Wow with Legs

Filed under: Bracelets, Philosophy | Back to: Homepage

Sunday, while listening to KGSR radio, I heard Jody Denberg (http://www.kgsr.com/jocks/jody.aspx) chatting with a writer from Rolling Stones magazine regarding certain albums and songs. Specifically, they discussed a new song by Bruce Springsteen and one of them stated it really had “legs”. Since this was a uniquely different context to when we ranchers talk about legs, I listened carefully. My take on their discussion was that sometimes you hear a new song and think “Wow” this is going to be great, but later, after repeated listenings the song just doesn’t have legs. My understanding is that if it has legs, it stands the test of time.

Applying this to the ranch business, we may look at a bull and take note of his thickness and straight back and how great he looks, but does he “have legs” in the sense that Denberg was using? Here at Dreamcatcher, we look beyond his initial appearance and examine his data and the type calves he is expected to sire in order to find whether or not he “has legs” and will be the type bull to make a positive impact on a herd.

So what could this possibly have to do with design work? Oft times, I may think I’ve hit on just the type of new design that customers will love. I’d call that a “wow”. Later, however, when that WOW doesn’t sell or bring rave reviews when I wear it myself, I have to face the fact that my WOW does not have legs! Last summer, I had such a great time making a particular bracelet design, that I completed ten or so in various colors and bead types before I realized it. Unfortunately, they were not popular and ended up in the “let’s make a deal” basket. The problem seems to be how to determine if a design that is a winner in my personal book will be a winner from a business standpoint. A big part of what makes a design Wow for me is the enjoyment I get from creating it and this doesn’t necessarily mean that others will like it as well since they are only wearing it.

The last couple of evenings, I’ve enjoyed working on embellished right angle weave bracelets. The one on the left was made very closely to the pattern suggestions, while the one on the right took flight. I’ve completed these two and would enjoy making another because these are WOWs for me. However, based on previously learned lessons, I’m going to get some customer opinions before making more of these and find out whether or not my Wow has legs and the design will endure. If not . . . I’ll have two new bracelets and have had fun!

Bracelets, Philosophy comment

Start to Finish

Filed under: Necklaces, Pendants, Wire Work | Back to: Homepage

I really enjoy starting projects. It may be a new design or just a simple change of beads or shapes that gets my juices flowing, but I hardly want to stop once I begin the work. Then, there’s finishing. Yuk! The expression on Grandson Gabriel’s face says it all. I DO NOT like to finish the pieces. If I had a factory, someone else would put the clasps, chains and earring findings on my work. Alas, that isn’t going to happen. But there does come a time when you just have to give in and get it done. That has happened twice this week. My client in Maine ordered a number of things several weeks ago and said, “no hurry; I won’t need them for about a month.” I happily began work on the pieces, laying each aside  before adding the final touches. Last week, I suddenly realized that the “month” was almost over and I’d better get moving. There they lay . . . all 17 pieces had to be finished. Now, as you can imagine, if one doesn’t enjoy finishing just one piece, finishing 17 is not very invigorating. You’d think I would learn, wouldn’t you? Wrong! Tonight I’ve just finished 9 pair of earrings, five necklaces and a bracelet for tomorrow. All of these were previously designed and made without clasps and earring findings. (The one shown here is my first attempt at wire work with sterling silver. My technique needs help, but I’m pushing ahead. ) This reminds me of when my children wouldn’t finish their term papers until the night before they were due . . . or was it that they didn’t START their term papers until the night before they were due? At any rate, I must endeavor to correct the error of my ways. I actually think that finishing so many projects all at once is enough punishment that I may remember to do better in the future. Or . . . Not.

Necklaces, Pendants, Wire Work comment

Technique-Like Riding a Bike

Filed under: Philosophy, Techniques | Back to: Homepage

Technique, to this former music teacher, has generally pertained to the basics of musicianship. At the ripe age of 5 years old, I was taught by my second piano teacher, Mrs. Ida Defoe Hardy, (my mother was the first teacher) that if you had good technique and kept practicing your scales, you could learn a piece more quickly and easily. Long ago, when I was young and rule-bound, I did what Mrs. Hardy said and later realized she was right. My good piano technique, curved fingers, strong hands, scale facility, etc. has stayed with me even though I play less frequently.

Yesterday, at the nursing home with my 87 year old mother, I was again reminded about the value of technique. A new organ was donated to the nursing home and Mother has been wanting to play it. I would wager that it has been a minimum of 15-20 years since she touched an organ and with her crooked arthritic fingers, I feared the worst as she approached the keys. Yet, I was the one who got a BIG surprise. Although it wasn’t perfect, the music was recognizable, the rhythm consistent and the smile on another resident’s face as she listened to Mother was genuine.While I was pleased with the sound, I was even more impressed with Mother’s technique. Her crooked fingers were curved as she sat up straight. In organ lessons, we learn to lay the thumb on its side in order to depress two keys at the same time while reaching other fingers to far away keys. Mother did this repeatedly without consciously thinking about it. I guess good TECHNIQUE lingers for years. It IS like riding a bicycle; you never forget it. The longer we’ve practiced a technique, the better the skill, and the less likely we are to lose it. (Isn’t this why elementary school teachers urge parents to keep their young readers in the print through the summer months? The more unskilled the reader, the more they lose through idleness. Adults, don’t have to do this because our skill is fully developed.)

