Writing with a deadline.

With a lot of experimentation, I discovered I write well under pressure, with a deadline.  The big ah-ha moment was with Nanowrimo (www.nanowrimo.org).  I know that writing 50  000 words in 30 days is pure madness.  On the other hand, we are free to set any limits of words and time.  I do have a recent example.  I had to write around 500 words in one week.  I did it on the neck of time, just before the time limit.   My mind race with an idea.  Finally, I did it, even if the text isn't completely finished and it is a very first draft.

For some, the pressure of writing under those conditions may be too much.  I find it gives me the extra kick in the behind to get it done.  No time limit and I can wait years before starting to write a project.  Procrastination set in and it is always push to tomorrow.  With a time limit, I do have a will to write.  It is a live and write situation.  If not, it is a slow death on the inside.

On the other hand, with other craft, I don't have this urge to set time limits.  Maybe because I find other crafts more mind absorbing.  I loose a sense of time.  I do focus more easily.  It is as time is no longer essential.  No live or die to create.  I just create and being zen while doing so.

It is strange how my mind work.  I don't know why it is that way.  I can't explain it.  It is just so.  It is something about myself that I have discovered over the years.

A step back to makes me think

Lately, I got two failures.  Well, it is two projects that didn't turned out the way I wanted.  It also have little drawback that I didn't expected.

The first one is paper beads.  I try to makes some with paper and modge podge.  I rolled the paper on wood stick and pencil.  There are a few who stick on them.  I have to take a x-acto to make a cut and removed them from the forms.  There is also the painting that I haven't done to my taste.  I may be a bit perfectionist on the paint job.  Next time I will try this project, I will have to find a way to makes the forms less sicking.  Maybe petrolium jelly on them? Worth a try.  For the paint job, I think I put other colors on the part missing paints.

The second failure is not really a failure.   It is more an experiment.  I wanted to go to the next level.  I have started to making soap.  I started, as many, with soap base.  Soon enough, I wanted to graduate on the next level: doing it from scratch.  Without soap base.  I have done a few batches.  I just wonder if I am doing it right.  They kind of looking okay.  I haven't tried them.  I should.  Maybe I only worry about their look.  They have a pale ocher color.  I just don't know if it should look that way.  Or I worry too much.  I just don't know if it is normal or not.  I am inexperienced in that matter.  So, I don't know what to improve.  I take it easy right now because I do have a lot of soap.  I will use them before making more.  I just don't know if it is a failure or a lack of confidence.  This is the kind of situation where I would like to have someone to see if I do right or not.

So, I don't always do a successful project as a first time.  I sometimes need a bit more times to improve on my ideas.  Each experiment is a learning experience.

Enamels

Recently, I saw an article on ICE Enamels. ( http://jewelrymaking.about.com/b/2014/05/12/iced-enamels.htm).  It is a product who can add color and texture to jewelry.  It is what the article says.  As anything new, it is kind of shiny.  It seems to be interesting.  What I like less is it is used with the ICE Resin.  The ICE Resin is used as a protective coating on the ICE Enamel.  It cool me a bit.  I like when a new product is self-sufficient all in itself.  The positive side is the colors.  I am interested in the turquoise and the red.  They would be great on one project, together, side by side.  It seems not too hard to use, as a product.  What I don't like about that kind of article, they makes it easy and there isn't much deeper details.

What I would really like is to do enamel, plain and simple.  A few years ago, I knew someone who like doing it.  She also gave class on it.  So, I sign up for the class.  Unfortunately, it was cancelled.  Not enough students had sign up for it.  I took it as a missed opportunity because the class was not offered again.  I wanted to know more about this technique.  I think what got me interested in enamel is Fabergé eggs.  In addition, the colors in enamel seems so vibrant and colorful.  It add to my curiosity.  I don't know if there is a class offered elsewhere.  I should check but I wonder if there will be enough interest to get the class running up.  I felt a bit burned the first time.  If I get into another class, I want to make sure it will be up until class time.

Always a notebook or recording device...

Sometimes, I wish to have good drawing skills.  Or think faster to take a snapshot.  This morning, I saw someone who had interesting scandals.  There was strings of beads around the ankles.  I found it inspiring.  I didn't thought of taking a quick picture of it.

