1. R-A-D #349 12/15/2010 “Acorn cups”, 2. R-A-D #350 12/16/2010 “Mixed feelings”, 3. R-A-D #351 12/17/2010 “Mistletoe”, 4. R-A-D #352 12/18/2010 “Spheres”, 5. R-A-D #353 12/19/2010 “Emerald green”, 6. R-A-D #354 12/20/2010 “Layers”
On December 31 2010, the Ring-a-day project was finally completed!
Although I was happy to be able to finish all my rings, the first days of 2011 seem weird, not having to make, photograph and edit rings on a daily basis. Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoy not having to worry about all these but it will take time to adjust to a new reality and develop new habits.
But what has this experience taught me? Here’s a few lessons learned from RAD, with no particular order:
1. Creativity is endless if you’re willing to explore its depths. But it also requires practice. Being creative is not some sort of gift that you’re born with, you have to work, experiment and fail before you end up with a new idea.
2. Through daily practice, you learn to manage time more effectively….although I admit that I still have a lot to learn on this issue!
3. Equipment, camera, computer usually don’t work when you need them the most.
4. Stitching leaves is much easier that I thought before I tried it!
5. Sometimes, a good photo might be just what you need to get you to the next day.
6. If you stick to it for a while, you’ll start seeing rings everywhere. Warning: you will continue to see them even when the year is over!
7. An interesting idea might pop in any time. Always have a pencil and some sort of paper with you to write everything down.
8. There’s beauty everywhere, often hidden in the most unexpected places, waiting for you to discover it. Pause and watch closely, materials for your next rings could stand right next to you, lying around in the house or found on the street.
9. Ring-A-Day was the perfect example of what can happen if you follow your passion and trust your gut. Most of the time we were having fun, making stuff without worrying about wearability, functionality, stability and all those stuff that we normally take under consideration. We felt free to explore and create with no constrains.
10. Most important of all, you need to be isolated to create but you also need a community of like-minded people to support one another. I know I wouldn’t have gone so far if it wasn’t for the invaluable support of my Flickr friends and artists that we shared this journey together. Having met online all these wonderful people has been the most rewarding part of this process.
1. R-A-D #355 12/21/2010 “Chalcedony”, 2. R-A-D #356 12/22/2010 “Pearl Ring-WIP”, 3. R-A-D #357 12/23/2010 “Paper Snowflake”, 4. R-A-D #358 12/24/2010 “Jacaranda?”, 5. R-A-D #359 12/25/2010 “Melomacarono”, 6. R-A-D #360 12/26/2010 “Buttons and Flowers”, 7. R-A-D #361 12/27/2010 “Carnelian Cone Ring”, 8. R-A-D #362 12/28/2010 “Bouquet Garni”, 9. R-A-D #363 12/29/2010 “Day at the flea market”
1. R-A-D #364 12/30/2010 “Poinsettia”, 2. R-A-D #365 12/31/2010 “Goodbye RAD”
….but the fun is not over! There are a couple very exciting things in the near future:
Lark Books is going to publish a book for the Ring-a-Day project and we’re all looking forward to it. The book is scheduled to appear in the bookshops the fall of 2011.
Also, Ring-a-Day was accepted as an exhibit for the SNAG Conference on May 2011, another great opportunity to present our work. The rings will be exhibited at the PUNCH Gallery in Seattle.
OK, that was the biggest post I’ve ever written and it wasn’t easy! I’ll be back soon with more details about the new group projects for 2011!
Thanks for reading!