An added layer

I do not work actively on my writing right now.  It don't mean I don't do anything in that area.  My mind is working to add some layer to one story.  Not the first time that this phenomenon happen to me.  Many of my stories had this treatment.  With the way I work, stories takes time to mature.  It took years in some cases and they may had changed a lot since then.

I just notice a subtle change for this story.  It is maturing, as it should do.  I also work on them at night, during my dreams.  On the other hand, I work on it more actively.  It is as if I had more control in my lucid dreaming.  I also seems to know more about adding to a story.  I seems toknow more about the mechanic of story telling. I seems to integrate what I learned in the recent few years (in the last 3-4 years.  So, it seems to be a big jump foward for me.

It is a move forward.  The only thing now: it is still in my mind.  I will have to put it down, in writing.  I will have to do a lot of translation between the cinematic image and pictured storytelling into a written narrative.  I still find that difficult.  It does not come easily yet.  I will have to work on that in the near future (probably this summer).

Various Cycles

I don't think I am the only one seeing a pattern in my life.  I seems to have cycles in my life.  It is also in many level in my life: dream (an obvious one), in tv show and music that I listen, places where I go and even my creations.  Creation stay but the techniques changes.  I had periods where I learned something, leave that and pick it up later on.

There is a saying that state that nothing is permanent and change is the only permanent thing.  I don't totally agree with that.  Things can comes, they can go and they may come back.  I learned tricotin and knitting as a child.  I grew tired of it or it was time to go elsewhere.  Now, I have pick them up again as an adult.  I have been initiated into woodburning as a child and now, I just returned to that.  A few years ago, I learned wire-wrapping.  Then, I was doing a lot of wire-wrapping.  I got a period were I diminished that.  Now, it seems to return slowly, well, I start to see some application elsewhere too.  Nothing goes away, it get recycled one way or another.

Cycle is definitively a part of my life.  I don't think it will go away.  The ancient of MesoAmerica understood that because their calendar was a big cycle. (http://archaeology.about.com/od/mameterms/qt/mesoamerican_calendar.htm for more info)

Choice or not really a choice

Doing some shopping is not always fun.  In store or online, there are occasion where I feel I don't have a lot of choices.  If I shop for something in particuliar, I may find it, I may find one type and not any models, even worse, not finding what I need at all.  It had happened to me in store and online alike.  Not fun at all.  When it happen, I feel that my time had been wasted.

When not finding in store is a little bit worse, I think.  The reason?  I did the effort of displacing myself to the stores expecting to find what I was searching for.  In the same situation online, it takes a few websites to feel the same.  My main frustration online is when I am searching for ideas, ideas for a gift and not finding anything.

The best is that when I don't find it at one place, I have chances to find it at the other and vice versa.  The two thumbs down when I don't find anything in store or online.  When it happen, I really out of luck.  Until now, it haven't happened often.

Learning more on craft

I have started to watch Craft in America. (http://www.pbs.org/craft-in-america/home/)  Even if I don't live in the U.S., I found it mind opening.  It was the one on service.  It was interesting to see less seen crafts like making paper from clothes and saddle making.  The rest was enlighting too but it look less exotic to your modern lives.  Pottery is not that exotic but what could be done with it was really inspiring.  I like when one material goes out of boundary and the part on pottery show it perfectly.

It only takes a trigger to get an idea.  The mind can be triggered by anytthing.  I like to look at other artisans.  It is good to look at other well carfted objects.  It can also give inspiration for other projects, of how to do things in a different way.  Exporting one technique in another craft expand the possibilities.  Knitting and crochet had inspired project in jewelry making.  Instead of wool, there is metal.

It is similar to something I had done in college.  One assignment was to watch a literarly tv show.  The purpose was to keep current with the book scene and expanding our knowledge of authors.  At the time, I had mixed feeling about it.  I knew it was something that I have to do but at the same time, I find the show was not always fitting my literarly taste.  Now, I also apply this assignement to craft and creative pursuit.  I know that knowledge is power.  In addition, I had seen interview with some authors who talked about my own feelings and urges (the one of having to write for example).  It is always fun to keep eyes opened and receptive to viewing things differently.

