Lookie what I made when I was messing around! A little something for me.

Play is important. It's undervalued in our constantly hurried and stressed society. One of my personal and professional goals for 2013 is to set aside time to just play- in my studio and in life. For an artist, play is a vital part of the creative process. Experimenting with new techniques and long-stored away ideas can birth some pretty fantastic results, some of which are totally unexpected. The ring I made (pictured above) had been an idea in my head for months. I had purchased some really unusual double-drilled quartz points and each had been color-treated differently. The one above is a purpley-blue. I also have silver ones and black ones. They have so many design possibilities, and often were the times I sat just staring at one as I held it, wishing some killer idea would come, but nothing ever did. I did create a one-of-a-kind necklace with a few of them that was purchased by a belly dancer friend last year and it was pretty awesome, but since then the crystals have sat in their boxes languishing, waiting for me to figure out what the heck to do with them. 

Until this winter when I made good on my promise to play. I think just setting the intention to play loosed my creativity somewhat, because my ring idea for the crystal just popped into my head during my first scheduled session of unscheduled fun in the studio. I'm not saying it's a masterpiece, but it is the first fruit in a looooooong time of my new, more relaxed mindset regarding work and design time. These last two months, when I get into the studio, I've actually purposefully neglected my planned designs, specifically so I can just release expectation of an end result. It does pay off, because it freshens any existing ideas I may have, plus it makes me happier.

Okay- one crystal used, only 50 more to go! :)

Are you getting enough play in your life?