Seeking - or finding - community

A frequent recommendation for individuals who venture into publishing their art online, is to seek out communities of like-minded people. The internet is full of them. It is hard to figure out where to even start looking. If you are a natural at making and maintaining contacts you are going to have a lot of fun, and will probably also advance your business swiftly.

As a totally-not-social-media-geek, I admit I have been evading the pursuit of networking opportunities against better knowledge. Just to give you an idea of my socializing skills: at parties, whichever conversation circle I join typically disintegrates and I am left standing alone, or when I sit down at a table it magically depopulates moments later. It is very awkward. I always hope no-one is watching. It's not that people run away because I behave awfully. The problem is I am unobtrusive to the point of being invisible. I have a bizarre talent for approaching people without them noticing and then scaring the sh... out of them because to them it seems I just materialized out of thin air. Maybe I should have become a spy. I could stand in the middle of a room during a top secret government meeting, recording device in hand, and nobody would ever know how the information got out.

A passionate maker of things, I feel my time is better spent in my workshop than doing what I do worst - promoting myself. But, of course, creating art necessarily entails the latter to some degree. The good thing about the internet is that it facilitates contacting people. Addressing someone online is way less fussy than seeking them out in person (which might be impossible altogether for geographic reasons), and also way less scary than trying to engage their interest in a formal one-on-one meeting. The new media make interactions possible that would have never occurred in the physical world. Nonetheless, I never got very proactive about putting myself out there. It was through coincidence that I found community, rather than running after it.

As I was browsing Etsy for the sheer joy of it, as I often do, one artist's product listing also included the logo of an organization called SRAJD - Self Representing Artists in Jewelry Design. It caught my attention, so I visited their website to find out more. I decided to apply for admission and submitted a link to my Etsy shop in order for the SRAJD team to get an impression of my work. To my delight, they accepted my application and I got subscribed in return for a very modest yearly membership fee. Not only is my shop listed on the SRAJD website now, but I also have access to helpful conversation groups on Facebook: how to optimize your product photography, your webpage, your technique, etc. Most of all, I was astonished at the warm welcome I received. I haven't had so many people saying "hi" to me in a long time! It was a very nice beginning.

And here is my official membership number, YAY! I will keep you updated on the results of having become a bit more electronically sociable.

Chance acquisition: vintage Egyptian glass beads

After three years of not seeing each other, my husband and I went to meet my sister and her family for a week of holidays together. We had each brought little gifts for one another. Among the things she gave me were these beautiful artisan glass beads.

Originally, they were part of a necklace my sister received as a wedding gift from a friend who had purchased it in Egypt. That was a looooooooong time ago, and the necklace has since disintegrated. That was unfortunate for my sister, but very fortunate for me. Now, I am lucky to have the beads to make exciting new pieces of jewelry from.

I washed the beads carefully with warm, soapy water and tried them out immediately. Here is the first result, already listed in my shop - it features some of the vintage Egyptian beads in purple and spring green, combined with magnesite stone:

I find the organic, coin like focal bead especially intriguing. I have some others of that type, of varying sizes, in different blues, brown and white. There is also several more of the small round beads in blue, white, grey, green, purple and brown.

Looking forward to creating more jewelry with these pretties!

Brass Guitar Picks

Brass guitar picks are probably not going to be a product I will be offering in my shop any time soon, but making them certainly helped me advance my metal working skills a little.

My hubby plays the guitar, and I wanted to surprise him on his return from a business trip. My original idea was to make a guitar pick and engrave my darling´s name on it, but further down in this post you will see why I decided to leave the finished pick plain in the end.

First of all, I grabbed one of my hubby´s plastic guitar picks and drew its outline on a piece of paper. That, I cut out and glued it onto a 20 gauge brass sheet. The next step was sawing it out with a hand saw. Once that was done, I simply rubbed the paper stencil off under running water. So far, so good!

Given that the raw pick had rather sharp, irregular edges, some sanding and polishing was necessary. This gave me the opportunity to try out my new rotary tool by Dremel. I started with the roughest sanding wheel and worked myself down to finer bits from there. I also wanted to round the edges off so they were less thick than the center of the pick.

