The mother of invention

We all know the phrase about necessity being the mother of invention. Invention is also a child of creativity so maybe creativity is invention's father.
Not all things that are necessary are in need of reinvention. And yet through the competitive world of economics they often are. Feminine hygiene products for example don't need this constant state of reinvention except to keep convincing women that our natural bodily functions must be kept secret. And the more discreet the better.
I keep seeing advertising for things that are not a real problem but because some one invented a way to solve the non-problem there are millions spent of convincing us it is a problem. body hair, wrinkles, sheets that don't smell like they were dragged through a field of blue bonnets...

Oops got a little side tracked there.
Where I was going to go, was to talk about a possible up-coming issue for myself and one that does effect others. Incontinence, night sweats, menstrual over flow and sexual body fluids have a way of making sleeping uncomfortable and ruining mattresses. Now there are already solutions out there. disposable pads, leakproof mattress covers, and reusable bed pads that you can toss in the washer.
So why reinvent something that already has a number of solutions?
Because I want something that is pretty. 
I want something that is not industrial, bleachable, but still shows stains, institutional, "I should be ashamed of this", white.

One of the symptoms that often arises with my form of leukemia is drenching night sweats. So I will focus there as a reason for my need. I am looking at buying all the stuff I need to make a couple of pretty bed pads with with lots of color that would hide staining better than white.

(another side note: I once met a woman who had expensive Persian rugs over her carpet in strategic points and she explained that kids spill things, with the Persian rugs and all their bright colors they did not show the stains as much as the regular carpet and these would last much longer and they could always pass them down in the family.)

Anyway her logic has stuck with me and I am ready to invest in the three types of fabric it will take to make a good size, pretty, reusable mattress pad or maybe two. I just need to find the space to do some sewing one of these days. 

💸🌸🍀

Finding Passion

If you are seeking your own passion or seeking other who validate your passions then stop. For just a bit and start hanging around people who have a passion. You may never have the same passion but if you spend time with them you will see living examples of the possibilities. I am blessed to have in my life several people with passions they have followed. From becoming an expert on ancient South American civilizations to knowing almost all the species of arctic moth, to raising organic vegetables and spinning local fibers to recycling electronics, to teaching the next generation these people are diverse in their focus but equal in the joy they get from what they do. And each of these passions has a real complexity to them. They did not just sit down with a pile of books and gather the knowledge of others. They took those books and tried things and went places and talked to people and wrote their own books and took pictures and voiced their opinions. They made discoveries, and shared their information. They became the experts and professionals because of their passion and the energy it gives them to go beyond what other people do.

That is what I seek when I think of finding my passion.
Find those people and walk with them see the world through their passion and know that you passion awaits you too.

Back in the online game

Once upon a time...
I used to make things and sell them on Ebay. Then I lost my account because of a piece of paper I have yet to send them.
So I waited a few years and then tried Etsy. I had a couple dozen listings at one point in time but sold nothing and so I let the ads expire and waited again.
 I am back in etsy or at least I have a toe in the water. I really struggle with on-line selling.
taking good pictures, making attention grabbing ads, throwing enough search terms in the listing so people will find it...
But getting better at all these things is more likely to get me success in the electronic media market place than just local bazaars and shops.
So I am determined to dedicate time to learning better photography skills, writing good ads, being active in the promotion of my Etsy store: https://www.etsy.com/shop/Alaskanbonesandbeads.
I am also determined to label the things I have for sale so people know me and can contact me. I am determined to put together my Artist page and keep my name easy to find.

Too Tired to be creative?

It feels like long hours and restless sleep cause by the stress of those long work hours leaves me brain dead when it comes to being creative. But I am not sure if it that or if I am just too aware that I will not have the time to execute anything outside of a very limited scope in terms of time and energy. So there is no point in putting thought into big projects or intricate exacting work.
I recently acquired a stack of jewelry magazines and as I flip through them I do not even let myself consider trying anything I see. Too much time, too much effort, too much learning curve, too much money, too many other pots simmering on the back burners.
I want to sit down and develop some long term plans for my creative endeavors. start taking classes instead of thinking about taking classes. start investing in tools rather than making do with what I have. Develop a structure of time that puts my creative self front and center of my daily routine instead of grabbing time in between other people's priorities.
Unfortunately I think that one way I have tried to justify my need for creative endeavors is to try making them marketable outcomes. I can always sell my bead work so its ok to spend time doing that. I can always give things as gifts so that makes it ok to do it. But the truth is that I have started becoming more invested in processes like quilting where I tend to like and keep the things I make with no other plan for those items. So do that just start to give me the mental space to take classes in glass fusing, mineralogy, jewelry design, and metal smithing. 
But these are thoughts for another day when I do not have the pressure of time pushing me to get enough sleep for that next long day at work.

creativity and time

As I sit between work and a very busy summer I find my mind turning over more ideas than I have seen there for awhile. Where have all these thoughts been lurking? evidently they needed time for me to sist still so they could catch up. Creativity is like that. not always very aggressive, it will not force itself when there are more pressing matters. One way anthropologists measure free time in ancient civilizations is by the art they produce. The theory being that a group of people who are in sheer survival mode and devoting all their energy to food production and staying warm will not produce art.

So time is a critical element in the process of creativity. As I look though the groups I belong to and the beading magazines, I get I am often disappointed by the step by step how to's for producing jewlery. Sure I could do that and end up with a nice pair of earrings or bracelet, but I would feel very unfulfilled, and self gratification is a big part of why I create.
My mother used to put together kits, embroidery, latchhook... But I found more satisisfaction in creating the kits. I designed many of the pieces she worked on. She was able to make substitutions in colors and rearrange some stitches to make something unique, sort of. She worked in a similar way with food. She loved to cook and loved readding through cookbooks to try something new at least 3 days a week. But she always insisted on making things by the recipe at least the first time. She would make notes on the recipe to add a touch more this, take out that and such until she was satisfied with it, then she would type it on a roledex file card and add it to the stash.
In our society everybody most likely has time to be creative. I do not know why so many people are afraid to let themselves be creative. Or they keep a tight leash on those impulses. On the other hand if everybody felt creative it would limit the market for those of us who are.