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Mass Media Focuses on Creativity
by Tory Hughes
Have you noticed? Creativity is the new hot topic, the buzzword linking serious international
tycoons with local schools and arts festivals. Intense discussions about
creativity and innovation are bursting into all media now. Here are just a few of the many sources: "The Creativity Crisis" (Newsweek) "Creativity Is the New Black"(Forbes) "Creativity . . . Most Crucial" (IBM press release)
Creativity, like religion, may be complicated to discuss. But creating is quite simple. Being practitioners, we knew this already.
Creativity is how
things come into being. From art to governments, from bridges and airplanes to
the perfect dress, everything around us exists because someone had an idea,
then found a process to bring it into the physical world.
All of us, in all
cultures, all professions, all ages, are part of this constant flow. Creativity
is innate to human beings. Our ability to transform ideas into the world around
us, by making choices and taking action, usually happens invisibly: we do it so
routinely and effortlessly that we don't pay attention to what we're doing, or
how to control it.
Most people, and most
cultures, have no effective practice in place to remind them how creativity
works. Thus, when a culture has abruptly recognized its need for innovation,
inspiration, new ideas, and out-of-the-box solutions, there's a moment
of panic, a crisis. As when an individual realizes having neglected to pay attention to something very important, our global culture has
realized that it forgot how to control its creativity.
In forgetting, we've
brought about forces that challenge the sustainability of our species
on this planet. And we've forgotten how to find solutions to the
problems that arise, and how to implement these solutions effectively once
we've invented them. Around this increasingly small world, businesses,
governments, and the media are starting to remember.
There is no real
difference between what you do in your studio--investigating, experimenting,
intuiting, generating objects and experiences--and the ways in which BP scientists are
attempting to stop the Gulf oil leak. Or, for that matter, the way celebrities invent their public personnae. The materials and tools may not be the same, but the process
is identical. You are connecting to ideas, making choices about them and
bringing your ideas into form. Then you contemplate what you've done, and
evaluate it. Lastly, you integrate this knowledge into the choices you make in
your next creative project. You remember how this works, you do it every day: intuition, intention, action, result, awareness.
Creative Action
Creative action is
deliberate creativity: seeing the connections between all these desires and needs
on the planet, and our own. Between all these experiments, by technologies and
businesses, governments and entertainers, out there, and our own. There are no
separations in the creative process. The same flow of creative transformation
moves through all of us. There's a growing realization that we've forgotten
something vital, yet we have always had this innate ability to bring things to
life. It's time to remember who we are.
There are clues everywhere. Your own life is ripe with them, like plump apricots dropping into
your palms as you reach among the leaves. Where are you filled with
inspiration? Where do you naturally know what to do? Where do you easily
accomplish what you desire? What brings you delight? What do you love?
What do you create?
Many of you know me. I can answer those questions for myself: My inspiration comes from everything: the ineffable complex synergy of our world. My delight is to understand creativity and show you how it works. I can explore and then tell you what I've found. I promised that to you a long time ago. It is still my intention.
My Creative Coaching series and my next book,The Five Simple Directions: Master Your Innate Creativity and Get Things Done, can be purchased on my website. Or e-mail me at victoria@toryhughes.com.
Best for your creative endeavors, Tory |
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Free How-to Videos Daily from Fire Mountain
Fire Mountain Gems and Beads has introduced 58 new jewelry-making video how-to's! Each weekday a new online video tutorial will be unveiled, offering
new techniques presented by a few new, and a few familiar, faces. The Video How-To's page features specific subject
categories to locate video tutorials easily. Check back Monday through Friday
to see the latest daily video.
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Classes & Events - RAM's Awesome Art Sale, Aug. 6 10 am-8:30 pm, Racine, WI Purchase
original, museum quality artwork by well-known artists at affordable prices.
Many one-of-a-kind works of art priced as low as $35.
- Mixed-Media Mosaic Icons, Laurie Mika, Houston, TX, Aug. 14-15
- American Craft Exposition, Evanston, IL, Aug. 27-29
- Sandy
Camp XII, San Diego, CA, Oct. 6-10
- Euroclay Carnival, Madrid, Spain, October 9-12
- Clay Fest (Inspired Muse Fest), Wausau, WI, Oct. 21-24.
- Klew's Expressions Unmasked, Vicksburg, MS, Oct. 23-24
For a current list of classes and workshops, visit the IPCA website often. And be sure to enter information about your events on our calendar. We rely on you to keep us up-to-date!
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| Above: Elise Winters Brooch, available at RAM sale.
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On-Line Resources
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Forget Something?
Check Our Archives
| If you can't remember something interesting you saw in a previous issue of
this newsletter,
don't despair! Just go to our website,
log in, and click on the IPCA Newsletter Archive button in the
left-hand column. All issues of Polymergence since April 2009 are available
for your convenience.
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Volume 3, Issue 8
August 2010
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IPCA Retreat 2011--Save the Date!
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Now is the time to save the date and submit your vacation request for July 11-16, 2011, so you can enjoy an exciting (and also relaxing) retreat with the best and friendliest clayers in the world!
