Time Flies

 Where does the time go?  Already May 2025.  OK, let's catch up.

In the past two months I have created several new designs and sold them nearly as fast as I can list them in my Etsy shop.  I'll include them below.  Several are still available.

I started advertising through Etsy as well, in mid April, and it is proving to be a game changer!  They really get your items out there and affordably too, especially if you have a full shop. (This is not a paid endorsement either!)

Sterling silver prices nearly doubled right after I began integrating it into my work, go figure.  I will continue as long as I can afford it but in smaller offerings, meaning fewer listings. 

Meanwhile as the world is in chaos all around us, keep the faith and keep creating!

Click the "shop Now" button to go to my Etsy shop.
Thank you for following along my Creative Journey! 

Re-Create Yourself - Change It Up

 Recently I was in a creative funk.  Sales were down and so was my morale.  I had a choice;  give up or change it up.

Another creative friend of mine recommended a movie that I hadn't seen, it came out in 2019 I think, and I'm surprised this got past me.  Where'd You Go Bernadette?  The humorous and enlightening story of a highly creative woman who hadn't been creating and was slowly driving herself mad.  Hmm, any correlations I wondered??  

This got me to thinking about my own creative journey, of course, and it wasn't hard to understand the message that we Must create if we are creative people, driven by design, vision, innovation.  Whatever the medium is (and you may have several like I do), it's just part of our DNA, our soul, our reason for existence.  

You may be thinking my next paragraph would involve a fairy tale account of selling my home and moving to Italy (not that it hasn't occurred to me) but it was much more down to earth than that.  After a few days of self reflection (and my 67th birthday!) I decided to just change the direction of my jewelry medium.  While I Love the art and craft of foldform, it has lost it's appeal, or gone out of fashion, at least for now.  Oh I will still make and use this method, but my first directional shift is to use what I have all around me.

I live in the Olympic Mountains of the Pacific Northwest, home to rich natural resources, beautiful scenery, lush rain forests and more rivers, lakes and wild coastline than you have time to visit.  I thought, why not focus on this as my theme?
 
My new work will reflect the diversity of environments here; fish, birds, trees, mountains, etc.  While I do plan to design and manufacture my own charms and supplies within this theme at some point, I do have access to a plethora of supplies that will get me through.  

All of the adorable wildlife creatures are available in charms and pendants, PNW themed jewelry will be my goal.  I can still create with metal around this theme.

My new business name is now Olympic Jewelry Studio (formerly J Gray Design).  You'll see this in my Etsy shop and on Instagram.  

I feel good about this direction.  It feels right.

I highly encourage you to examine your lows and see where you need a change before you give up.

As always, thank you for reading this blog.

 

Seasons of Creativity

 I created a ton of work in the early Spring and made all my deadlines for venues, let it go and put it all on autopilot, leaving the sales and marketing to the experts.

I focused my creativity on my house and yard for the Summer and found it refreshing and invigorating.  It allowed me a different way to express myself using my left brain for construction and repairs, while still using my right brain for the design aspects.

This experience was the perfect balance to my in-studio detail work, almost the complete opposite kind of creativity, working outdoors and physically moving about.  I really enjoyed this and toyed with the idea of quitting the jewelry business all together.  

Later I saw the big picture of creative expression.  Those with many interests (like myself) need to express and experience different things, trying our hand (and stretching our minds) on new projects.  Gardening can be very meditative and exhilarating at the same time.  Building and repairing can use a part of our brain that figures things out, using new tools and testing our dexterity and patience. 

The point being that perhaps different mediums have their season.  Why not, everything else does.  Look at the earth and Mother Nature, nothing is stagnant, it's always moving, changing, renewing. 
This insight has lead me to the conclusion that perhaps nothing really has to end, just change. 
It's also helped me to lighten up and not take things so seriously, it's only art, a means of expressing ourselves.  Having said that however, I would also add that we can't really live without it either, making it or looking at it.  We all need to experience art.

But I digress, I am not a writer, I am a creator of things mostly, so forgive me for rambling.  My hope is to bring other artists some insight into their own process by sharing mine.  Perhaps you are facing similar challenges, asking yourself questions about your own endeavors.  I suggest we relax, calm down, don't take it too seriously and just enjoy the journey.

When I did this I found that as summer wound down I started thinking about the studio again.  Much to my surprise I had some new design ideas flow through me, huh, well that was interesting.  Perhaps all I really needed was a little break from the studio work, some diversity to shake things up, or calm things down, what ever is needed. 

So I for one, will be looking farther ahead from now on, into the next season, the next year, but also staying in the moment of inspiration. 

Happy Creating!

Remembering Magic

 On this Winter Solstice Eve I am inspired to remember the magic of creativity;  why I started, why I do it, and what it means to me.  What it means to create, to share, to inspire others.

