Lettergirl: A to Z

A to Z.

My creative habit: One of my favorite creative habits is to "build a bridge" to the next day's work. I try to leave my work at a place where it will be easy to start the next time. Who wants to pick up a project and spend time right away thinking about what to do next? I like to ease into it. When I'm handsewing, I always end by threading a needle & knotting the thread, so that I'll be ready to start stitching right away. When I'm working on a scrapbook page, I might set out some photos but not glue them down.

For my A to Z book, I try to sketch the next letter's title block in pencil, and then lightly ink over it so that I can begin by erasing and adding colored pencil. This habit is like a warm-up for my mind and my hands, a chance to stretch without requiring a lot of mental effort from the get-go. The hard part is making yourself stop when you're in the middle of something good!

Oct 13, 2011 9:12:36 AM | A to Z, Scrapbooks

A to Z + new stamps in the shop.

My creative habit: Creative projects always seem to me like a balancing act between a rut and a groove. I hesitated with creating this A to Z project as more of a traditional scrapbook (with photos) or an all-out art journal with something different on every page. I found the balance by trying out several ideas and ultimately going with what felt right. (This looks like me.)

With my stitching projects of the last few years, I was starting to feel like I was in a rut, like my work was derivative of Alabama Chanin to the point that my own unique vision was getting buried. At the same time, I felt like I was in a groove, that hand-stitching was the perfect technique for me. Over the summer I tried a number of other techniques and in the end, I missed the hand-stitching. So here I am, diligently trying to make my hand-stitched pieces my own, trying to achieve a balance between a rut and a groove by staying true to myself.

Yesterday I added a few stamps to the shop, including two holiday favorites from last year:

Oct 12, 2011 9:48:35 AM | A to Z, E-love

A to Z.

My creative habit: list-making, note-writing, sketching. For this particular project, I carried a little tag book around with me (which was provided in the original Me: The Abridged Version class). You could make a pretty little something for your notes...but for me, that's not where I want to put my effort. I'm a bigger fan of writing on the back of old grocery lists or paper napkins. And I use Notes on my phone regularly. (Does anyone know a good app for taking notes?) Here's what I used for the A to Z book:

Oct 6, 2011 7:14:06 AM | A to Z, Scrapbooks

A to Z.

My creative habit: The very first thing I do whenever I have an idea for a new creative project is let it percolate. I know some people like to dig in right away; I like to think it over. How can I use this idea? What materials will I need? Would this idea work better as a skirt or a placemat? I love to ruminate on my ideas when I'm walking. Occasionally ideas will work their way into my subconcious and grow while I'm dreaming. (I'm not alone in that; does it ever happen to you?)

As you know if you're a regular reader of my blog, I am a protege in an art group right now, working with an experienced textile artist. I get together with the other proteges every couple of months to share our current work, our goals, our project ideas. Part of percolating for me can be sharing the idea with someone else. Or listening to what someone else is working on can give me a nudge to take my idea in a direction I hadn't considered.

I think my best work continues to percolate even after I've begun. My A to Z book is a perfect example of a project I wanted to try, thought about for awhile, jumped into, and then changed direction.

Oct 5, 2011 7:02:50 AM | A to Z, Scrapbooks

A to Z: Revisted.

Last fall I shared an A to Z project I had been working on -- based on Cathy Zielske's Me: The Abridged Version and Amy Krouse Rosenthal's Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life. (And yes, I know I have mentioned that book at least five times already.) This fall my goal is to finish that project, and to share the pages with you.

If you look back at last year's entries, you'll see I've completely reworked my concept. Although I loved the oversize photos in the last version, and the random nature of the content, I couldn't quite get past the feeling that the type was impersonal. I'm a hand letterer after all, and it just didn't look like me. I also found that some of my opinions had evolved or expanded since the year I'd written it, so I'd like a book that has a substantial start but leaves room for growth.

Then I started having second thoughts about even bothering with this project. (W is for Why???) And thinking that over (since I love thinking things over) helped me come up with a list of how I approach creative projects in general, my "creative habits." And that's a list I want to share too. So, I'm hoping you'll stay with me over the next month (or more) as I share my A to Z pages and the creative habits I rely on.