Taming the Tangle

For the love of earrings!

Lark Books put out a new book -- A Bounty of Bead + Wire Earrings -- compiling several bead and wire earring projects under one cover. It's fun to see the different styles and approaches that each creator has to wire. There are 50 earring projects, all with instructions and photos. This book makes a great gift if you don't know someone's design style... with so many artists, they will be sure to find projects they love.

Most of the projects are great for beginners or anyone who wants help with design ideas. You can personalize any of the projects just by using different beads and colors. One of my earring designs from "Elegant Wire Jewelry" (Dancing Branches) is included. To see other books where my work is featured, check out the Press :: Books section of my website. Happy making!

The books are back in stock!

This year I'm tackling a new system of organization, which is somewhat similar to one of last year's resolutions. I loved my paper tracking system of to-dos and such, yet there's an appealing aspect to going digital. More about that in a later post (especially since they might co-exist).... that's just a little lead in to explain why I was out of stock of "Elegant Wire Jewelry" for so long. Simply, I kept forgetting to order them!

I had jotted that reminder down onto a scrap of paper during a show when I sold the last copy. That paper then got mixed in with receipts, business cards and other post-show scrapple. It did not get thrown away, yet I've never had a place to put all those notes or transfer what's written on them. Then, maybe a week before my next show, I would think -- oh no! I need more books! -- yet there wouldn't be time to have them shipped and I would then shove the thought to procrastination land.

This photo is actual proof that my books are back in stock! You can order them from me in my Etsy shop where I will send you a signed hardback copy. If you would rather have a paperback (unsigned) copy, you can purchase those elsewhere online since I don't carry those at the moment.

Hopefully I will have books with me at my next round of shows... can't say for certain since I'll actually be flying (gasp!) so will have to gauge it based on weight, so order now while I'm in town and ready to ship to you! Winter is my favorite crafty time of year... it's a great time to hibernate inside.

If you already have my book, it would be GREAT if you would review it online (either at Amazon or Barnes and Noble), it really makes a difference to people who don't know me or my work. And, if you aren't happy with the book, drop me a line and let me know why. I've started to get requests for a more advanced book but haven't quite wrapped my head around what types of projects would call out to people and how I could present them in a way that appeals to you. All feedback is appreciated.

How do you nourish your inner child?

The concept of "inner child" has been coming up for me a lot lately... it's addressed often in the book "The Artist's Way," a program I'm following as best I can to get creatively unblocked. The term also came up in a yoga class I went to yesterday where we hugged blanket rolls in place of our inner child.

As someone who was very adult-like at an early age (latch key kid at 7 with a full set of chores and dinner to put on the table every night), and as someone who always wanted to just be an adult already, I feel I lost touch with child-like things before I really had a grip on them. There are several things that I have a child-like enthusiasm for: rollercoasters, popcorn, and peanut butter to name a few, and indulging in these things does make me feel younger and more carefree. On a rare occassion I'll even have a "do nothing" day, yet when was the last time I watched Saturday morning cartoons or didn't feel guilty about one of these indulgences?

My new approach to feeding my inner child is doing anything that makes me feel free (and guilt free, too, if possible)... like dancing, singing out loud to the radio even though I have a terrible singing voice, wearing silly cotton panties, putting my hair in pigtails, or making a new outfit or piece of clothing. I recently got a bike -- don't get me wrong, I've had bikes as an adult -- yet there's something about a new bike that makes me feel giddy and kid-like again. I'm mostly using it for errands to help cut down on gas usage and to start getting back into shape (not very child-like conscientiousness), yet I'm truly enjoying myself (okay, the last uphill home does take a lot out of me) and my inner child says "wheeee!" every time I let loose and coast down a hill.

Some people I know buy fun socks to treat their inner child. Or collect rocks, bones, and interesting found objects. The best part is that there are no rules. You and your inner child can have fun secrets which means hopefully it will come out and express itself more in wonderful creative ways. For me I'm coddling mine and working on being less self-conscious... hopefully she'll come out to play some day so we can make big fun sculptures and crazy conceptual jewelry together with no concerns about what's right or wrong... it'll all just be in the doing and freedom of creating.

It's all in how you look at it

Often I listen to audiobooks to keep me motivated during long stretches of production as I've been doing this week to fill orders for stores as well as to build inventory for the upcoming 4th Avenue Spring Street Fair in Tucson, Arizona April 1-3. I've just finished "A Town Like Alice" by Nevil Shute, and it is my very favorite type of book in that it has adventure, takes place in another country, and it has a strong female character.

Suspended Pearl Earrings, photo by Grant Boyle, ©2011 Kathy Frey
Yesterday I made 26 pairs of these earrings, and the time flew by since I was listening to an audiobook

At its very core, this book is so inspiring to me as a woman business owner. The woman in the book is amazing, and business comes rather naturally to her. There are facets to her character that are incredible as well since she endured many hardships as a prisoner of war, yet she didn't dwell on the hardships or bury them to be ignored. It seems she learned from them many lessons about taking things day by day, patience, endurance, strength of character and leadership.