IPCA wil l be returning to the Indian Lakes Resort for pre-retreat classes and three days of claying fun with IPCA. The most popular features from 2009 will be offered again, including demos, themed swap, and the retreat bead strand. There will also be door prizes, silent and live auctions, and opportunities to buy and sell finished work. Attendees will enjoy $99 rooms in a luxury retreat with many amenities and a meal plan or day-pass access. Once again we'll be offering Early Bird registration discounts and payment plans.
For the first time, in 2011 the Retreat will be held concurrent with the Metal Clay World Conference, and we'll be sharing many activities with MCWC attendees.
For full details, as they are announced, watch our website.
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Polymer Clay and Creative Arts Fest
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A premier event, Polymer Clay and Creative Arts Fest, will be held at the Fairfield Inn in Wausau, WI, from Oct. 21 - 24,
2010, featuring classes from Jeffrey Lloyd Dever,
Grant Diffendaffer, Tory Hughes, Nan Roche, Julie Eakes,
Shirley Rufener, Cindy Silas, and Kathryn Ottman.
 Conference registration is $390 and includes one 4-hour class from each of the instructors. In addition, there will be a panel
discussion led by Tory Hughes on developing your own style using the
techniques y0u know. Cost for Jeffrey Lloyd Dever's pre-conference
workshop is $230 plus supplies.
Registration has already begun and will
continue through October 13. There is only space for 40
people, so be certain to register and submit your payment as soon as possible.
For additional information and registration, visit www.polymerclayfests.wordpress.com, or e-mail cabinfeverclayfests@yahoo.com with any
questions.
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Above: Stickpin by Jeffrey Lloyd Dever
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A Learning Forum on Critiquing and Judging on Voila!
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 A work of art speaks with many voices -- some pieces move us emotionally or intellectually. Some transport us to real or imagined places, while others are technical or conceptual in origin. Learning to critique is about hearing what these voices say. The challenge is in appreciating and discovering excellence, not finding fault.
By learning to critique the work of others, we become better judges of our own work, which is something many fellow artists have expressed an interest in. To help them do this, Voila! is organising a free Learning Forum on Critiquing and Judging for the month of August.
All Voila! members are invited to participate by contributing to the Forum. Each month, Voila! runs a monthly challenge called the Polymeristas of the Month, and members submit pieces for judging. For this month, as part of the learning, members of the Forum may volunteer to be the judges selecting the Polymeristas.
For more information, go to Voila!'s homepage and find the post titled "Articles" below the winning Polymeristas for the Month of August or contact Christine Dumont (cdumont@voila.eu.com).
If you would like to be one of the 10 judges for September's Polymeristas of the Month you need to sign up immediately on a first-come basis. Find the post titled "Groups" below the winning Polymeristas for the Month of August and join the Judges-in-Training Panel.
If you are not a member of Voila! and would like to participate, you need to join - membership is free.
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Polymer Play Days a Memorable Experience
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by Kerrie Venner, Vice-President for Education & Outreach Kicking Back at Play Days
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It was with great pleasure that, in June, I
took part in Helen Cox's Polymer Play
Days in Nottingham, England. The event was most special for me because my
own polymer clay journey truly began at Helen's event in 2008; that's what led
to my involvement with IPCA. I had
a great time and was totally blown away by the friendliness of the tutors. A
good number of the 08 attendees
were talented clayers who now are successful tutors and artists. Many of the
people I met were to become friends and influence my polymer journey. So it was
especially exciting to meet with many of them again at Nottingham this summer.
This year, the tutors were Lindly Huanani,
Donna Kato, Natalia and Danni Garcia, Sylvie Peraud and Alison Gallant.
Whenever I attend an event like this one, I tend to have preconceived ideas as
to which workshops I feel will be the most interesting and inspiring and which
will be hard work and not necessarily my 'cup of tea'. And each time I get it so wrong! I ought to know better.
Each workshop
surprised me in a different way, and I take home inspiration from all of
them. I think this is the true
spirit of an event like this one.
It is such a pleasure to work with artists who freely share their
experience and talent and who inspire innovation and experiment.
I had a truly great time, met some old and
new friends, and look forward to working with Alison, Donna, Natalia, Danni,
Sylvie and Lindly again in the near future. Thank you, Helen, for an unforgettable weekend! -------------------- For the full text of Kerrie's Play Days observations,
including her descriptions of all the workshops, see the IPCA website. Photo courtesy of Maniguette's Blog
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An Update about Membership Renewals
via PayPal | |
In our ongoing efforts to eliminate issues of double-billing your IPCA
membership dues, we will manually cancel the automatic renewal for your membership. As a result you may get an e-mail notice saying
your subscription has been canceled. Please note that this is PayPal's
notice and does not affect your active IPCA membership. You
IPCA membership will remain active until your expiration date.
To insure that your membership remains active, please respond to the
30-day expiration notice as soon as it appears in your inbox. If you do
not know when your membership expires, do the following: 1. Go to http://theipca.org and log-in
with your username and password.
