ADD

Attention Deficit Disorder. I think I have it with my work sometimes. When I am doing a show I love to find some time to walk around and take in some of the work. When you pass some booths, an artist's "look" is crystal clear. The form, the palette, the patterns....they have a consistency that speaks of that artist's voice.

And then I go back to my booth.

I have tried to have some discipline. Yet I feel like that overstuffed purse. Things spilling out all over the place. Over here we have vessels. Then there is the jewelry and it's myriad designs.... Fish, pods, abstract, floral, silver...Oh, and don't forget the cranes. There are so many other ideas I have played with that make guest appearances.....testing the water. Should I stifle this? Or keep it in my studio, not to see the light of day?
Part of it is the media. Polymer clay is just so versatile. There is an endless array of things that can be done with it. And there are few that I don't play with. I love to try and stretch the limits. What else can I do?
It would be "neater" if I was to focus. Go with one thing and really work on that. Be known for a look. But I don't know if I can do that. I also find that what I learn doing one thing, feeds another,.....and another....and another. I have this endless stream of ideas at times that I want to explore.
I sometimes wish I could get inside the head of those more focused artists and see how they process the world differently. Do they edit more? Did they get a great idea and go with that. Focusing their creative energies on exploring that in greater depth? Changing only one variable. Refining. What am I missing by my approach? Or am I missing something?
As much as I spend time worrying about this, to try and change would be to try and be someone else. Someone who thinks and reacts differently. Ideas are forever bubbling up. I need to chase some of those ideas. Play around with them. Who knows where they will go? If I don't continue to play and explore, I will be denying my own creative process. Feeding the beast means listening, and experimenting for me. Sometimes the ideas well up from inside. Other times the external world pulls me to do something. Either way, all I can do with any consistency is get in my studio and get my hands on the clay. 10:23 am pst