Sunday, April 11, 2010

On Creativity and Finding my Style


Lately I’ve been thinking about creativity. I’m inspired by so many things, and often feel impelled to try my hand at creating something lovely myself. Sometimes that “something” is a savory dish in the kitchen; other times it’s a vignette on our bookshelf; most often it’s a small card or other paper-craft.
When I first started card-making, there seemed to be a precise formula one was to use: colored cardstock base; a layer of cardstock in a contrasting color, most likely stamped all over in a repeating design; another layer of cardstock; top layer with focal image and sentiment. Lather, rinse, repeat. Over the years, this formula became more and more elaborate – 5 or more layers of cardstock, sponging, distressing, ribbons and baubles and rhinestones and tags…  So of course that’s how I wanted my cards to look. Things all changed, however, when we moved overseas. No longer could I afford to use layers and layers of my precious stash of cardstock on a single creation. Intricately shaped or bejeweled brads? Not gonna find those here! All of the things that had become the go-to elements of a “fabulous” card design were suddenly unavailable. And so, my designs veered away from the mainstream norm, at first out of necessity. I began striving to make big visual impact using minimal amounts of product. I started examining my personal style, and realized that in everyday life I’m drawn to clean, retro-modern design, from my home décor to my clothing. Why shouldn’t my paper-crafting reflect that, as well? What started as a change born out of necessity has actually put new life into my creativity. I’m breaking from the norm, and loving it. I’m much more selective in the rubber stamps I buy, whereas before I would buy a set because “800 other people have made cards with it, so it must be good.”  I’ve found I don’t need expensive products to express myself– I can rock a set of clear $1 stamps like there’s no tomorrow. I see it as a challenge to myself. A challenge to creatively work within my budget (I can only afford to have the occasional small package shipped over here); a challenge to find products that reflect my design aesthetic (not just whatever the masses have deemed popular this month); a challenge to find creative replacements for the things I just can’t get. And I’m having FUN. 


Card Supplies:
DCWV patterned paper; adhesive-back fun foam; Cuttlebug / Red Tag Sale alphabet; DYMO labelmaker, wood-grain label tape; foam dimensionals

1 comment:

  1. I love your style and I think our crafting style is a reflection of our daily life's style.

    I am still going back and forth between different styles and my life is the same too. I like to experiment everyday and so my craft reflects that too. People say I have a style, they can see a Savitri card if there's no siggy on it but I dunno, I feel like I don't have a particular style.

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