I was quite pleased with the end result. Only the surface of the pick needed some polishing to get rid of the traces the work process had left on it.

And now the frustrating bit: working with the engraver apparently requires practice, because my attempts at writing even one single letter came out miserable. I just couldn´t figure out how to deal with the vibration of the engraver and keep my lines smooth. I did rehearse on a piece of scrap metal, but was ultimately not satisfied with the results. They looked as if I had worked whilst suffering a bout of tachycardia. Meh.

However, the story has a happy ending. My hubby came back safe and sound from his trip, and loved his new guitar pick. It doesn´t only look very posh, but also produces a fuller sound than plastic picks - especially when playing chords. I might repeat this project!

DIY hem weights for fluttery skirts!

Alright, so I have these two skirts that I love, but seldom wear. They are made of printed cotton knit and have a lovely drape, but when it´s windy they make attempts at breaking free and flying off into the sunset. While there are people who I feel like mooning, I still haven´t gotten to the point where I would actually do it, so those hems have to stay down for now.

Looking up hem weights on the internet, I realized options are surprisingly sparse. The few there are mostly consist of repurposing things, such as coins or jewelry chain, and attaching them permanently to your skirt, which can be a problem when it comes to washing the garment. It turns out Queen Elizabeth II uses curtain weights to keep her hems from flying up!

What I wanted was something that could easily be attached to one skirt, taken off again and put onto another skirt without much fuss. So I came up with these:

They are two brass pendants that I hung on short pieces of jewelry chain and lobster clasps. The only thing I had to do was sew thread loops into the two naughty skirts, and now I can switch the weights back and forth between them however often I like. I had never made such loops before, but after watching a short tutorial they came out perfect!

The best idea is to sew the loops onto the side seams, on the inside of your skirt. Considering the length of the weights, I chose a spot two inches up from the hem.

Anchor a thread in a matching color by knotting it into the side seam. Make a double loop around an object with the same diameter you would like your thread loop to have. In my case, a pencil did the trick. When you form the two loops, push the needle through the same spot in the side seam, because they need to be the same length and perfectly parallel.

Then, begin to make knots around the loops to unite them. Make sure to close each new knot right next to the former one to create an even strand.

When you get to the end of the loop, secure with further knots to the side seam and you are done!

Now you can attach the hem weights.

Tadah, nothing shows from the outside! Neither will your butt. I might keep experimenting with different weights and beads, but I am happy with my prototype!

Surprise inspiration: Jewelry for kids!

As much as I would love to survive on making jewelry and writing alone, the reality is I win most of my bread giving piano lessons. But the good thing is, inspiration lurks in the most unexpected places. One of my students is a six year old girl. Despite her young age, she seems like an old soul who has been around many, many times and has come back once more just to enjoy this world. Anyways, she liked a raw aquamarine pendant I was wearing. I commented that I had another one with a black stone at home, and she asked "Can you give that one to me?" Um. Bold question. "I´ll have to think about that." I said. "But I can make a necklace with a different stone for you." She asked me to enumerate the colors of my beads - blue, teal, white, purple, pink. "Pink!", she exclaimed. Alright, pink it is. As soon as I got home, I put a necklace together and added a pendant with a pink jade sphere, a lavender amethyst nugget and a brass feather. The result was quite lovely! And then I thought to myself: "Why not make more of these?" So I did. Over the weekend, I finished five more necklaces and listed them in my etsy shop. It was great fun. If people like them, I will certainly stock up on a more diverse range of colorful gemstones and brass charms. It is funny how one idea leads to another, and to another, and to another...

When it comes to creative work, the more you give, the richer your imagination becomes. If you have an image in your mind, no matter from where you picked it up, get it out there and you will see how it magically unlocks further possibilities.

I am curious to see what else comes out of this undertaking. Check out my necklaces for kids at the Cat Yarn Loft on etsy.

