Wednesday 26 June 2013

A week of activity! Hurray!


My bunch of Sweet Williams - a reward for being so productive this week.
 
So After last weeks post  about  trying to  get over my creative block I thought this week I would give  a little update  of how I was getting on. I’ve  been trying to be really proactive with seeking  inspiration rather  than  waiting for it to come to me and am pleased to  say that my efforts have been rewarded am  feeling much more creative and inspired.
 
Here are a couple of projects I  have been working over the last week.  

This is my take on the floral headbands that seem to be really popular at the moment.


For this  one I used  some flowers I had made recently and some vintage ribbon and lace I had stashed away.

 

This fascinator  was a bit of an experiment really, I had already blocked the base  but was not sure  how to decorate it.
 
 I really wanted to use the floral fabric as I love the colours and the pattern but  as it was a vintage piece I bought in Paris last year and I only had a small amount I was really reluctant to cut it.

 
After a bit of playing I  fashioned it into this oversized bow and decorated it with vintage buttons I bought at the same time and some other beads.
 
The lace lining I used for the underside of the fascinator - I just couldn't resist!
 
Also here is a sneaky peak into what’s going on in my sketchbook at the moment. I am usually pretty  shy about sharing what  I do in my  sketchbooks but thought it was about time I broke that habit!





 

Anyway I hope everybody is having a good week and  getting a chance to enjoy the sunshine if you’re having it.  We’ve got a little bit but it never seems to last long enough so I’m off to enjoy it whilst I can xxx




 

Sunday 16 June 2013

Help I'm stuck behind a wall of creative block!!

 
Hello lovelies, well I have a bit of a confession to make I have been stuck in a creative drought for quite some time. It started off as just procrastinating and feeling a little low in confidence about the work  I was creating but I didn't really pick up on it and  have now found myself with a case of creative block ( clearly not just something writers that get it then huh!)
 So after making plenty of excuses as why  I was finding it tough to create work , and coming up with convoluted schemes to enable my inactivity ( who knew you could take days to plan out a way to clean the oven!) I have accepted the fact that I need to take responsibility for my lack of inspiration/ motivation and am preparing for the hard work that is sometimes needed to  get my creative groove back on!
Part of this process means really engaging with  what it is that makes me feel creative, so I thought I’d share my list of my top 5 ways to instigate inspiration.
 
1 Drawing/ Sketching - well as you can see from  my little illustration above, I am no draftsman but sketching and doodling  are two activities that I really enjoy and never fail to engage me with my creativity. Sometimes just the process of drawing can ignite an idea or design that may not be even related to the thing that I'm drawing
2 Listening to music - ok so this one may be a little cheesy but I really find music inspiring, sometimes if I'm listing to music whilst doing housework or  travelling around I have to stop whatever I'm doing and write down the idea that has been instigated by the music I’m listing too
3 - Watching costume dramas  - I am a complete sucker for a  good costume drama  from  old favourites like the BBC version of Pride and Prejudice or Vanity Fair to more recent productions like The Crimson Petal in the White, There is something about being taken away to a bygone age that really gets me feeling inspired and  the costumes and set designs are always such a visual treat .
4 Going for a run- I am a bit of newbie when it comes to running, having only started  last year and am not particularly strict on my running routine  but  I can vouch for the fact that some of my best ideas  have come whilst I have been running and on the days that I go out I find that I  have more energy to apply to my creative endeavours
5 Just do it- Sometimes I find I just have to  get on with it rather than waiting for the flash of inspiration to hit me . I think when a creative rut appears it’s easy to be scared off but from personal experience I find that the more time passes the harder it feels to get back to creating work. Sometimes just by creating something and not worrying what the outcome will be like or whether it will be 'any good'  it can break that cycle of creative block and helps to get me back in the swing of things.
So it’s now time for me to practice what I preach and get back to enjoying my creativity and  being my creative productive self. Hope you have all had a super weekend  xxx