33 Complete

At the end of 2014, I was feeling drained creatively. 

I felt like I was pulling at strings and fishing for ideas, but I was coming up short handed. 

I was felt focused on the business aspect of the job, and less on the creative side. 

The thing is, the creative side makes the business side work. 

When I'm not coming up with new ideas or I don't feel inspired it's catastrophic in so many ways.

I tried taking breaks.

Getting fresh air.

Many, many things.

But none of it seemed to get me out of the rut I was in.

Towards the end of the year I was presented with an opportunity to join a lovely group of artists in making one earring a day.

The idea at first sounded preposterous.

How am I supposed to fit this in my already crazy busy schedule?

Why would I focus on "playing" when the work seemed to be suffering.

But as you can read when I started the project (here.), something deep inside me knew I needed this.

My creativity was being suffocated by the business, by the sales, by the demands, and to save it all I needed to save myself. 

So I gave in.

With no holding back I just created. 

I didn't worry about what others would think, what I would think, or if it would sell. 

I just made to make. 

And it felt so incredibly good. 

I don't know exactly when or how it happened, but along the way I fell in love with these sweet little buffalo. 

They became the staple of the work for the past month.

They inspired me. 

I loved their shape,

their form, 

and their versatility. 

I used them in so many, many ways.

They almost began a little life of their own.

Over the past few days, I've been thinking about what the next 11 months of this project will bring.

It's already brought me so much.

I can say without a doubt it has gotten me out of the rut that I was in.

But not just that.

It has given me 1,000s of ideas so far.

Some of them crazy.

Most of them won't work,

but some of them do.

And when they do, they are magical.

I want the next 11 months to be as great as the first. 

So I'm pushing myself. 

Further.

Beyond the buffalo.

I feel called to leave him behind for now. I'm sure he'll appear in works in the future as he gave me strength, I will never forget him.

But I feel called to try more.

So today, the first really February earring.

I bring to you, in true Pacific Northwest fashion.

The salmon.

He may not be a buffalo.

But he's the new buffalo.

May he  bring all of us love and happiness in February!

♥ Carin

____ 

P.S. The Earring a Day items from January have all been discounted! shop them here.