Finding your own voice, a journey of creative discovery
Being able to copy is one of the ways we learn in life, being original is another challenge altogether for the artist. Hasn't it all been done before? Is there anything left that I can do that is "mine"? This is where finding your own creative voice comes in. We are all individuals with a completely unique set of experiences, history, likes and dislikes, motivations, family, relationships, interests, skills and ideas. I believe every one of us is creative and our creativity is expressed in different ways.
Exploring how to celebrate and plug into our own uniqueness, (avoiding unhelpful comparisons with what we see others doing) and setting off on our own journey is an exciting prospect! What will we discover? Your creative journey is going to lead you somewhere no-one else can go, because they aren't you! In the classes I teach, I aim to help each person to explore their own ideas and to "play their way" to their creative style from a starting point of personal inspiration.
Peacocks are one of my personal favourites as a starting point. This hand made piece of glass was inspired by peacock feathers and the wonderful exuberant displays these amazing birds perform.
Last week whilst in Seville at the Real Alcazar Palace and gardens we witnessed a peacock strutting his flamenco stuff for nearly 20 minutes, the most incredibly beautiful shimmying and fanning of feathers in his courtship dance. The peahen was singularly unimpressed, but we think he had learned that his displays meant the potential of being fed by onlookers too. I guess sometimes you just have to strut your stuff even when no-one is looking!
And here is one of my finished glass and silver pendants, cut from my peacock inspired hand-made fused glass and set in a hand made silver setting on a sterling wire choker. A contemporary interpretation of my own creative journey from my place of personal inspiration. So what will your starting point be? And where will your journey lead you? I am looking forward to this weekend's Advanced Fused Glass Jewellery Course at Rainbow Glass Studios where we will be starting some new creative journeys together.. watch this space....more will be revealed!
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