Monday, 23 February 2015

Soap Factory

I just had a look at this video on youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ietQhr4J7qE&index=794&list=WL
It is an urban explorer who go into an abandonned soap factory.  I like the video.  It is just sad that the soap factory was so empty.  It is a very old soap factory and it was pretty much bare when the cameraman visited the place.  It been abandonned since a long time and it show.  No material for soap making.  If there wasn't any mention in the title, I wouldn't have guessed it was a soap making factory.  It is really empty there.

It made me wonder.  What a more recent abandonned soap making factory would look like?  I would also like to compare that with an actual soap making factory.  I am curious about ordinary soap being made.  I saw some excerpt of Marseille soap being made.  They are stamped.  Otherwise, I am curious on how manufactured soap are made.  It is sure they are doing it in large quantity.  I know how small scale soap making is made, I have made a few batches (I am a beginner, btw).   I also made a lot of melt and pour soap.  Would like to see how it is made for the masses.  I don't know if it had been made.

New search for me to do.  I think I will start a list of research to do.  Would be more out of curiosity.  I doubt it would be useful for other creative projects.  It would be more a fun trivia to impart to others.

Thursday, 19 February 2015

Busy times

The next few weeks will be a bit more busy than usual.  I have a few things that had been added up in my schedule.  It won't be as hectic as last week.  It is just a new routine for the next few weeks.   Blogging won't change.  It just mean that I will have less time to sit down and create.   It is a bit of a shame.  Right now, I would have the right mindset for some inspired writing.  I don't know if I will be able to do some here and there, in small chunk.  I will have to try that.  Of course, I will bring with me some pen and notepad.  It is always good to bring them while out of home.  Inspiration can be triggered easily sometimes.

It sadden me a bit to be that busy.  I am in one period of my life where I need some time to sit down and create.  Not just writing.  To do various projects.  Not just to escape.  I need to think while doing a piece of jewelry, for example.  I need to focus my concentration on one thing at a time.  Next autumn will also be big. I may have to change a few things.  I will have to think for a few options for this fall.  I am in a period of many uncertainties.  Maybe I will need to takes some drastic decision, even if I had been advised otherwise.

I don't like the situation I am in.  I have to see where are my options, what I can do, plan a and plan b.  It is where creation comes in.  I need to connect with something tangible and concrete.  To be hands on.  With the schedule of the next few weeks, I will not be able to do as much as I need to restore a balance.  I am pretty much on the go.  There will be some days where I will be too tired to do anything else.  It will be going around and going to various places.  I can't do much or what I like when going out of home.  I will have to be creative if I want to get things done.  I will probably have to do some sketches of jewelry pieces, for example or taking notes for stories.  I won't be able to do peyote stitches, that for sure.  I already have to be vigilent with beads while at home.  I don't want to loose any beads while out of my place.

I still lucky to have good parts of evening free.  It is where I have the biggest chunk of time to be creative.  It is hard for me to do anything during the day.  This automn will be trickier because I will have even less time on the evening, if plan a works.  Being a creative person is not always easy.  It is not fun to have to resort to a schedule for creation.  It kind of kill the sudden inspiration.  It also push me on the impression to go on a more professional side.  I am not really ready for becoming a professional artist.  There are a lot of things I have to decide before making the jump to the professional side of creation.

Tuesday, 17 February 2015

Meaning in creativity

Lately, I fallen again for Peter Gabriel's music.   Digging in the dirt had a big impact on me.
Here is the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0C3DHp36zc  It is one of his best with a few others like Sledgehammer and Steam.  I must say that his music had well aged.  We can't say that for every music artist.  Now, that kind of artists is becoming rare, I think.  They have created pieces that hare deep.

This is what I want to do.  Create something that have a strong meaning.  Not be just superficial.  Superficiality is the taste du jour.  The themes I have explored are a bit unusual.  It is where I want to go.  Anyway, in this modern age, area to be explore are exploding.  Meaning, it is the most important.

I also feel that Hollywood is really becoming a bit in lack.  They seems out of breath.  They recycling old movies into new remake.  They don't seems wanting to explore new ideas or go for bold ideas.  I know I don't want to fall into this rut.  When it comes to creating, I know what I want.  It is a good thing.  I know where I want to go.  I do develop many ideas on instinct but I have discovered there are themes and meanings.  It have a deepness to it or I can insuflate some into it without any problems.

