Open Inspiration
I wanted to write some more about finding inspiration in the works of other artists, and how to use that inspiration ethically without copying. I once wrote a post about simultaneous inspiration, and how it often happens with my friends and fellow beadmakers Gaea, Diane, and I with our beadmaking. So I felt like I was repeating myself about how artists work with trends and sometimes come up with similar ideas, and how the exciting and challenging part of art is how to take these trends and ideas and things that inspire you, and use your own voice to express them. I still hope to write a bit about *how* do do that, but it is hard for me to put into words. It's a rather intuitive process for me; one that I have engaged in for years, so it is a challenge to actually describe it. I shall continue to try.
Anyway, while I was pondering this subject, I found myself inspired by another jewelry designer who was working on the same blogger outreach program with me, using the new Brown Lava beads from Rings and Things. While I was working with my own Puffed Square Lava beads, I recalled a pair of earrings I saw on Margot Potter's blog, using the same beads. I loved the way she wrapped the contrasting silver wire around the beads. As I was trying to figure out a way to attach my beads to the faux suede cords on my necklace shown above, I remembered the wrapping and decided it might be a good solution for me too! While the technique is similar, and the inspiration was certainly from what I saw Margot do, I think that my application of it turned it into something entirely different. Margot wrote about a creative process that she compares to musicians "riffing" off of each other in the great post she wrote about copyrights and copycats. While I cannot speak for her, obviously, to me this is an example of what she was describing. I saw something, took note of it, was inspired by it, and figured out how to use it in my own way, creating something both new and inspired by someone else. I try to acknowledge these bits and pieces that inspire me, and the sources, whenever I can. And I think that constantly adding new inspirations and mixing them up in my own way is what has helped me create and evolve my style over the years.
By the way, I fired some more of the keyhole pendants shown in the necklace above, in some new colors, and listed them in the Etsy shop. Gave them a new name too, Openwork Escutcheons, just to be fancy. Please visit the Earthenwood Etsy shop to see them.