We all have things in our lives that can be viewed in different ways. They can be heavy if we dwell on them, or we can focus on the lessons learned even when there's nothing positive about an experience itself. This makes a personal burden lighter and allows us to proceed with our lives and the making of art in a more open manner.

This year I've been processing a lot of information about the relationship with my mother as she has been officially diagnosed with alzheimer's disease at a young age. Over the years we've had many hardships and our relationship has been a roller coaster of highs and lows, yet I've always loved my mother because I know that without her I wouldn't be who I am today. We are such different people with different taste -- there are similarities, of course, especially when it comes to our sense of humor -- yet I can't deny that somehow both my brother and I run our own businesses, have thoroughly distinct visions about design, and both enjoy art and writing.... none of those things specifically learned from our mother.

Satellite Lariat, photo by Grant Boyle, ©2011 Kathy Frey
Today I set up 16 chains for necklaces to be completed tomorrow... I better find a new audiobook quickly!

Someone told me, when thinking about my mom and the journey we are on now, to focus on her trait I most admire. The word "independence" popped into my head immediately, and that makes me feel very positive about her. It made me feel proud to have learned that from her. It's also been a good guiding word for figuring out next steps for her.

That's also probably most why I love "A Town Like Alice." Jean, the woman in the story, is truly independent throughout her life in its ups and downs. Independence doesn't mean she's alone. She carries her strength of character from youth throughout her life with friends and romance, family and business. Check it out for an inspiring read, and let me know of any books of its ilk that you would recommend as I'm now in need of a new listen!

Get techie with it

The past week has been a very techie one for me. One of my big February goals is to set up a new mailing list database. In trying to download a free trial of Bento, suggested by art biz coach Alyson Stanfield, I found that I needed to update my computer system for it to be compatible. After updating my system I realized I could finally consolidate my old external drives onto my new external backup drive. Now I'm back to square one (albeit a little zippier and less cluttered) where I can finally get around to downloading a free trial of Bento to see if it will fit my needs.

Earler in the week I also spent a huge chunk of time (as in 2 full days) working on updates for my website. I had let some areas of my website slide for a while, so this was a major organizational undertaking. It's all good, though, because I have new goal and checklist systems in place so a major back slide won't happen again. Yet it all made me wonder... does anyone care? do people look at these pages on my website?

Well, here's an interesting post I found on Crafting an MBA, a great resource for looking at your art or craft as a business. Megan Auman of Smaller Box wrote a guest post about Google Analytics and your online shop... she's a bit of an expert seeing that she's written an  e-book about it all. Reading that will have to be one of my spring goals maybe for April. I hate to put it off, but after a full week of being techie it's definitely time for me to get my hands in action on some new jewelry designs!

I have several Riverstone Bangles in process on my bench right now for my newest store, the Bellevue Arts Museum gift shop in Bellevue, Washington as well as some unfinished new designs; shown above: Riverstone Bangles, photo by Linda Savitz, © 2011 Kathy Frey

Jewelry Design Challenge

Have you seen the new book "Jewelry Design Challenge" by Lark Jewelry?

It's one of my new favorite books, and not just because I'm in it. What was the challenge? Lark editor Linda Kopp assembled a kit of 9 items, including low-cost items like copper sheet and washers, and sent an identical kit to each of 30 artists. Each artist was allowed 1 wild card item if they so desired to finish their design. Otherwise there were no rules! The designers did not have to use all of the items, and there was no restriction on design or tool use. It is incredible to flip through the book to see how many different projects the artists came up with; it's downright inspiring.

The added bonus is that once the projects came in, Linda asked us all an interview question about the process. There's a lot to be learned about creativity and inspiration just by reading the book. It's also fun to read the how-to project instructions written in each artist's own words. I think this book is as fun as any class, and a whole lot cheaper at $21.95. Some artists created work in their signature style while others broke out of their stylistic design box (I consider myself in that camp... here's a glimpse of my page):

If you are interested in a copy of this book for yourself or for your favorite jewelry-making friend, you can order a copy in my etsy shop while supplies last (I just bought a few to share). You can also find it at Barnes & Noble or other online book sources. Enjoy! Let me know if you try any of the projects... I might try some of the techniques, especially the designs that use mesh screen since I've always wanted to tackle that material.

Love at first blog: Cynthia Morris

As I've mentioned a couple of times lately, I just started a Blog Triage class with Alyson Stanfield and Cynthia Morris. Alyson is an art consultant who I've seen in person, and I'm a huge fan of her book "I'd Rather be in the Studio," which I've recommended to many, many artists. I found out about the class from one of Alyson's newsletters, and it finally hit me as "hey! I think that class is for me!"

On the other hand, Cynthia is new to me. I hear her voice on the class audio files, but I figured I should also study up a bit. In just an hour this morning, I feel in love with her blog. It's great for jump starting any artistic endeavor, and she focuses a lot on boosting your writing. Her blog feels personal, and it's filled with all sorts of tips. So far I've learned about how to sleep better (or get over jet lag) and how to manage social media time. Check out her Original Impulse blog and let me know if you too are fast becoming a fan.

