Welcome!

Thanks for visiting my blog. Take a look around and I hope you enjoy and feel free to contact me!

Sunday 19 July 2009

Getting Crafty.






So, as the summer progresses on, I still find that I am without a job and without inspiration. It's not that I haven't tried for a job, just where I live there aren't any. Unless I fancy driving and hour away, which isn't feasible as I am minus a car.
So in an effort to try and solve my brain turning into sludge, I've been occupying my time with getting crafty. So far the results have been fruitful, and oddly enough, not very "illustration" based.
Sometimes  I reckon that I might be doing the wrong degree. Although I love illustration, I love to draw and animate, I get more satisfaction from producing textile based work. Whether this is because it is a hobby and so a source of escapism, therefore it brings me more pleasure could be why I find it more stimulating.
Who knows. At current, my illustration work is beginning to suffer. My sketchbook sits aimlessly beside me the majority of the time. It is filled with ideas and thumbnails of drawings of things I want to complete and do. None of which I have begun to even embark upon. I can't find the motivation nor the inclination to sit and work.
Maybe I have burned out? Never.
I think Living at home stifles my creativity. I find it impossible to work here. For starters my desk is of such a shallow dimension, it impossible to fit anything but the Macbook on it. Besides from that, where I live is far from the land of visual enquiry I wish it to be. Although Loughborough isn't much better, somehow I'm more inspired. Maybe its the people I mix with they are a constant resource where I can discuss refine my work with.
At home there is nothing like this. In between running my parents to the shops and back again, I look out the window and the creativity as blank as the piece of paper infront of me. Nothing is coming out.
When I get into blocks like this, I find it overwhelmingly infuriating as well as terrifying. My work means too much to me, so when it starts to suffer it begins to really get me down, and no one here seems to understand that.
I am a very driven individual and highly efficient. Its a well known fact. So being out of routine and inspiration is extremely counter productive.
Maybe the Ear infection i am currently enduring isn't benefiting or helping me either.
ANYWAYS.
Back to the craft. Check out the dresses I made plus other paraphernalia. 
Next time I blog I promise not to winge. AND sorry for bad photo quality. i think it is about time I invest in one that actually performs better than this excuse for one.

3 comments:

i am mark said...

Why not try mixing the crafty stuff with the illustration stuff??

Some interesting contemporary designers / illustrators fusing 'craft' and illustration:

http://www.jennyhart.net/images.html

http://www.carolinehwang.net/index.php?/salvaged/

http://www.ayakakeda.com/

http://www.carolinamelis.com/site/illustration/

http://www.fette-gallery.com/artists/sandrine_pelletier.php

There is also a wealth of feminist discourse around craft and domesticity that you could get your teeth in to!

You could also follow and contribute to:

http://i-am-visualjournal.blogspot.com/

and for some little projects:

http://www.learningtoloveyoumore.com

Most of all, don't be too hard on yourself, sometimes creativity is just like the waxing and waning of the moon.

Coop said...

Thanks for the links.

I just think got a little low yesterday. And the whole idea of the feminine discourse to do with craft is something I have always found extremely interesting, I'm doing my dissertation on it.

I used to really love the callaboration of craft and illustration, and was the way i used to produce alot of my work. Except I got the wind taken out of my sails with it last year at uni.
Maybe I should return to this again.

Thansk for the support, I'll upload my latest creations soon!

Coop said...

Also Sandrine Pelletier is an idol of mine.