Sooner or later, every designer feels stuck or uninspired. For me, this always happens in January after a few intense months of design work during the busy holiday shopping season. After taking a break in late December, sometimes it's hard to get back into the swing of things.
Here are a few tricks that work for me:
- Save inspiring images on Pinterest or in an old-fashioned paper file folder. Don't limit yourself to jewelry images. Home decor catalogs, gardening magazines, or paintings at art museums can all give you ideas about color combinations, patterns, and mood. I love the indigo cover of the latest Pottery Barn catalog and can see designing a set of jewelry to match.
- Sketch. In the evening, I often sit with a notebook and sketch ideas for jewelry designs. There may or may not ever come to fruition, but I like the security of knowing that I have more designs that I could ever make just waiting for me.
- Create a "no brainer" project. For me, this means simple earrings, rings, pendants. A monochromatic color scheme, a simple technique or two, and a small scale means that you will be finished quickly. Sometimes just the act of accomplishing a small project will open up the gateway for larger, more complicated ones. The black and copper gear ring pictured here is an example of one of my simple designs.
- Take a class or read a technique book. A class in a new technique can help you take a new path with your jewelry. Even if you don't use the information right away, anything you've learned will be simmering on the back burner, ready for you to use at a later date. I received a couple of books for Christmas, including Cindy Wimmer's The Missing Link. I'm looking forward to diving in and learning more wire tricks this year.
- Do something different. Speaking of classes and how-to books, you don't need to stick to jewelry making. Any type of class—introductory French or auto mechanics—can wake up your brain and help you find new places for inspiration. Learning doesn't have to take place in a classroom. I saw a small Warhol exhibit at a local museum over the weekend and my head is now filled with pop culture images and bright colors.
- Get thee to a deadline. I use deadlines for magazine submissions, contests, and blog hops as a way to force me to create something. Otherwise, I can procrastinate forever. Right now I'm looking at this Downton Abbey and Vintaj contest sponsored by Bello Modo with a late January deadline. Doesn't it look like fun?
- Repurpose, reuse, reimagine. If I don't have a specific new idea in mind, I sometimes redo an old necklace or bracelet that never quite gelled. It's easier to rework a piece than to start completely from scratch. Jeannie hosts an annual Do Over Challenge where you can redo one of her old pieces. Sometimes it's easier to give new life to someone else's beads rather than your own. Speaking of which . . .
- Trade beads with a friend, join an online swap such as the annual Bead Soup Party hosted by Lori Anderson, or buy a mystery package of beads such as the Muse boxes from B'Sue Boutiques. It's easy to get into a rut when shopping, buying the same colors, shapes, and materials. Sometimes a new, unexpected material will wake up your creativity.
- Visit a new-to-you bead shop. I discovered a new bead shop in another nearby town late last year. The great thing about bead shops is that you can touch all the beads and have a much more accurate sense of color and size. Also, every bead shop is organized differently. Just seeing items juxtaposed together may inspire a new idea. And speaking of juxtaposition . . .
- Clean your work area. I'm always surprised at how inspiring this can be. I discover forgotten beads and materials and since they're jumbled up instead of neatly put away, it's easier for me to start seeing possible connections. I often want to make something immediately. Of course, the downside is that I never finish cleaning!
What tricks do you have for beginning again?