These photos are from that season of my life when I was moving away from big canvas paintings to small functional pieces of art. These alcohol ink ceramic pendants enclosed in a fluid acrylic gift box were one of my best-sellers at pop-up craft shows and many of these were commissioned.
I don’t make jewelry anymore or do fluid acrylics paintings. I rarely use alcohol inks and, even though I have learned to never say never, I will NEVER do pop-up craft shows again.
They are relics from a time I was creating, not for myself, but for others. When I look at them I don’t see beauty … I remember the countless frustrating hours sanding, filing, varnishing, mixing just the right proportion of chemicals to get the “perfect” lacing in my pours…and then wondering if they would sell. It wasn’t fun.
But these played an important part in my journey to get where I am. I didn’t have this clarity of purpose back then…I couldn’t have. I had to go through this phase, create these things, and learn from doing what gives me joy. Ironically, my tag line those days said “custom pieces of joy!”
This is a different season of my life. It’s not about tangibles anymore…it’s about living in the here and now. For myself.
I create what I want, even if it will forever stay hidden from the public eye in a journal page…it’s dictated by my desire to enjoy the process than focus on an end product. It’s about following my heart and paying close attention to its whispers. It’s about sharing, learning, being.
I’d love to hear from you…is there something you used to create that you don’t anymore?
The pendants and there boxes are gorgeous Mansi but I understand so well what you mean.
Whe have a saying that comes done to ” when it becomes a must, it isn’t fun anymore”.
Years ago I made dolls, just for fun, I gave some away and suddenly everyone wanted one.
I wanted to make them for others but then they had to pay for the materials, the annoying thing was that people thought that if they paid for it they could also say what the doll should look like and what to wear etc. That was disastrous for me creativity, I then didn’t make any doll any more. The fun was completely gone.
Just like you I create for myself, because I like to create and see what I can, challenge myself and learn new things. Besides that it’s also somethiing I can do when my healthproblems make me slowdown or I must slowdown because of my health.
Stay safe, stay crafty and have a wonderful day.