As a principle, I always have a notebook for writing ideas.  As for my little event of this morning, I discovered that writing ideas are just tips of the iceberg.  Other ideas for other projects can pop up while being out of home.  Now, I feel a little bit bumped.  I still remember the shoes but for how long?  What about the ideas I got out of it?  I don't feel very bright.

Now, I need to find a way to take notes on all my ideas.  I never know when it will happen again.  I have learned my lesson now.  And to think a little bit faster sometimes...

Writing, Nanowrimo, a mage and mad scientists.

I do like writing.  There is a few writing project I have started.  Many had their first draft with the little help of Nanowrimo (www.nanowrimo.org).  The main event is on the whole month of November.  The goal is to write 50 000 words in the whole month.  Pure madness while hitting the keyboard.  Pure delight while crossing the finish line. It is the kick I needed to sit down and doing the hard writing work.  It help me writing down some stories I had in my head for years.  They aren't perfect but I am still working on them now.  The hardest had been done.  Last November, I haven't participated.  Too busy and no great inspiring ideas.  Some say the more busy you are, the most can be done in a limited amount of time.  Kind of true but not totally true.  I would add consistency to the urgency to write.

Even if I haven't participated in nano, I am still working on a newer writing project.  It is a killer idea I had for a homework.  It was only after doing it that I saw the potential.  My main character is a magician who have a knack with stone magic.  She have two sidekick: the first one is a sword handling police cadet (for now) and the second one is a psychologist who is a cyborg.  There are two bad one.  The first is a renowned thief.  The second one is a mad scientist who created his version of Frankenstein's monster.

I have to make a confession. I do love mad scientist characters.  I like making them megalomaniac.  It add to their charisma.  On another project, I had one who was on a secret governmental project on psychic powers.  Instead of having Men in Black, I decided to have Men in Green just as an additional spoof.  I had the time of my life, especially killing my mad scientist at the end.  It was epic!  One day, I will have the courage to post the ending.  It need a bit more work in the meantime.

Photography

I thinking to return to photography.  I am not a good photograph.  I have many photos who are blurry.  Usually, the blurry ones are with people or animal on.  The best ones I took are with nature.

The one above is an example.  I find it good except for the power line crossing the photo.  I have a good amount of this kind of photo.  I took them thinking of my tarot.  I haven't thought much at the time.  I think that I could take a few interesting trees to be the kings of each suits.  I think both match each other pretty well.

For the rest of the photos with trees, I may use them for other purpose.  For sure, I feel encouraged to pursue the "trees pictures".  I do have good result even if it is not on a professional level.  I may have to work on it further.

I also thinking going on some places to take photos of interesting landmark near my mom house.  I think some of them would be perfect for my tarot.  For example, there is a standing stone that could make a perfect Emperor.  I also thought of a tower who have numerous sexual nickname as an Emperor.

Thinking of that, many photos could be great for scrapbooking.  I don't know why I didn't thought of it sooner.  I am not really into scrapbooking.  I do have met a few people who do.  I just don't know if they will be interested.  I am more of the way of my mom.  She had done a little bit of it way before it was popular.  In my photo album, there are leaves dipped in wax to preserve them.  It is a thing I could explore...

Fimo

I am thinking to use the beads I made with Fimo.  I also used Sculptey.  I didn't seen much difference between the two except a few colors in one that I didn't seen in the other.  I seems to have more fun doing been with this material than using it for jewelry project.  I have stacked a lot of beads.  Now, it is time to use them.  I am thinking to make a few prayer bracelet/necklace with some round beads.  Other are kind of cool, so they would end up as centerpieces.

I will try not using macrame cord with those beads.  I tend to see both going well together.  I admit I can't use all those beads with macrame cord.  Too small holes in the beads.  So, I will use them with the wire wrapping technique.  There are a few small beads I think to use (well, more experiment) on a loom.  Maybe it will end up well.

All this will free storage so I will be able to make new beads!  Been a while I have done that.