Design work certainly requires technique as well. We practice the basics such as crimping, making a wire spiral, etc. repeatedly and these become so natural that we are free to think of other elements. As a beginner, I wanted to be creative and add my own style, but there were many disasters largely because I didn’t have the basic skills perfected. Now, years later, many of those techniques are natural and my brain is free to consider other things. There must be a lesson here! I think my guide should be that when learning a new element (currently, the element is how to make my own wire clasps), I should practice until the process becomes more a part of my technique before deciding to alter it. I don’t like doing the same thing over and over, but in the case of basic technique, it is needed.

I can still hear Mrs. Hardy saying, as I later told my own students, you can’t improvise on Bach until you can play it the way he wrote it! OK Mrs. Hardy, I think I’ve finally got it!

Philosophy, Techniques comment

Fluency . . .

Filed under: Creativity, Philosophy | Back to: Homepage

the ability to produce a quantity of ideas, answers, or problem solutions (Meador, 1996)

Having spent a good 15 years of my life trying to teach others about creative thinking, today I’m working with the concept of fluency. It’s the first “F” of FFOE commonly referred to in creativity literature. FFOE represents fluency, flexibility, originality and elaboration upon which most creative activities are based. Initially, I studied these in writing my masters thesis and preparing activities to improve areas of challenge for creative thinkers. We utilized those activities for many years in working with adolescent Creative Scholars in summer programs in Louisiana. Later, I continued to study FFOE during dissertation work and the writing of Synectics activities for Kindergarten children. Following years involved training teachers to help students think more creatively as well as writing books and articles to help them (see publications list: http://www.dreamcatcherranch.net/consulting/publications.htm)

Today, I’m struck by the fact that all that study and work has submerged itself only to erupt in the design work (I wonder if it helps with the ranch work . . . ?). Whether consciously or subconsciously, I’m using FFOE every day.

Experts tell us that fluency is needed to help us explore all possibilities in an effort to find the most suitable one. But what if the best one came first? We wouldn’t know it was best without the propagation of others. But isn’t fluency a waste of time? It doesn’t waste as much time as completing an idea that didn’t work. (Yes, I do this too often as evidenced by a basket full of UFOs, unfinished objects.)

In an effort to be fluent today, I’ve added a gallery section to this blog which displays a quantity of ideas. It will continue to grow as more photos are uploaded.

Creativity, Philosophy comment

Overdone Reversal

Filed under: Earrings, Metal Work, Wire Work | Back to: Homepage

I do not like to make earrings. For years, I’ve mostly made only those that matched a customer’s necklace, but lately a reversal of that phenomenon has occurred. Two things dawned that perpetuated this reversal. First, my friend and wholesale vendor, Szarka (www.magpiegemstones.com) encouraged me to purchase Lindstrom tools for wirework saying they would improve my efforts and ease the hand strain. Unlike many vendors, who may recommend something because they sell it, she doesn’t even have these for purchase; so I took her advise. A good many dollars later, I had the precious tools. My justification was that if the guys on the ranch could have a hydraulic squeeze chute at the barn then surely I could have some good tools. (I only purchased 3 tools and we’re not going to compare cost of tools vs chute unless it becomes necessary!)  With new tools in hand, I started working on earrings. It was actually fun, the ideas kept flowing and Szarka was right about the value of the right tool.

The second thing that encouraged this reversal is that someone purchased 3 pairs of the new designs. (No that doesn’t even pay for one tool!) Thinking that there may be potential in creating earrings, I’m on my way. The problem may be that I’ve OVERDONE this reversal of my previous behavior. I just keep making earrings. I guess I’m like my Father who never made just one something in his woodworking shop. He made several and then Mother wondered what to do with them all. The picture at the bottom shows a mere fraction of what I’ve created in the past few days. I’ve even run out of ear wires. I guess I’m just going to have to go out looking for people with holes in their ears and show them the new designs. The good thing is that at least I’ve been working with less expensive copper. Perhaps I’ll be more frugal when I’m using sterling silver. Anyone out there need earrings?

Earrings, Metal Work, Wire Work 2 comments

Medford is Coming

Filed under: Color, Necklaces, Pendants, Wire Work | Back to: Homepage

I grew up in Medford, Oklahoma near the border of Kansas. When my family purchased our first home, my Daddy planted a redbud tree just outside my bedroom window. The winter was really cold in Medford, but the first harbinger of Spring was the blooming of my redbud tree. Upon moving into our current ranch house, my husband planted the redbud tree pictured at the left just outside our den window. Although I’ll take the South Texas winters hands down over the Northern Oklahoma winters, I’ll keep the redbud tree as my sign that Spring is coming. When that tree blooms it still says “Medford” to me.

In honor of the beautiful color of the tree, I made two necklaces. While neither can truly capture nature, they were a pleasure to make as I thought about days long past.

Color, Necklaces, Pendants, Wire Work 1 comment