3. Click on the link called My Membership.
You'll see your current membership information displayed.
4. To renew, click Get a New Subscription.
5. Follow the instructions on the page to renew your membership.
If you're not currently a member of IPCA, please consider joining today!
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Sketchbook Project 2011 Tour
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| A couple of months ago, we proposed an article on polymer clay artists
who make preliminary sketches of their work, and we've received many
wonderful photos from our talented member artists. Unfortunately, the
article still remains to be actually compiled. In the meantime, here's a
sketching exercise that could be a lot of fun! It was brought to our
attention by polymer clay sculptor Diane Dobson Barton on her website, artist-how-to.com.The Sketchbook Project 2011 Touris "like a concert tour but with sketchbooks." The sponsoring group,
the Art House Co-op, headquartered in Brooklyn, NY, proclaims that
"Anyone--from anywhere in the world can be part of the project," and
they report over 9,000 participants already registered! For a
registration fee of $25 (US), you'll receive a sketchbook and be
assigned 1 of 25 themes for your sketches. It'll be up to you to fill
the pages and return the book by Jan. 15. The sketchbooks will tour
venues in Brooklyn, NY; Austin, TX; San Francisco, CA; Portland, ME;
Atlanta, GA; and Chicago, IL, starting in March 2011. Artists will be
able to track where on the tour their book is viewed and how many times
someone pulled it from the shelf. How cool is that? This could be a chance to show the world that polymer artists can and do draw! The registration deadline to is Oct. 31. |
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Polymer in Print: What's New?
| New Books
- IPCA. Progress & Possibilities A three-year retrospective catalog containing 115 color photographs, 2009.
- Friesen, Christi. Steampunkery: Polymer Clay and Mixed Media Projects, Jan. 16, 2010.
- Haab, Sherri. Jewelry Inspirations: Techniques and Designs from the Artist's Studio, March
9, 2010
- Heywood, Birdy. Polymer Clay Bears, July 12, 2010
- Kimle, Patricia. Perfectly Paired: Designing Jewelry with Polymer and Metal
Clays, April 6, 2010.
- Pavelka, Lisa. The Complete Book of Polymer Clay, Feb. 2, 2010.
- Stowell, Charlotte. Tasty Trinkets: Polymer Clay Food Jewellery,July 9, 2010.
Books Coming Soon- Krzyzevewski, Peggy, and Christine Hansen. Making Mixed Media Art Charms & Jewelry, June 30, 2010.
- Haab, Sherri. The Art of Metal Clay, Revised and Expanded (with DVD), July 27, 2010.
- Kawaguchi, Noriko. Amazing Clay Flowers: Creating Realistic
Flowers and Floral Arrangements in Polymer Clay, Sept. 1, 2010.
- Arzalier, Sophie. Making Jewelry from Polymer Clay, Oct. 2010
- Otterbein, Kim, and Angela Mabray. Polymer Clay 101, Jan. 1, 2011
- Hughes, Tory. The Five Simple Directions: A Roadmap for Creative Success.
Magazines Polymer Cafe, August 2010: "Catch a Rainbow,"
Ann Kruglak; "'I'm Late': Mixed Media Alice Collage Purse," Shirley Rufener;"Arizona Bracelets," Maria Clark; "Simply Delicious Noodle Filigree Necklace and Earrings," Ann Mitchell
and Karen Mitchell; "Polymer Clay Zen Garden," Kathy Canuel; "Making the Most of Your 5 in 1 Tool," Angela Mabray - Belle Armoire, July-August 2010, "Polymer Posies," Karen Sexton. Our apologies to Karen for omitting her article in last month's Polymergence!
- Belle Armoire Jewelry, Summer '10, Cover article, Laurie Prophater's
polymer bangles; "A Steampunk Master! Designer Collection," Christi Friesen
- Art Jewelry, July 2010: "Expand Your Polymer Skills with a Savvy Stretch Bracelet," Helen Breil. See also Helen's new instructions for constructing the bracelet with the new generation of Art Glass cord
Bead Unique, Summer 2010, "ClayTime with CF," Christi Friesen
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Calls for Entry
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TeachingBead & Button Show, Milwaukee, WI, deadline Aug. 6IPCA Indian Lakes Retreat, July 2011. Send proposals for 1- and 2-day pre-retreat workshops to
IPCARetreat@theipca.org.Exhibitions2010 TACA Biennial: The Best of Tennessee Craft, Murfreesboro, TN, deadline Aug. 16El Dia de los Muertos/ The Day of the Dead 1010, Indianapolis, IN, deadline Sept. 3Sundance Mountain Sculpture Exhibition, Palmer Lake, CO, deadline Sept. 7Global Faces of Contemporary Art, on-line worldwide, deadline Oct. 125th Annual International Juried Show, Summit, NJ US, deadline Oct. 1Call for Artists: "Sin!", Miami, FL, deadline Oct. 1 All Mediums Exhibit, Louisville, KY, deadline Jan. 14Magazine and Book Challenges  |
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