 

Jewelry for a good cause - Burton Wildlife Rescue & Linjoy Sanctuary

If you asked what I would do with all the money if I won the lottery, my answer would not include a racy car or a luxurious mansion. Of course I would make some material improvements. I would love to own a nice, preferrably old house with enough room for my and my husband´s activities, our animals and the occasional guest, and with a big enough garden to grow plants and enjoy coffee sessions. In short, I dream of having a lovely home. I would also put aside some funds for retirement. I might enroll in classes I find interesting or travel somewhere I´ve always wanted to go. Probably, I would buy everyone I love some awesome birthday presents that year. But I would also want to help a good cause in a significant way.

With my current means, I am trying to do what I can to make the world a tiny little bit better. I have been picking up injured birds for several years and managed to nurse many of them back to health. Our cats are all rescue animals, so is our dog. Whenever I can, I donate money to charities, unfortunately never a lot. I am very unsystematic when it comes to picking whom to help. It is pretty much a gut matter. Reading through the "about" sections of different charities, they all seem worthy of support. However, beyond that, some groups I intuitively lean towards more than others. Something about them calls out to me.

Such is the case with Burton Wildlife and Linjoy Sanctuary in the UK. At first glance, they are an unlikely choice for me because I live on the other side of the planet. I don´t even remember how I first became aware of them. It was through Facebook - that much I know. I was touched by their dedication to the rescue of wild animals. The lengths they would go to picking up injured or ill animals, caring for them and releasing them back into the wild if their health allowed for it, impressed me deeply. At the same time, I felt distressed by their difficulty in raising funds to cover their monthly expenses. The rescue center and adjacent sanctuary operate on the founder´s salary as a veterinary nurse and donations from helpful individuals alone. 

Burton Wildlife Rescue receives emergency calls 24/7, rain or shine. Whoever follows them on Facebook, receives notifications on every animal that is collected, and updates about its progress. However, with around 300 animals to look after and emergency calls coming in constantly, there is little time and energy left for publicity and fundraising events. Sometimes I wish I were able to reach through the computer screen and help clean up stables or feed little critters. Donating money is the only option, but my means are limited.  

When Burton Wildlife Rescue announced they were planning an online auction and asked followers to send in handmade items, the news gave me one of those "lightbulb-popping-up-above-my-head" moments. I make jewelry! So I sat down to a little crafting marathon and churned out six pairs of glitzy dangle earrings. While I always feel great about creating a piece, knowing that these pretties would serve a good purpose added a lot of extra joy to the process. I took pictures of the earrings for the auction, put them into little pouches, made a parcel and sent it off to the UK. That was one week ago. I hope they will arrive within another week. 

I encourage you to support Burton Wildlife Rescue and Linjoy Sanctuary in whichever way you can - sharing their news, donating money or even volunteering if you happen to live nearby. Visit their website or follow them on Facebook to get informed about the awesome work they are doing. If you like some of the earrings I made for Burton Wildlife Rescue and would like to do a good deed, participate in their online auction. All proceeds go exclusively to the care of rescued wildlife. Other beautiful, handmade products are going to be auctioned as well, so stay updated and take a look! 

Where do you even start? Which, and how many, materials and tools to begin with.

Basic tools for wire working

If you are starting your project from scratch, that is, if you are about to materialize your ideas for the first time, you are facing a couple of choices regarding materials and tools. You can acquire tons of them on the internet or at brick and mortar stores. It is quite easy to overspend, especially if you are inexperienced and buy things because it appears safer to have them than to lack them, "just in case".

You need to find a good balance between buying the necessary and, at the same time, bringing home enough supplies to allow for some creative experimentation and failures. Yes, failures. Your results will not be perfect right away. Be prepared to take back apart some of your first pieces or even throw them in the trash. Better still, get accustomed to loss, because no matter how sophisticated your skills get over time, some pieces are bound to come out below standard. Take these incidents as a sign that you are learning and use them as opportunities to sharpen your judgment regarding the quality of your products.

Far from leading by example, I started buying supplies before I ever intended to open a shop. I accumulated materials and tools gradually and unsystematically, probably wasting a lot of resources with my thoughtlessness. In retrospect, it would have been wiser to sit down, research jewelry making techniques, pick out a few and buy the specific supplies needed for those. Just to name an example: if you choose wire wrapping earrings and knotting necklaces, get a generous, but not exaggerated, amount of the basic tools and materials required, and begin practising.

