brownish earthy beads....I'm in love!
I constantly battle with "I am not good enough" - especially when I am learning something new (well - new for me!)
These beads are just gorgeous! The sandblasted bead especially!! I have wanted to purchased a kiln for some time now. When I moved into my new home last year, I had a dedicated outlet placed in my studio if the time ever came that I have a kiln. I am not there yet! Maybe someday!
HAVE A BLAST (no pun intended!!!)
You think that bead's UGLY?!?! I love it--your tree shape on the oval with the mottling of the glaze. Have fun with whatever's next.
Thank you for sharing and inspiring. Ugly?! How could you think that amazing little bead is ugly? It's incredibly beautiful! I love your beads. I have seen your work and thought for sure you'd been doing this for decades. Thank you for the reminder not to judge ourselves so much and just *create*.
You're right MaryAnn, I'm hooked! It's all your fault! lol I will still buy your amazing beads though! I LOVE them. I did buy that Craigs list kiln. It was meant to be, brand new, never fired. He just didn't like the manual aspect of it and bought one that he could program. Lucky me!
Thank you Nicole! (They were supposed to be round, lol)
Me too Patti, I am my worst critic. I have learned not to beat myself up all the time. You should get one! Working with clay is so much different than metal. You will love it!
Thanks so much Gale! I guess it's the imperfections in the sandblasting that I don't like. I'm amazed at how well the glaze hides mistakes though!
Thank you Cindy, I admit to being quite the fan of your work! I love how you changed the way you create too, to accommodate your sweet little puppy!
That little "ugly" bead is beautiful, I would love to know how much you would sell it for. Just saying
It is addicting. When I bought my little kiln a few years ago, I had never even thought about making beads, pendants, jewelry components. Now, that's all I make and I have to FORCE myself to wait until it's cool enough to open. I end up hovering and watching the temp go down....I get so excited, the anticipation to see how everything turned out, how the glazes look, etc. I love it! And your work is gorgeous!
Freebird7100, seriously? You would like to buy the beast? Just kidding. I will contact you!
Sandy, I was so excited, I'm sure I opened it a few hours to soon! It's very addicting. Thank you!
Ummm.....I LOVE your "ugly" bead. that sandblasted tree is awesome. I love working in ceramic, because you have so many different stages of dryness to work it in- each good for different technqiues. I just don't a kiln that goes hot enough for stoneware. low fire was too brittle for me.
anyhow- great work!
Your work is FABULOUS!!!
It's funny to see how new those bead trees are (they will achieve such a patina over time with firings).
Here is a quick link too for "cleaning the bead holes" after you have fired the pieces, and have some sharp spots: http://lovemyartjewelry.blogspot.com/2014/04/cleaning-bead-holes-fine-finishing-boot.html
Can't wait to see what else you create!!!
JUST BEAUTIFUL
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