The drive for creation

I am coming to some realisation on creation. Creativity is often linked with artsy path: painting, writing, sculpture, pottery, etc.  Still, a few years ago, people would say that those paths isn't real career paths.  It is starting to change even if there is much people who have the old mentality.  A minority have the chance to live from those creative paths because they had many strings to their bow.  Nothing is perfect but it is a start.

What I realize is simple.  Creativity is not only for creating pretty objects.  Creativity is helping solving problems.  It is one thing that I learned while doing jewelry making projects.  While doing some projects, I had to find solutions to finish them.  It is only one example.  It can be apply elsewhere.  I have heard that plumbers had to be creative in small spaces, attempting to do their jobs.  Not all pipes are easily accessible.  I am sure there must be other example.

Creativity had helped our ancestors in creation of useful technologies, in various discoveries and everything that had improved our lives.   I am sure there are examples that cover what I am saying.  I just don't have any example under hand right now.  Creativity is under estimated.  It had helped us in so many way that we don't see it at first glance.  Creativity should have it's own place and be seen as it should be.

Hitting the creative wall

I got an idea for a ring.  It is different from the one with the nuts.  I thought of a ring with wire, making many round of wire.  Putting flattered wire around the one forming the ring.  I do have a precise idea in my mind.  My problem, this time have a twist.  As usual, there is the translation from mind to reality that I have to do.  The added problem, this time, is technical.  I try to figure how to do this ring.  It is not too complicated.  the idea is simple, in a sense.  I just wonder how to do it and reach the image I have in my head.

There must be a simple solution.  I have to find it.  I don't have anyone to answer my question on how to do it.  I have a few ideas on how to do it but I am not sure these are the right ones.  I am not an professional jewelry maker.  I am more an amateur, even feeling being an debutant in this area.  I know many techniques but not everything.  There is also the knowledge and the practice.  I know many things but I have limited practice.  So, it is an dissavantage when I am in this situation.

It is the first time since I took my jewelry classes so long ago.  At the time, I could ask a teacher about a problem.  Now, I don't have that ressource.  I always felt that having a teacher to show how it is done and answer question was always a good thing.  I feel it is more true than ever now.  Tutorials are a good things but sometimes it isn't enough.  Well, it is true for many area and for jewelry making.

Now, I will have to try and learn the hard way.

Aquamarine, coffin shaped gems and gemshow

Sigh.  I found another link with facts on a gemstone.  It is on aquamarine : http://jewelry.about.com/od/birthstonefactsandfolklore/tp/Interesting-Aquamarine-Facts.htm?utm_content=20160406&utm_medium=email&utm_source=exp_nl&utm_campaign=list_jewelry&utm_term=list_jewelry
Nice to know it help those with anxiety.  I knew this stone was the one for March.  What I like with gemstone like aquamarine: they goes well with other gemstone.  I may experiement with that one day.

Gemstones are a weak point of mine.  As a child, it was more ordinary rocks.  I found rocks and gemstones to be grounding.  It is also beautiful to look at (well, the gemstones mainly).  It is also nice to find a few interesting shaped gemstone.  I like this site: http://www.coffingems.com/  It is a site that sell gemstone shaped like coffin.  I had bought some in the past.  I am thinking to buy some more and maybe a ring or two.

I don't know if it is a coincidence that I think so much on gemstones but there is one gemshow that comes into town.  I am thinking to go there.  I don't know if I will find something interesting.  I am tempted to return in making a list of gems that I would like to have.

When inspiration struck in public transit

There are time when inspiration is unexpected.  It was today.  I got an idea while in a subway train.  There was a guy with a ring.  I did not had much time to examine the ring.  It seems to be beads stitched together.  I wish to have been able to examine the ring closer and with more detail.  I would had like to reproduce it because it was a nice one with the width I like.

As I was on a quick admiration mode, I thought of doing a ring with hex nuts.  Go figure how the two got connected together.  I also thougth it would have been nice to think about it sooner.  I have a clear idea in my mind right now on some design I can do with those nuts.  I will have to think a bit more about it.  I have to find how I will put them together.  I will probably use some macrame cord but I will have to experiement with them.  I will want to experiement to see if there are other way to bind those nuts together.

A lot to think and still on the drawing board...

When mythology and reality intersect.

