Gwenoakes wrote:Where do you get all your ideas from, MQ?
You make some beautiful things and also help others, i.e. the Air Ambulance into the bargain, what an achievement.
Hi. I think I was always creative. I have always preferred jobs where I had to think for myself, always wanted to learn something new, and hated routine jobs which were repetitive. In the early days of lorry driving I loved being handed a set of keys to a loaded lorry, set off down the road with a map, and create my own route. Later on when more legislation came in it wasn't so enjoyable to follow set routes and be given a timetable of where to be at what times. If they could train chimps to do the job I'm sure they would have. During the last few years of driving I started and ran two small businesses, just to give my brain some exercise.
I believe that routine and repetition stifles creativity, which in turn leads to stagnation. People tell me they are not creative, but I think everyone is in some way. it's just that they haven't recognized it. It really is a matter of thinking differently, challenging the norm, and going against the flow.
When I go walking people always ask me if I have done the Coast to Coast, or the Penine Way. I say no, I don't want to walk where everyone else goes. I considered going up Snowden last year but decided against it when I saw pictures of hoards of people all clambering to touch the top.
You ask, where do I get my ideas from? I read a lot, library books, research on the internet, and browse arts and craft departments in shops. I watch numerous videos on yootoob, I am loving all the arty ones, love Hockney and Grayson Perry. There is a fantastic wood and painting artist called Scott o Connor, his work is amazing.
When I wake up in the morning that's when the ideas come to me. I may have been struggling to think how I might proceed with a project I have started, or a new idea might emerge and I have to get up and make a start on it.
I look at junk in skips, charity shops, and car boot sales and look at it beyond what the original use was, and look at it's potential for turning it into something else. I play with bits and bobs, trying new techniques, I like to mix up materials, wood, metal, fabric, wool, plastics, see what works together.
My late Uncle was a life long artist, he had an exhibition in the library at Burton for many years, donating money to Air Ambulance. I thought it would be a good idea to show my art and maybe sell a few, I have rather a lot now, and I will make a donation.
Must dash, it's Crafty Club this morning. I have resurrected my first practice piece of needle felting, I was not impressed with the result, so now I am adding more wool and stitching to it and it will be framed.
Ilona