Influences

With the dead of H. R. Giger, I have to take a moment to think about influences.  Any artist is shaped by what he like or dislike.  H. R. Giger had a impact on me.  What I like about him is his darkness.  He dare to explore a darker side of the mind.

His influence is not apparent right away.  It is not always showing.  It gives me the courage to go in unchartered area.  I can dare to be myself, in my own originality, create things my way.  There are much possibilities.  I can also go on a less traveled path.

No need to always provoke in a disgusted way.  Art can makes people think.  Or discover something new.  Can also see things in a new way.  It is the wonder of influence.

Living with unbelievers

I live with unbelievers.  It may sound shocking but it is sadly true.  They are unbelievers because they don't see things like the way I do.  They don't see the necessity of creation.  In my case, creation is a driving force.  If I don't create, I feel empty.  I am also afraid that if I stop, I will die inside.

People surrounding me only see the mess of boxes full of items that fuel my creativity: beads, fimo, threads, various tools for various techniques, all stuff I accumulated as I learned new techniques and way to create.  I also like to take some items to use them in unusual ways.  The hair clips with door hinges and the ones with bolts are my most prideful example.

"Do you need all that?"  People always ask me the question.  Yes, I need all that.  I don't use everything at one.  I have period where I use a group of items before moving on to others items.  When I create, the world doesn't exist.  It is therapy for me.  I know one unbeliever who is critical of me.  At the same time, he could easily understand.  Why?  Because for him, his computer play the same role as creation is doing for me.

The unbelievers around me will probably end up understand me, one day.  Once they see we are a bit the same, except it express itself in different ways.

Original photos

Here are the original photos for the photo montage I did for the tarot card.  Thinking of it, they are cute in themselves...

Maybe I will take them as is for other tarot cards.  Of course, the photo of the statue have a lot of concrete.  It is pretty much barren.  I just have to trim each side to concentrate on the statue.  I miss the area of the first picture.  It is a pleasant place.

I have two other pictures that I made long ago for my tarot deck.  Here is the Hermit:

 

It is also a photo montage.  I was a bit more successful on that one, I think.  But I don't know if I will include this one as one card.  At the time, I thought the cat would be the perfect hermit.  Putting a colored part on a black and white background was something cool, I thought.   I have to think more on this card.  Maybe put it as another card like the Hanged one.  It could become the Unusual One...

I also made a King of Swords.  It is not a montage.

 

But I also have doubt on this one.  It is a tree but I don't find it really defined.  It is pretty artistic, just looking at it.  I may use it elsewhere.  It have a eery quality.  I think I could use another picture of a tree for the king of swords.  This one could be used for the Star card maybe...

Maybe it is time to reconsider the project and takes notes of what I want to do.  I also have a lot of pictures too.  I have to connect the two together.

Tarot, an attempt

Quite some time ago, I had done a tarot card for a collaborative tarot deck on Aeclectic tarot forum.  (http://www.tarotforum.net/)  It was their fourth deck and I had done the King of Pentacles.  It look like this:

It is a black and white photo montage.  I took two pictures and put them together.  Both picture are taken on my workplace.  It is a big place.  At the time, I worked in the biggest library on the campus.  At the time, I discovered the background.  The statue is a statue is in another place on campus.  It is the statue of a guy named Edouard Montpetit.  The statue is facing a street with his name.  He was an economist, if I remember well.  I had difficulties making this montage, especially around the head of the statue.  I thought I still had both pictures separate on files.  I think I will rescan them to show the before and after.

At the time, I was seriously thinking of making a tarot deck for myself.  I am still thinking of making one for myself.  It is just that now, I don't think I will do photo montage.  The idea of a black and white photo deck is still appealing.  I do have quite a few ideas for many cards.  I don't think I will use the above King of Pentacles in my deck now.  It was and still is a very good King of Pentacles.  It is just that photo montage is not as easy as I thought it would be.

It is a work in progress.  Maybe it is time to make it a reality.  There is two other cards I made.  Don't know if I will keep in for the deck. They had been unpublished.  No one have seen them.  I think I better jolt down the ideas I have for some cards and see for the rest.  I do have a collection of photos.  I am sure I can find enough to make a deck.  If I don't, I still have a good camera to finish the job...