Brass eyepins

Given that especially in the initial phase you will lose a certain quantity of supplies to your developing technique, do not invest in the most pricy ones right away. Agreed, wire wrapped earrings made with sterling silver, blue tourmaline and tahitian pearls are insanely beautiful - but ruining them is expensive and guaranteed to make you feel wretched. Start with copper or brass before you endeavor working with silver. You can upgrade the materials you are using bit by bit, as you become more secure handling them. Also, you don´t want the monetary value of your materials to stand in the way of learning. You need freedom to fail, even freedom to get frustrated and just slam a misshapen project into the trashcan without feeling guilty or going broke. Only buy supplies you are able to honor.

The same goes for the tools. At the beginning, a complete, professionally equipped metalsmithing workshop will be several sizes too big for you. If you just won the lottery and can also afford your personal, sexy, live-in metalsmithing tutor, forget what I just said. But seriously: master simple techniques and learn to use basic tools first. Every time you feel you have learned enough to expand your knowledge further, add something new to your repertoire of skills. This implies you need to be honest with yourself and assertive in self-evaluation. Without letting merciless perfectionism tear you down, do ask yourself if you are happy with whatever piece you just finished. If not, make changes or do it all over again. Don´t be afraid of trial and error. They´re part of the deal.

I once worked with an amateur sound-engineer who had gotten into considerable debt by acquiring advanced recording equipment. In the end, we never got anything done because he was buying these things faster than he could learn to operate them. He was addicted to the hunt for high-tech gadgets which would then catch dust in his studio. Sometimes he resold them to avoid eviction or cover some other basic need. This is what I mean when I recommend to buy only those supplies you are "able to honor": buy them with a clear conscience, handle and keep them respectfully. Eagerness is great, but it is best for yourself and for your progress to remain down-to earth at the same time as passionate.

Take classes or buy instruction books only if they teach you skills you can apply under your present circumstances, or require moderate adjustments. I have to admit I once ordered marvellous books on textile jewelry design, but the techniques they display are so advanced they are not immediately useful to me, and won´t be for another while. Although they are wonderful to look at, I probably would have done better choosing different sources of instruction or simply holding on to my money.

So, if you are buying supplies for the very first time, here is how best to go about it:

• Research basic techniques, then pick between one and three you wish to start out with.
• Get tools and supplies corresponding to your skill level.
• Buy amounts that allow for failed attempts and creative experiments.
• Start with materials of moderate cost (never poor quality, though!).
• Visit classes or read books to learn applicable skills.
• Be self-critical, but never self-destructive.
• Honor your resources (be a conscious buyer, handle and keep your supplies with care, give them a proper space).
• Expand your knowledge and production scope gradually as you become more accomplished.

Share your experiences and views in the comments section, I will be happy to hear form you!

The workspace question - how to make room even when there seemingly is none

Numerous articles out there discuss whether you should set up your workspace in a separate room or integrate it, say, in a corner of your living-room. For many, the question answers itself because they simply have no spare room they can turn into an independent workshop. Some live in such restricted spaces they can´t even organize everything craft-related in one part of a room. Instead, they store it all under the bed or in a closet and, whenever they want to work, clear the dining table and gather it all up again at the end of their session.

Depending on your personality, the latter is a potentially frustrating solution. In my case, having to make a fuss over beginning a work session is a deterrant. I just want to get right down to the task. Also, clutter drives me bonkers and even affects my ability to concentrate. I am extremely lucky I was able to set up a workshop in the "maid´s room" of our house (posh - and some not so posh - families in Costa Rica often have live-in maids, who are lodged in ridiculously tiny rooms). It might even prevent relationship problems. My hubby doesn´t mind chaos and filth as much. If I did not have my own workshop, but kept my supplies in the main building, and found his dirty socks or empty soda bottles mingled amongst my equipment, trouble would be on.

My workbench. Materials and tools are kept in the removable drawers.