More on Thomas Moore + having a thick skin

I am familiarizing myself with Thomas Moore -- I haven't read any of his books yet but am open to recommendations if you have. As a first effort, I wandered over to his website and started poking around at his blog posts. "Molding the Raw Material of the Soul" on the Huffington Post caught my attention. Particularly I like the section where he says everyone needs counseling, and a certain amount of counseling is needed for every job.

This is bemusing to me, especially when at art shows there are always a certain number of people who say to me that they want to do art shows too. I always offer them counseling. Not that I'm trained, but I have a bit of experience. I'm not a negative person, either, so it's not that I want to scare them off. It's just that I have a certain number of friends who do shows who get seriously hurt when sales don't happen or people just walk by their booth. All jobs take a certain amount of thick skin, and as an independent artist you have to think about all the jobs you have -- artist, bookkeeper, shipping & distributing, retail sales, wholesale sales, online sales, blogger, driver, greeter, decorator, etc. etc. -- and wonder if your skin is thick enough for not one but all of those jobs.

Then on top of it all, to adopt a bit of Moore's mindset, you then have to wonder if all of this -- this huge lifestyle choice -- is what will actually feed your soul. It can be truly gratifying. Most days my soul wins out over my mind. Then some days I forget to listen to my soul until it's too late. It's all an interesting learning experience.

If you haven't clicked over to Moore's blog post yet, he also has some great things to say about aging. He looks at life as a learning experience, as a maturing process... and how that just deepens life as you get older because you are building a foundation for yourself. I've always liked this vision of a strong solid base, and it's one that I've used for myself over the past few years when life felt rocky yet I realized I was learning and adding to my foundation, which felt much more comforting.

The jewelry "experience"

While in Hannibal, Missouri last week decompressing from the Kansas City Plaza Art Fair preparing for my drive home, I got to know photographer Michael Cole more. He shared a copy of "The Sun" magazine with me, an issue from June 2001. I've only read one thing from it so far, an interview with Thomas Moore. This is my first exposure to Moore, and now I'm intrigued to read some of his books. Have you read any of them? Please share your thoughts and recommendations!

In the interview, one of the things that struck me was his ideas on commodity and consumerism (and, of course, how all of this ties into sexuality of a person and society... but more on that later). Moore addresses the ideas of poet Rainer Maria Rilke, who says that the things of the world have souls and want us to notice them. He continues and says that actually they need us to see them, and this turns into a discussion of art and how art and artists can show us different aspects of the world in ways that we aren't able to see it.

Yet I like the idea that it's a two way street. The "things" need us, too, otherwise they wouldn't exist or there would be no reason for their existence. This struck a chord in me, especially when thinking about art... a lot of times defined as something that's not "needed" but "wanted." I disagree with that thinking, although we all know that a body cannot live on art alone... but art feeds the soul in often unknown ways.

Taking all of the swirling thoughts in my head down to a concrete point boiled down to the idea of how to get this message across at an art fair or a gallery. With jewelry, most jewelers display their work in cases. This makes the jewelry an object to be observed. Most of us jewelers know that if anyone looks, it's important to get the jewelry out of the case as quickly as possible to engage the sense of touch... yet to truly experience the jewelry is to wear it, and it can be a tough leap to get someone to engage at that level.

This is also true for 2D or 3D art... people like to observe it and in a sense they can experience it on display, yet the real experience is when the art comes into that person's existence and environment. This creates a level of intimacy and dialogue where the piece has a chance to come alive and develop it's own soul by leaving its creator and starting it's own life, much as we often do as children. Maybe we shouldn't be thinking of selling our work but rather finding adoptive parents who will care for the work and get it out into the world where it can stretch its wings and fly.

Do you groan when you have to write an artist statement?

I know I do. Luckily I've learned from Alyson Stanfield that it's very different from a bio, which also makes it harder. How do we put into words what we feel about our own art and the act of creation? Her book "I'd Rather Be in the Studio" has some great exercises. Did I use those now? Well, not right at this second when I wrote something in the midst of loading the car when I reviewed the Belleville Art on the Square show info saying I need to post one... but I've done the exercises before and really love them.

Here's what I penned... for me it's oddly brief, being appropriately named "Kathy," I tend to prattle on a bit. The brevity is good in that anyone can read it quickly in my booth (I also printed it in a large font), and it could start a conversation because I don't tell everything. It also works pretty well with my bio, which mentions how long I've worked with wire, that I've studied design, etc. etc. I'm not sure if it's "okay" to address the reader, yet I tend to like a conversational writing style... do you have any input on this?

Kathy Frey artist statement

You know that point after taking a huge lung-full of air and you let it out... ahhhh, you have an empty mind and a brief glimmer of total relaxation. That’s the point where most of my work is made. One thing I’ve learned working with wire is that it reflects your mood, and it also has a mind of its own. As I’ve learned to tame the tangle, I continually challenge myself to find movement, balance, delicacy, femininity, contrast — any number of abstract design themes — in this industrial medium that speaks to me of endless possibilities. The act of creating pieces is almost more fulfilling to me than the final piece itself. Yet I hope you can find and feel all the joy, love, and serenity that went into the jewelry while you are wearing it.