My Creative Passion

Fire Twirler by Saperaud
Fire Twirler by Saperaud (Image from Wikimedia Commons)

I’ve always been interested in craft for as long as I can remember. Craft class at school was my idea of heaven and I spent most weekends cutting or gluing some thing to another!

I started with paper crafts and made my way through embroidery, cross-stitching, macrame, sewing, a bit of crochet, jewelry making, origami box making, journal making, baking cakes and now I’ve landed back into the world of jewelry making. I don’t know if my “Jill of all crafts, master of none” tendencies will benefit me in the future but I know that I’m probably never going to stick to one thing for too long!

I’ve subscribed to April’s posts over at Blacksburg Belle. One email in particular got me thinking about what really ignites my creativity and what fuels my crafting urges. I wanted to record my answers to some questions that really got me thinking.

What can get me out of bed at 5 a.m even when I’ve had a late night?

New beads can do this 🙂 New rolls of fabric or sheets of paper also have this effect on me! Fortunately, since I feel that sewing is too labor -intensive a hobby- I think it is safe to say that making jewelry or earrings really wakes me up.

What keeps me thinking at night?

My blog keeps me up at night. I have tons to share and many posts in my Drafts folder but I often chicken out from posting them! Apart from this, I love making jewelry at night and I could probably continue till morning if I haven’t exhausted my supplies.

What do I get the most complements on?

The earrings I make are definitely complimented whenever I wear them or when one of my customers (friends) wear them. I’ve also got many requests from friends to make them custom earrings to match their clothes.

When do I get a creative high?

I think I have a ‘Cheshire cat’ grin plastered over my face whenever I’ve just bought more beads or supplies to play with. Just the thought of all the possible outcomes drives me wild with joy and the passion to make something soon!

What are my core values?

-I want to make unique wearable jewelry

-I want to price my products fairly (to my customers and to myself)

-I want to do it well

-I want my customers to love each piece and return to me for more!

Nothing else matters when:

I’ve got an idea or two to chase into finished jewelry- I can think of nothing else!

I am sharing some of the questions and my answers to them – as a record for myself and so that you too can ask yourself the same questions! I am sure the answers will kick your business up a notch or two. Head over to Blacksburg Belle and improve your blogging+ creative business+ a lot more!

 

A Kick in the Pants

The past couple of weeks have been both good and blehh for me…My creativity was at an all time high in April and is still going good…I was able to get this blog up and running with the help of my brother and my friends.

So what all have I been trying to do in April?

  • Making something every weekend– I actually want this to change to a fixed goal of making something 2 days a week. I’ve kept up with this goal for the past 4 weeks.  Some days I have experimented with new materials, some days I’ve just jumped directly into making earrings but so far it’s been good. I’ve made about 35 pairs of earrings and 2 bracelets – Will post more pics soon!
  • Completing my business plan – I had promised my friend that I would send him my business plan for review, but as of now it’s still in progress – I think I enjoy creating more than planning 😛
  • Introducing myself to other jewelry makers– So, I’ve recently introduced myself to Tara of Art at Zazuta. She makes gorgeous jewelry and hand painted pendants that I’m totally smitten by! I wonder why I never chanced on her blog till now! Silly me! There are more jewelry makers, whose work I adore but I’m too chicken to actually go out there and admire them. I would love to do more guest interviews…Bah! I’m trying to change that…still working on it folks…
  • Blogging again – It’s very strange that though I am a writer by profession, I can never seem to find anything to write about here! I post photos of my jewelery on Facebook, so that’s done. Otherwise, I just post links to designs I’ve created on other sites like www.Sheyna.com on my FB wall. Most of my posts start all fired up and end up rotting as old maids in my Drafts folder or being Trashed anyway! I need a real kick in the pants to start writing again – so I have signed up for a Free 5-Day Blogging E-Course for Crafters by the Sunday Afternoon Housewife! You can also sign up here.
  • Creating a solid brand identity– Sigh! this one is the most elusive on my list. My problem is that I like too many things and have too many styles. I haven’t yet settled on a logo or colors for my brand 🙁 I’ve been driving myself up the wall about it. I need to decide soon.
  • Taking better photographs – You would think that a M.A.Communication student could handle a simple point and shoot camera better, wouldn’t you. Err- this one apparently can’t! After tons of requests for better photos and thermocol backgrounds – I’ve finally succumbed to taking pictures on weekends with the necessary setup. Your wait is over! I’ve ordered for a lamp to light up my pictures better.(Right now I’ve been taking them at noon or early morning in my front porch.)
  • Spreading the word about Craftzy– I recently came across the Handmadeology website (which rightly deserves an entire blog post for itself!). I decided to submit this blog to their blog directory and I’ve been getting good traffic as a result. You can submit your crafts blog to their handmade blog directory too, right here.

What have you been up to this month?