Hence, my advice is to assess how much isolation you need personally in order to be productive and enjoy your work. If you share your house with other people, no matter how close they are to you, ask yourself how to design your workspace in such a way that they will respect it. If you cannot physically remove yourself from the areas of common use, is there a way of practically setting your workspace apart within them? Can you get a desk and storage units exclusively reserved for your materials and tools? Maybe paint the walls a different color in "your" corner of the room or put up a paravent to add some visual definition?

If you find you can´t fit any more furniture into your home, think twice. You may need to declutter. It has happened to me a few times that I believed I lacked storage space and, after throwing out a bunch of things discovered that everything fit nicely in the availaible space. Sometimes, I even ended up with clear areas that hadn´t been there before. If you are not a natural at sorting stuff, I recommend you read "The life-changing magic of tidying up" by Marie Kondo. Don´t let yourself be put off by the high-flying title. Despite the author being an almost compulsive perfectionist, she offers down-to-earth and motivating tips. Even if you don´t have it in you to follow all of her instructions, just taking some of them to heart will already make a difference. Kondo´s book is a quick and useful read you will not regret. Her nuclear strategy is: first declutter, then organize. So far, every time I have proceeded this way, the results have been positively surprising.

Do read this book! And no, I am not receiving any money for suggesting it.

As for the creation of your workspace, go through the following questions, answering "yes" or "no" ("no" meaning you need to move on to the next one):

1) Do I have a separate room I can equip as my workshop?

2) Is there a part of a room I can set up as my workspace?

3) Can I create more space by decluttering and reorganizing my belongings?

Even if your answer to all three is "no", try number three anyways. It is almost certain you will achieve some improvement, and probabilities are high it will be enough to give you more freedom in the use of your home. Conditions for creative work may still not be perfect, but every attempt should be made to optimize them within the given circumstances.

I am very interested in hearing about how you have arranged, or plan to arrange, your workspace. Of course I am also happy to answer your questions and help solve any problems you might have. Just post your comments below.

Is empiricism (learning as you go) a viable path towards becoming an artist or artisan?

Well, first of all, I believe you should never stop learning anyways, no matter how accomplished you already are. But there is more to the question.

Especially for aspiring artists, hands-on practice is immensely important. When I graduated from high school and was expected to choose a field of study, I longingly glanced at performing and fine arts. Stacks of university pamphlets were accumulating in my room. Exciting degrees were beckoning, promising to open doors to a lifestyle I associated with happiness. Yet invariably, the details of the admissions process stopped me dead in my tracks. Along with your application, you needed to submit a competitive portfolio or prove you had substantial work experience. If you did both, better still. Not even twenty years old, and I had already missed the train. I patched together portfolios for film academies and failed, unsurprisingly. I imagined professors opening my portfolio, chuckling, and throwing it into the trash bin. Having "well-meaning" professionals tell me I was unfit for the field because I lacked vision and personality did the rest. Enrolling in a randomly picked humanities degree because that´s what you do when you run out of options, or when you can´t figure out what you want in the first place, seemed nonsensical.

So I became aimless. I moved half-way around the planet and, against all odds, chewed my way through to two degrees in classical piano, knowing full well I was neither good nor eager enough to stand my ground as a professional in that genre. However, those titles allowed me to earn a living as a music teacher. I was still thirsty for a different kind of existence, but at least I had evaded the horror-scenario of a meaningless nine-to-five job or plain unemployment.

Meanwhile, internet had become ubiquitous not only as a means of communication, but also as a platform for self-expression and self-marketing in all imaginable fields. It was more than a mere technical novelty - it also promoted cultural shifts. Suddenly, you didn´t need authoritative approval to make yourself heard or have your work published. Of course, a lot of charlatans felt encouraged by this circumstance, but it also provided all those with a fair shot who were the autodidactic, empirical type rather than the structured academic or seasoned business strategist. A fresh Zeitgeist and alternative approaches to life were being generated.

Personally, however, I was stuck in an outdated mindset. Dreams were a nice thing to have, I had been taught, but they were to remain dreams and the highest virtue was to live with a realistic and skeptical attitude. My family wouldn´t believe me if I told them I actually tried taking this lesson to heart, but that unfortunately, it was incompatible with my nature. I would have had to shatter myself to pieces to follow the norm, but then you don´t really get anywhere when you´re broken, do you?  