Last week I was listening to Elizabeth Gilbert's audio book Big Magic, for probably the fifth time.  There are so many nuggets of wisdom for creatives in that book, not to mention stories!  She's a great story teller and it is even more enjoyable to hear it in her own voice.

I wrote down something she said and it keeps coming back to me.  Creative Entitlement.  Think about that.  A right to create.  No matter who you are, where you're from, or what your beliefs are.  OK, maybe not in all countries, but most places you could claim that statement. 
This concept leads to unlimited possibilities doesn't it?  Imagine giving yourself permission to create anything you want.  

The Winter Solstice is my favorite holiday because it represents the Return of the Light.  Celebrated for centuries as a rebirth, renewal, new beginning.  That's magical right?  A chance to recreate yourself every year, start a new project, new life, new cycle.  Creative Entitlement!
I think of it as my new year, a time to reflect on the past year and look to the next year.  Give thanks for what was and move on, looking forward to what will come and set a few new intentions, easy, attainable ones. 

I am also extremely grateful for my fellow creatives, blog readers, and Facebook group members.  It has been such a joy to interact with all of you this year!  A special thanks to all of my Featured Artists too, what a gift you've given, to share your own creative entitlement with others.

Happy Solstice Creatives!  Keep creating magic!

Filter Opinions About Your Work

 Beware the unsolicited opinion of your creative endeavors, but more importantly, don't ask people what they think.  The wrong people anyway, and that would be anyone who doesn't completely understand your medium from direct experience.

If you're in a classroom experience that would be different, it's the job of the teacher to critique and help you learn more about your chosen medium, as long as it's constructive and helpful.
I'm old enough to have had many classroom experiences, not all of them good however.  Teachers are just people too, so choose them wisely.

When I'm working on a piece I try not to open my energy to someone else's ideas unless I'm really stuck.  But even then I move forward with what I think it needs or where the inspiration leads me. 
I don't create to sell specifically, and I don't always stick to a style.  I'm a bit of a rebel when it comes to my creativity and I'm going to do what pleases me - even if it doesn't sell.  That's the hard truth that can come long after you've toiled and churned out piece after piece.

I kind of gave up black and white fine art photography for that very reason.  It sort of fell out of popularity for a long time and meanwhile a lot of really good photographers came along and made stunning images, making my simple images look, well, simple.

The important thing to remember about creativity, about any medium when finished, is that it is all art, and art is subjective, always.  That's the freedom and the challenge.
The best news however is that there is no end to what you can create!

Featured Artist for February 2021

 I am so excited to be offering monthly Featured Artist spots!  I'm going to dive right in with our first guest.

Debbie Tracey Art

"Aquatic Journey" by Debbie Tracey

Debbie Tracey, of Debbie Tracey Art, is a Puget Sound artist, in Washington State.  I first met Debbie at The Artists' Gallery in Olympia a little over a year ago.  I wanted to see what was happening with art in Olympia and stopped in to check out this fabulous gallery.

Debbie greeted me with enthusiasm, we hit if off immediately on the art vibe.  She showed me around the gallery and presented her work as well, vibrant, colorful, bursts of artistic expression!  I was so impressed that I brought my brother back a few weeks later.

Debbie has graciously answered a few questions for our readers and included some of her latest work which can be found at the links below.  Please look for her work and follow her on Facebook and Instagram.  I know you will love it!

Here is our questionnaire and Debbie's profile photo:

What is your medium?  Acrylic

What attracted you to this medium?  I was attracted to acrylic because of the vibrant colors

How long have you been doing it? I have been working with acrylics for almost 10 years.

What do you love about it?  What are the challenges?  I love the bold colors. I also mix this with a medium so I am working with a wet canvas. The challenge is moving colors to create each painting.

Do you plan to expand on this medium?  Or change mediums?  And why? I don’t plan to change mediums.

Tell us about your studio space, or whatever area you create in. My studio is located on the Puget Sound. It’s a small space but it works for me. I have a great view!

Favorite tools / Supplies / equipment? My main tools are pallet knives. I also use a catalyst to create some texture.

Do you enter shows?  Contests?  Have you won awards? I enter shows all the time. Most of them are from CAFÉ.

Are you actively selling your work?  If so, please tell us the types of locations you’re in or like the best – including online.  I sell online and also at galleries. I will be showing my work for 2 months in Cliff Creek  winery in Oregon in April and May.

Any advice for artists getting into your medium?  I am constantly learning. Because my work is fluid, its all about experimenting and recreating techniques that work.

Work can be purchased on her website www.debbietracey.com, Art At The Cave in Vancouver, Phoenix Rising Art Gallery in Vancouver, The Artists’ Gallery in Olympia, Mosaic Arts Alliance online, and Society of Washington Artists online.

Facebook is Debbie Tracey Art, Instagram DebbieTraceyArt, Xanadu Art Catalog online.

