At first beads were my primary creativity conduit. All of my creativity practices revolved around beads. Looking back, I can remember how one tiny (by today’s standards) plastic box contained all my bead supplies.
Then I began to differentiate: seed beads, pearls, materials for bead embroidery, and special shapes for embellishments. There. Embellishments led me to explore hand-stitching, beading on items of clothing, handbags, and other delights.
Textiles called out my kinetic sense. Silk. Burlap. Linen. Heaven. A new world opened — the art of the flit — and I stepped boldly into the abyss. My creativity practices focused on variety.
Beginning the Art of the Flit
Beads, especially Africa trade beads continued to call out my soul. My experimentation let me enhanced my perspective of beads. From this new light I found ways to showcase colors, shapes, and selections I loved.
Explorations broadened my creativity with beads. Apoxie clay invited me to embed beads of all types and sizes. “Little Box Adventures Connect Hand to Heart.”
Resin called which led to more experiments. The results were so pleasing to my eye I upcycled old pins, buttons and jewelry of every type. I even embedded a butterfly. Read more here.
My infatuation with intricate layers of creations underscored several months of creativity practices. Layers contributed to many different gifts, several public offerings, and a new view of what I found interesting about creativity practices in general.
Continuing the Art of the Flit
Thanks to a beginning benchwork class, I had begun to use a torch. Further into my metalsmith work, I grew more comfortable with techniques I perceived as new. Again I probed the boundaries of my experiment as I flitted from project to project to discover what held my attention. Enamel headpins were one such diversion.
Through the generous coaching from a fellow metalworker, I learned about the delicious appeal of a copper headpin, ensconced with transparent color. A new dimension added exponential ideas to my creative endeavors. Enamel headpins added pzazz to wire wrapped charms and to other whimsical creations.
Several months down the creativity practices path manifested the expansion of the enamel experiment. Enamel earrings give a perfect pop of color to summer outfits. Zoom eye candy.
Evaluating the Art of the Flit
It’s enlightening to realize that the path has not been linear. My path has been up, back, around, down, and up again. Beads, chain, sewing, wire wrapping, beads again.
What a journey to catalog my creative path. It’s as if I’m a butterfly, flitting from flower to flower. Drop me a line. Tell me how your personal flitting has supported your creative endeavors?
