The "creative spirit" and the right to be moody

Every few days, I realize again what a small and colorless thing my life was in those three months devoid of both beading and Megan.

I tend to be slightly annoyed with myself upon this realization (once I get done being pathetically grateful to the people who made it possible for that period to be only one quarter year long) because it bothers me when people talk loftily about how creation makes their soul take wing and they only know peace when making things.  I am not that sort of person.  As an illustration, I spent the last few days teaching myself to use GIMP for absolutely no utility by making a set of classic emo-kid Lord of the Rings Livejournal icons with Abney Park lyrics -- in, naturally, an ironic and self-aware manner.  For those hours of fighting with the text-layer editor, I knew creative peace, and there was absolutely nothing lofty or meaningful about it.

(Conclusion: Among free programs, Picasa really is your best bet for the basics of organizing and screwing around with the highlights.  Also for adding text on non-busy backgrounds, but don't think you're getting drop shadows or anything special.  Strictly business.  GIMP is great fun but better for arty noodling around than businesslike photography.  Though it made great banners and icons ... more on this later.)

Anyhow.

The problem with that whole Creative Spirit attitude is that it eliminates the right to be in a bad mood.  You're left feeling guilty about your work: "I shouldn't bead!  I'm angry!  Hypnotically soothing as it is to slip the wire through the little holes again and again and again, I mustn't, because all the people who look and sound like Artists say that the best work comes when you are in a spiritually nurtured, well-organized physical and mental space."

Maybe I'd be a more successful designer if I could talk myself into the colorfully Inspired mood, but I can't.  I don't.  I am a person who screws around on the Internet for hours on end and beads when I'm depressed, except when I can't, and loves demotivational posters to distraction.  Sometimes it's not a matter of Being An Art Jewelry Designer.  Sometimes it's a matter of picking some stuff that looks nice together and beading until you're relaxed -- and maybe if you've got a pretty good eye for stuff that goes together the resulting stuff is pretty and saleable stuff.

Coming soon: a collection of my favorite wincingly bad story-jewelry sayings.

Have an unrelated picture of a memory bracelet!

Available here.