In my spare time, I had occasionally dabbled at making jewelry and sporadically indulged in DIY projects. Nonetheless, I was convinced my existence was doomed to remain unfulfilled. All things beautiful were out of reach. Remember, you need portfolios, and certified experience, a vision, personality... I just didn´t have the infamous "it" - the magical ingredient that makes you a star or an artist by birth. What a nasty echo to carry around in your head!

I wasn´t oblivious of the internet. In fact, I had been telecommuting as an author for learning software while I was studying music. But it wasn´t until I ran into someone who was using the new media and a whole lot of initiative to define themselves as an independent artist, when something finally clicked. She showed me her shop on Etsy. I was instantly hooked and, from there onwards, spent innumerable hours browsing the shops, marvelling at people´s creativity and artisan skill. There was no reason not to try.

Some sellers on Etsy clearly had years of thorough training under their buckle. Others displayed varying levels of technical accomplishment. I realized that, as long as you mastered the craft necessary to manufacture the specific item you had in mind and applied good taste and care during production, you could offer appealing, good quality products. If all you want to make is wire-wrapped earrings or knotted necklaces, why put the idea on hold until you have a degree in jewelry design - that is, potentially until never?    

The following year saw everything fall into place. My partner and I moved in together. Our new home had a tiny room that was too small for almost any use, but nicely accomodated a little workshop. I began experimenting with beads and textiles. The first outcomes were nowhere near fit for sale, but eventually I made pieces I liked and was comfortable showing to others. Not quite three months ago, I opened the CatYarnLoft on Etsy.

Does my shop sell a lot? Not yet. Will it make me rich? Nope. Is it revealing opportunities for learning and personal growth? Absolutely yes! Is it fun? Hell, yeah! Doing something you love brings you closer to yourself. It helps you appreciate your instincts and particularities. Each and every one of us is a unique, irrepeatable synthesis of elements - like a gemstone. It often seems as if only clear diamonds are valued, while diverging colors and inclusions are considered flaws. It´s a fallacy. You are at your most beautiful and most empowered when you appear as what you really are, not as a fake of something else. The phrase "show them what you are made of" is, in this sense, accurate advice.

I still mainly earn my living with jobs I hope to leave behind eventually. However, knowing that on the side I am exploring alternatives relieves much of the frustration caused by everyday routine. Happiness does not need to be postponed until a goal is reached. You can allow it to happen along the way. Nourish your skills and apply them as you advance. Let yourself grow. Behold what arises. Enjoy.



   

That´s me! The little guys in the basked are persian limes, freshly picked from our dear, generous tree.

This blog, most of all, is intended to be a journal about why I opened a shop on etsy (https://www.etsy.com/shop/Catyarnloft), how it forms part of a multifaceted attempt to build an independent and creative existence, what experiences I have made so far, which problems I am facing and how - or if - I manage to solve them. 

For some of you, my articles will provide pleasant entertainment. Others may value the information as practical help for their own projects, and yet others, who would like to express their ideas but haven´t yet dared to, I hope to inspire and encourage. 

Mind you, I am not an internet geek, business expert or a social media goddess. Probably, many also find me too old to be toying around with career experiments. Could I have gotten my sh... together at an earlier age? Ideally, yes! But the reality is that only today, hitting almost forty, am I finally able to let go of expectations, stop the unsatisfying attempts at fitting in and simply walk in the right direction, regardless of the results. Just because I have misused time in the past it doesn´t mean I should continue squandering it away in the future - and I believe this goes for everyone. 

Accordingly, I will not create a sugarcoated blog that makes my existence look like a lifestyle magazine or an interior design catalog. You won´t have to fear pictures of me doing yoga poses on a tropical beach or drawing perfect cocoa hearts on my husband´s cappucchino. I promise not to make you feel like garbage because the cookies I bake look prettier than yours. Instead, you will be getting the real failures, the actual, odd moves forward and, most importantly, the gist of the learning experience.

Thank you for being around!