Being an artist during the holiday season is tough. It is our time for lots of selling, and we are kept busy by shows, custom orders, and an endless stream of customers! It can get exhausting, and as the end of the season approaches, I am finding it difficult to keep my focus on those last few tasks and orders.
Instead, I find that I want to: sleep, daydream, and work on all the fabulous new ideas I've come up with over the last 6-8 weeks. What is it about working hard for the holiday season that kicks our creative side into high gear? Especially when we have absolutely zero time to put into those new ideas until after the holiday season is over? It can be very frustrating and distracting.
Some people use a notebook to jot down descriptions or make sketches of new ideas, so they are not forgotten. I collect a pile of beads in colors and sizes that will work for my new design idea, and write myself a quick note describing the technique I want to use. I put it all in a Ziploc bag and it goes into my "projects" bin. Once the busy time has passed, I go through that bin and find that bag of beads, and the note jogs my memory.There are times when I give in to the muse and run with it for a while. Sometimes you just can't stop it!
What do you do when you are full of new ideas and you have no time to investigate them?
I keep a trillion sketch books with ideas, and even have a "memo" file on my phone where I jot them down on the go. It is a very inspiring time of year, especially seeing which pieces customers respond to the most.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, your stuff in the DX store is gorgeous!
Jaye
Thanks Jaye! :-D
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