A Study in Contrasts: Benchtop Sneak Peek

Last week's blog post may have you believing that my studio is quite clean and organized. Poppycock! Just a few feet away is the chaotic workspace of Brendita-the-Spastic-One! And so comes my theory of balance. 

First, a left-to-right (now top to bottom) scan of the main workspace in my studio:

  

 

 

(Now, a moment to rest your eyes and regain some composure.)

The lesson here -- at least what works for me -- is that having an organized starting block is important to getting one off and running in the creative process. For many creatives (including moi), beginning is probably the single most important thing we face. But the messy, everything-up-in-the-air part is where the genius comes in.

In the chaos, you'll find new juxapositions of objects you may never have thought of combining before. In the pile, you'll gain a clarity that comes from being able to work multiple projects at once. In the jumble, you'll gain a momentum that has you producing more.

These two works have recently erupted from the hot bed of disorganization:

 

I guess (for me) slow, steady, and cluttered is what wins the race!

Peek of the Week No. 3

I'm behind on my Peek of the Weeks! (Don't ask this designer to do anything that's at all structured, like give you a peek -- a tiny cropped image -- of one of the projects in my upcoming Steel Wire Jewelry book!)

I'll give you a hint of what lies within this time: the bits of blue and gray are from a stone via the wonderful world of Gary Wilson. Boy, that guy can cut a stone! As a matter of fact, that guy cuts and cabs (and beads) many, many wonderful things. For those of you who aren't familiar with Gary's work, he'll be at two different Tucson venues (where you will see me bent over every tray, head down, and eyes glued. See you there!

What's in a Name Anyway?

Well, I'll tell 'ya -- more than one would think!

With today's emphasis on marketing and search engines, and -- well that's about the crux of it, marketing and search engines -- things (book titles, that is) need to be straightforward, simple, specific, and (yes, I'll say it) boring! That's okay though, 'cause a good, minimal title is weighty enough to counterbalance all of my uber-creative copy inside (which frankly, confuses even me at times!)

What am I droning on about (you analytics ask)?

I just received the formal title for my next book. It's moniker is Steel Wire Jewelry. The equally important and obviously encoded subtitle is: Stylish Designs, Simple Techniques, Artful Inspiration. You got it! All very good words to describe exactly what is inside the book -- style, design, simplicity, technique, art, and inspiration. There you go, and there you have it.

I'm not complaining. Or, am I? The early-career marketer in me says, "Yep! Get it out there, and get it far and wide." The creative-type in me says, "Good God, can't anyone think a little? Would it kill them? Do we have to spell out things at a fourth-grade level all the time?"

Then I pan back a little, take a few breaths, and envision my little book ... on the Barnes&Noble shelves ... among tens of other wire books ... hundreds of other jewelry books ... thousands of other craft books ... and millions of other books books ... and, that's just one store. And then I say:

"I LOVE simplicity. I LOVE the name Steel Wire Jewelry! And, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE search engines!

(And I'll "wow 'em" on the inside!)

Thank you, Title Team!

xoxox!

(Pssst! Next comes the fabulous cover art . . . !)

What's Tangled and Mangled and Colorful Throughout?

Peek of the Week No. 2, that's what! It's been a month since I shared Peek of the Week No. 1 on September 10th. Today I'd like to introduce Peek of the Week No. 2. In true Brenda form, you may have guessed it involves two of my favorite things -- Irish waxed linen and (of course) iron wire. But what gauge? How is it tangled? Is it a bracelet, an earring, a brooch? I'm such a trickster for keeping you guessing!