I like when mythology enter reality.  Usually, it is not literal myth to reality.  It is more a kernel of truth in the myth.  I found this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMP2D1N8hUc  It is a video where theyt explain the  possible inspiration of a myth: the one of the unicorn.  Of course, it is the kind of explanation where I wonder if they understood the myth correctly.  An horned rhino is not an Unicorn.  Another case of a sensationalist title to attract a bit more view.  What I find a bit more interesting is that this horned rhino lived in Siberia and Eurasia.  That is the core of that news, I think.  It ius where the focus should be.  Prehistoric animals often look very exotic compared to an unicorn.

Mythology is everywhere but not everyones seems to know about it.  It is about the details.  It is not everybody that knows deeper about myths and divinities.  It is the kind of knowledge that is being known on a superficial level.  Zeus is the king of the gods and he have his thunderbolt.  The news on the horned rhino made me remember all the commotion on the news on the Pythia of Delphi that was truly getting high  (here an article on the topic: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2001/08/0814_delphioracle.html).  It was a matter of confirming what Plutarc said.  In this case, the Pythia intersect reality and myth.  Both influence the other one.

I think that mythology will still makes the news.  Mythology still is a big seller when it comes on attracting readership or viewers (Think of the Hercules and Xena series).  I should not be surprised next time another news will be served the mythological twists treatment.

Another return to the past

Over the last few years, I have returned to a few craft that I was doing as a child: woodburning, knitting, tricoting, jewelry making (in this case, as a child, I was using drinking straw and yarn).  Well, now, I am thinking of adding one more to the list: painting.  As a child, I took a painting class.  I have good memories of that experience.  I feel lucky to be able to do that activity.

I have all the material already: paint, a few canvas, various old and new paintbrushes. I am ready to return to painting, even if I feel rusty on some techniqyues.  On the other hand, I am always ready to experiement and try new things.  It is devinitively worth a try.

I won't start to do what I was doing as a child.  I think to start in experimentation and in abstract first.  After that, maybe one or two trying on what I was doing.  After that, I will see where I want to head on.  I want to take confidence in this process.  I will see that this will lead me.

Mythology 101, Urban Legends and a mix up

Over the weekend, a saw a show that subosely talk about mythology.  I felt a little bit frustrated.  There are two things that bugged me: 1) each segment was brief.  It was a overview and I only learned when the theme was less familiar to me.  2) I think there is a separation between mythology and urban legends.

In mythology, there are heroes, gods/godesses, monsters, supernatural being like the nymphs.  There is also a sense of purpose in mythology.  The heroes goes into a quest, the gods and godessses help or not the heroes.  The divinities also have some adventures by themselves.  There is also some guessed explanation for some phenomena like the story of Salmacis and Hermaphrodite.

In the urban legend, I don't really see any goal.  There are being like the Mothman and the Slenderman.  I don't have nothing in getting a scary story once in a while.  It's just that we don't know if they will stand the test of time.

The show was not totally a waiste of time.  It had allowed me to clarify less know "mythological being" in my mind.  Wish only to see less watered down mythological being in the near future.  People aren't that dumb.  Once introduced to mythological beings, they are ready to go a step further.

Finding new material and new places

This morning, I have found a new place where I can get photographs.  Well, I knew the place already.  I just realise there is great potential for the site.  It is a parc and what interest me the most are the trees.  Many trees have interesting shapes.  Nothing extravagent.  It just was the simple shapes  of the trees that I was searching.  I didn't have my camera.  Would be interesting to already have a point and shoot camera with me this morning.  Point and shoot camera are smaller than the one that I have.  The one that I have is great when I already have something planned.  So, I think I now have an added argument to purchase a point and shoot camera.

I always find exciting when I stumble on a new source for material.  Sometimes, it is a new place.  Sometimes, it is an old place that needed a different point of view.  It also always happen when I am the least prepared, on an unexpected momeent.  It is like an dawn and an electric shock.  "Why I haven't thought about it sooner" I often say in those moment.  It is where I feel a bit dumb and stupid.  By chance, it isn't last long before I return to normal.  The need to enter into action often push the initial dumb sensation.

Now, I have to find the perfect moment to go to that parc and shoot some photos!