"Gratitude" by Debbie Tracey

 

"Hidden Beauty" by Debbie Tracey

"Memories of Sedona" by Debbie Tracey

Here is Debbie's Bio:

Debbie Tracey is an independent artist working with acrylic paint and mediums. Having grown up on
Kauai, she pulls many of her ideas from experiences and beauty of the islands. Debbie graduated from
Pacific University in Oregon with a degree in Fine Arts, adding a Master’s Degree in Education. She
taught for 30 years and art was one of the topics she loved to share with her students.
Her studio is on the Puget Sound in Olympia, Washington, Tracey finds inspiration in her
island upbringing. The vibrancy of island life works its way into each of her abstracts. “My joy comes
from bold color!” Tracey explains. “I also love the fluid movement of my work, which becomes a ‘dance’
with my creative soul.” This fluidity comes from her loose painting process, which involves pouring
paint onto the canvas, moving and sculpting it with a pallet knife, and adding layers. Her combined use
of color and texture creates a unique flow that evokes the natural beauty of Kauai. While she doesn’t
always start with a particular subject in mind, many of Tracey’s paintings morph into abstract depictions
of nature. “Each painting is an experiment with color and movement, which creates a unique and
dynamic piece,” she says. “I usually start with choosing colors and go from there, mixing and moving
them around the canvas. I work with my canvas laying flat on a table so I can view it from many angles.
The painting evolves with new colors or layers added to the canvas.” Some of Tracey’s major artistic
influences include Bette Ridgway and Caliche and Pao. She notes that “their color pallets greatly
influenced my choices of color. Bright, wild, and exciting!” Viewers and collectors often comment that
Tracey’s lively abstracts bring a smile to their face and joy to their home.
Many have felt refreshed by the presence of island life and warmth in her paintings. Tracey is a member
of The Artists’ Gallery in Olympia and shows her work at The Artists’ Gallery in Olympia, WA, Museum
Contempo in Shelton, WA, Art At TheCave in Vancouver, Wa , Phoenix Rising Art Gallery in Vancouver,
WA, The Valley Athletic Club in Tumwater, Wa, Mosaic Arts Alliance in Vancouver, WA, Society of
Washington Artists in Vancouver, WA, Xanadu Catalog in Scottsdale, AZ, and
Perks Of Art in Hillsboro, OR. Her work is available to see on her website debbietracey.com.

 

**All Images property of Debbie Tracy, Copyright Debbie Tracy Art, All rights reserved. **

Creativity Therapy Part 1

Introduction:  My Story

In reading articles and watching leading videos on self improvement I have gained priceless tools for working through my own challenges.

They all say "find the thing that is uniquely you and do that", or "follow your dream".  

Recently I enjoyed Anita Moorjani's video about who we would be if no one was watching.  This lead me into deep reflection of my life, emerging with a sense of gratitude that I am indeed being authentically me, without apology.

I believe this is where we have to start, by first finding ourselves, claiming it and then expressing it.  A tall order for most of us.

For me, creativity in general has been the therapeutic vehicle through anything challenging in my life.  When I am creating, I am not "thinking" about anything else because I'm in a zone, which is much deeper than a thought process.  If I do get stuck on something I stop, meditate, do nothing or just do something mindless until it eventually comes to me what to do next.

When I'm working on a project it is like therapy, taking my mind off any challenges I may be facing.

Resilience plays a huge roll too.  I think I am by nature, resilient.  Perhaps from a lifetime of uncontrollable circumstances.  However I got that way I'm grateful, because this is therapeutic in itself.  It's the way "through" anything.  To let go of the unknown, breathe and just allow things to unfold, is a gift.  Perhaps it's like faith.

So what I want to do in this little three part mini blog series, is to explore creativity as therapy.  To ask ourselves some honest questions about who we are now and who we really want to be.  

To find our own unique calling means to open up and let go of who we (or someone else) thought we should be, at any age.  To let go of the judgement and shame that may have been within us for a lifetime.

Some of this wisdom has come to me through reading and watching Brendon Burchard's material.  He puts such an authentic and meaningful spin on rediscovering ourselves.  My breakthrough was to fully embrace myself as a creative being.

I believe that any creative endeavor can help us through challenges and I hope you'll tune in for part 2 and 3, Finding Ourselves and applying The Therapy.

Celebrating Your Creativity

I usually wake up on the left side of my brain, what do I have to do today, what needs to get done.

Once that's established I start thinking on the right side of my brain, what can I create today.

I usually have to go to work out in the world for a couple hours but once back home I feed my brain (eat healthy food) and get on with creative projects.

We are multidimensional beings, we're not stagnant, linear drones.  We need variety, creativity, successful endeavors.  It's what fills us up, soothes our soul.

I encourage you to celebrate yourself, your creativity and your accomplishments.  You're not done yet, you still have great things to accomplish!  

So get out there and do it!