Hey hey,

Some days (like today) I have the hardest time getting the creative energy flowing through my soul. I have the will to create, but I just can't seem to come up with anything that inspires or impresses me. It always ends with frustration, pieces that feel forced or that I am not completely in love with, and a little bit of anxiety. What if I'm losing my creativity? What if I can't do it anymore?

Days like today I try to draw from multiple sources for inspiration. Over the years, I have found a couple things that really work for me and thought I would share in case they benefit any of you! If anyone wants to share how they overcome creative block that would be awesome!

My favorite ways to awaken the creative monster:

• Take a break, leave my art space, and go outside. Whether it's just my bare feet in the grass or a walk through nature... Something about the outdoors seems to relax and rebalance my mind.
• Switch mediums. If you can't seem to come up with any ideas for a pair of earrings, why not put the pliers and ear wires away and pull out a sketch book? I love drawing, painting, and adore my soldering iron. I find when I swap to a different medium, it helps get those creative juices flowing again.
• Pull from my surroundings. It's amazing how much our homes, rooms, decor says about ourselves and the things we deem important. Take a look around your home/office. What colors seem to hold the most value? What common themes can be found in all the rooms? What do all these things say about you, your personality, and how you portray yourself to the world?

I like to keep all my working ideas together and periodically move them around, add more, take some away until an idea or a piece forms in front of me. 

Here are two sources I've found useful for crushing that creative block:

1. I LOVE this site. They publish some amazing articles. This one in particular is a list. 50 ways to find inspiration be it through people, surroundings, interaction. Some of these are great ideas!
2. This works for me everytime! Guest post on Handmadeology by Jenny Hoople... She had an art professor that told her, when she was stuck... to make 100 things. Not 100 perfect things, just 100 things to get the roller coaster rolling.

Anyway... Off to get back on that horse! Hope this helps anyone suffering from the artist-blahs today. If anyone has other techniques that they use, I would absolutely love to hear them! Please share!

peace and love,

Katie

Hello all!

What a busy weekend! I finished up my swim season this past weekend and managed to visit my best friend who has just gotten set up in his new place! Then today, I went to White Water the biggest water park in my area with some swim team friends.

There was one thing that all of this AND the creation for today have in common. THE SUN. It was so unbelievably hot this weekend! Entirely too hot. So I finally found a use for some findings I've been holding on to for a while and created these simple, but loud earrings.

I call them, Here Comes the Sun after one of my favorite beatles songs. You can find them online at my etsy shop!

Hope everyone else out there isn't burning up as much as I have been! I'll definitely be enjoying the indoors for a few days!

peace and love,

Katie