Surprising Myself

There is something very soothing and peaceful about this chocolate amber wind chime. It doesn't shout; it whispers. For more information, or to buy it, CLICK here or here.

A feeling I frequently have upon completion of a new work is one of attachment. For me the latest is the greatest, and I am not eager to see it sell. I want to hang on to it, to enjoy it greedily for myself. I guess that's just pride in one's work, which is no doubt a good thing.

But then I make a new work, and the feelings for the prior one are displaced to the newest. And the cycle starts again. You would think after all the years I have been doing this full time, I would be bored or numb to whatever I make. To avoid that, I try to dream up at least one or two new designs a month. And the others evolve. Small changes, little improvements. That keeps it all interesting, challenging, and exciting.

I believe that is the difference between an art and a craft. A potter I know is very good at what she does, but she does exactly the same things over and over and... over. Long ago she set a color for her work, and she sticks to that one color. She is an excellent crafter, but she is not an artist. As an artist, I know there is no way I could ever stick with that one color for years and years. I'd go mad, or die of boredom. I'd start smashing plates (and using the pieces to make something amazing!). Going off on a radical new tangent is part of what I do~ surprising myself.