Pondering a creative life

It is hot and sticky here - too hot for comfort and sticky such that it only seems to help if you have a shower or change your clothes a couple of times a day!

Time in the studio has been a bit stop start and a few things are underway and are others are being pondered.  Lots of other things are being pondered - an exciting invitation to a prestigious exhibition next year; the possibility of a series of works heading into a show mid next year, some articles to be thought about and written, a workshop to teach; two more invitations to teach and workshops to design and a large week long workshop to prepare for as well.

Then there is the research and investigation into stickiness - and may I say I have received lots of suggestions and help with ideas about how to attach bookplates, and am about to purchase few possibilities and begin the trialling...as well as working out how to transport a beautiful old press and the books to buy that will help us understand how to work it and...

So lots of creative activities, with lots of acton in lot of directions, but not much of the action is yet taking place in the studio.

So on top of all of these diverse things I began to ponder well just what does make up a creative life like mine?  At the end of a day when I feel I have nothing to show from the studio yet have been doing a range of these other things - have I been living a creative life, whilst not actually creating?

So I have begun to think and write about it a bit and who knows where it will lead.

There is no doubt that they are all related somehow; and I think part of the incentive to explore it in more detail is to perhaps make myself feel OK about those days when work isn't produced; yet creative and artistic support work has been happening.

I have been doing small things - continuing to print the sample book for deckled edge press; and then doing a first run of swing tags for Barry's leaf spoons which sell in specialty shops around here.  We thought we might try to do them with letterpress rather than my calligraphy, just because there were a lot to do and it might be quicker.

The results are quite nice; different to the calligraphy and I think our jury is still out on which we prefer.

 And then just living and loving a creative life on the block, these peace doves of Barry's had fallen from the tree - wind and rain at play - and were sitting out the front of the house, so I popped them into an art installation on the chair made by our friend Ken  and quite enjoy saying hello to theme each time I walk in the door!