Monday, 16 February 2015

Real life can be a mess sometimes...

Real life is not fun sometimes.  It can mess with myself, especially if it is at the last minute.  Now, I feel out of balance and upside down because of it.  Now, I am returning to a more normal mode but still, I still in an adjustment period.  Life is a constant change but sometimes, it feel like a bully that pushed things around all of a sudden.

It had even upsettled my creativity a bit.  Last week, I was unable to sit down and put ideas to reality.  I wasn't even able to brainstorm.   Too busy to open the channel where inspiration usually flow.  I was doing some appointment and going around, not able to properly create.  It was not a perfect week.  I was not my normal self.  I didn't felt good, things were not right.

Still busy this week but a new routine for the next few weeks is setting out.  So, I hope to have some times to go into needed creativity.  Already, writing a bit help me feel better.  Maybe I should have a plan B for when unexpected even comes in.  I didn't felt well last week because of that.  It is a bit upsetting.  Now, I know I have to do something about this kind of situation.

Thursday, 5 February 2015

Finding/Not finding.

Life can be strange.  I have stumbled on an article on fizzy toilet bombs (http://candleandsoap.about.com/od/bathbody/ss/How-to-Make-Fizzy-Toilet-Bombs.htm?nl=1)
It is how to clean the toilet with a twist.  I never saw anything like that before.  I haven't tried that yet, so I don't know if it is effective.  I am curious, nonetheless.  So, I may end up trying it eventually.  I do like when something is used out of context for another purpose.  I was happy to see this article.  It was a nice surprise.  It is nice finding little tibits of information.

On other hand, not finding what I am searching for is quite frustrating.  I found a text on Eleonore von Scharzenberg.  She was a noblewoman.  Here a bit more information about her:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eleonore_von_Schwarzenberg.  I know it is wikipedia but it was pretty much all I could find with a quick search.  I have seen the documentary on the Smithsonian channel.  The sad thing is it is barely mentionned in the wikipedia page.  I would like to confirm what the documentary on the Smithsonian channel advance in their theory.  They think she is a suspected vampire.  I look on amazon to see if there was any book on her.  I was thinking that if she had link with vampirism, someone would have written about it.  I ended with an empty search.  Quite surprising.  She was a noblewoman and a suspected vampire.  I wonder if she was not overshadowed by Elisabeth Bathory (http://history.howstuffworks.com/history-vs-myth/hungarian-countess-serial-killer1.htm).

I am not defeated yet.  I am just vexed.  I feel I should find faster and easier than other people.  I have learned the techniques of searching for information.  I think I need a strategy and find the information I need in the right places...

Tuesday, 3 February 2015

Always fun to find new craft videos

I found this craft video on you tube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6JU9AmKW71E&list=WL&index=266  It look a bit of a child project for adult.   I like the result and the way to do it is a no brainer.  I don't know why I haven't thought of it myself.  The simplest crafting project are the ones that have great results.

I also seen some videos on how to makes paper beads.   I don't include them here because each person seems to have it's way of doing those paper beads.  I also found the video above mentioned with the search for paper beads anyway.  The project qualifie for a paper bead because it is with cardboard and printed letters.

It gives me some ideas of my own...

Monday, 2 February 2015

Giving a new life to unused items.

I am still doing the cleaning in my stuff.  I don't remember how I had stumble upon that side but I returned to the freecycle.org site (www.freecycle.org).  It is a interesting place.  I do have a few items that I don't want to throw to recycling and that I know it will be useful to other.  It is where freecycle.org comes in.  It is a site where I had put some items I don't need.  There are people who need some items.  So, the site is where people who have "offer" and those who have "need/want" can meet.

I have giving some items in the past and I was happy to found people interested in what I have offered.  So, it was time for me to return there and makes some offer to the group in my area.  Freecycle is a site with groups in it.  I know that the group I am in is the town I live in.  Practical for face-to-face contact to exchange items.

I hope some people will need what I am offering.  It is not the case with charities' bins.  Those operating those charities' bins can do what they want with the donated content.  I know there had been some things at tv on those charities' bins.  Because of that, I became more cautious with these.  So, finding the freecycling website was a good thing...