Did you ever wonder how a designer creates? Where DO those ideas come from?
Here’s a little insight from my perspective.
First of all there is no typical day at the jewelry bench. I may be creating pieces for a wholesale order, working on a new collection, learning to use a new piece of equipment or putting finishing touches on a custom order. But the BEST day is one where I have no project or job to complete. Then I get to imagine, envision, explore, play and have fun.
[tweet_box design=”box_08″ float=”none”]”This world is but a canvas to our imagination” Henry David Thoreau[/tweet_box]
One of my favorite things: place many of my loose gems on the bench. As you may or may not know, I make the trek twice a year to the Tucson Gem show. While I have enough gems and stones to last a lifetime, I always seem to find something new that catches my eye. This is but a sampling but enough to get my juices flowing. Should I combine one of the druzy quartz designs (upper right) with Red Creek jasper?? or perhaps the rich blue of the Peruvian opal (in the round container) will enhance it? I could spend an hour or more just playing with all the options.
Once I have zeroed in on a couple of potential combinations, it’s time to work on a design. I may start with paper and more likely I start playing with piece of silver or copper that are in my bin awaiting inspiration. It is OK to use a magic marker to rough out a design. Once heat is applied the sharpie marks disappear! I become immersed in this process too. Ultimately I may decide upon a potential design. But it is also possible that the selected components are kept together and saved for another day.
As the day ends my mind is spinning with ideas long after I have left the Jewelry Bench. That’s the great thing about taking time to play. The creative ideas continue to flow.
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Creativity takes many forms. You don’t have to be a jewelry designer to appreciate the advantages of taking time to play and imagine. Every one of us can dream, explore and blossom into the person we want to be. Just try it!
What a fun thing to put a host of gems on the bench and just let your imagination run, Alene! I want to play, and I’m not even a jeweler!
thanks Susan. yes it’s loads of fun to play with all the gems!
Alene, thank you for the inside view of how you create jewelry. This is inspirational. So much of my creativity is mental. Sitting with gems and metals and touching them and creating is an amazing process.
being able to touch and feel does add another dimension to playing and creating. that being said, there is lots of creativity in imagining too!
It is lovely to see how much pleasure you derive from your work. If I were a designer, I think I would be doing the same as you and shopping for ever more gems and stones – they are practically irresistible!
Alene ,
your jewelry is great but the love and passion you put into your work is beautiful . I loved Jr the pieces of metal and thought this would be really fun to do.
Lori English
How synchronistic, Alene. I literally posted the Thoreau quote today on social media. I am a bit believer in letting out imagination lead us to unimagined places! When I was designing recycled watch-part jewelry, I had thousands and thousands of options available to me for each piece I created. Sometimes it was very time-consuming, as it took me on many paths until I found the ‘perfect’ combination. I love gemstones as well and am excited that my friend is sending me a bunch of gemstones to play with. It must be so joyful for you to sit at your bench, with all the pieces you have in front of you, to play and create. Wonderful and your results are always so amazing too!
Thanks Beverley. I keep a log of quotes that speak to me and this one jumped out as I was writing the blog..not literally of course but I know you’ve experienced this as well. I bet the watch parts were lots of fun to play with as well
I have quite a collection of gems I’ve collected over the years and the Goddesses and I love to play with them. We love to rub them in our hands and enjoy their smooth finish, sort them into colours and sizes and count them. The youngest Goddess loves nothing more than to move the gems from one container to another. So much fun to play with. You are so right, Alene, that anyone can appreciate the advantages of taking time to play and imagine.
It is terrific to hear that your young goddesses are learning early the value of play time. I am equally happy that gems and stones are part of their experience
I agree that the more we allow creativity to flow through us, the more we are in alignment. Love this and I always appreciate seeing the gemstones you get from Tucson!
Thanks Tandy. Playing is the easiest way to unlock our creativity
I have heard other artists talk of this as well. Letting the creative process talk for itself. As there is this undefinable communication of where the pieces want to go. As I’ve been following your posts, you are getting to think more seriously of getting back into the arts. Thanks so much for sharing your creative process.
That’s terrific Joyce cannot wait to see what you decide to create💕
I truly enjoyed getting a glimpse of your creative process. Love the photo of you too! As a creative person, I sometimes feel overwhelmed by all of the options available to me when I sit down to create. It’s no different with jewelry! Whether I’m making jewelry or buying, I can never make up my mind. 😉
Yes I experience that ‘too many choices’ feeling a lot. Playing around with the possibilities helps so much
Oh my gosh, you make me long for a day of creativity and nothing else. I can’t imagine life without art and jewelry design is one thing I’ve never tried. What a great thing to get to wake up and decide to do every day, you are a lucky girl!
Thanks Cathy. These creative days are rare but it makes me cherish them all the more
It is awesome that you enjoy doing your work. You have a lot of passion. I remember a friend of mine who is also in the same business and he told me that his inventory of materials can total to a cost of a property. I can imagine with all those materials, you can get excited in using your imagination.
Thanks Lorii. Yes the accumulation of materials is part of the fun
Actually… I DO often wonder where folks like you get your juice… inspiration from. I don’t have that kind of creativity… so yea.. I’m jealous! lol
Creativity shows up in every business. You create ideas and processes as well. I love your posts. Creativity abounds in your life too
I loved hearing your process… I’d like the free play day with all the gems on the bench best, too!
Thanks a Kimberly. Play days are the best!
Fun to learn more about your creativity process. There are indeed so many ways to to use one’s own creativity.