I found this article recently that resonates my feelings about stained glass and creativity.
Connecting with your Creative Soul
by Ami McKay
Many of us have lives filled with deadlines and daily routines. Tapping into our creative energies is often the last thing on our minds. Perhaps you think that you don’t have a creative side, perhaps your wild sense of imagination left with your childhood, perhaps you don’t even realize what’s truly within you just waiting to be set free.
Why choose a creative path?
Fostering your sense of creativity can give you feelings of freedom, delight and passion. It can help you see your life in a new light and help you to tackle situations that you thought were hopeless. When you express yourself through creative action you find gifts such as: happiness, self worth, healing, and inner joy. Don’t let society’s picture of the ‘artist as virtuoso’ scare you into not trying. Self-expression comes in many forms and in varying degrees of ability. We all have a creative artist within. Whether or not you choose to call on these amazing gifts is up to you!
Some examples of Creative Endeavors
1. Music hath charms… (Reminds me of my sweet Spanish Guitar)
How many of us like to sing in the shower or in the car during rush hour traffic? You can take this idea a step further and use music as a way to find creativity. In this age of CD’s, we have access to any type of music we desire. Try experimenting by listening to various types of music. Find out what soothes your soul, what gives you energy, which music sets your thoughts free. Keep pen and paper nearby and write down any thoughts that come from this experience. Before long, you may find yourself writing an essay of inspiration or simply dancing around your living room with abandon.
When my son was four, I started hearing music from his bedroom after I had tucked him in. I was curious as to where this sweet music was coming from and peeked in to see what was going on. I discovered that he had started his own evening ritual. He was singing the events of his day to himself. With great passion he would sing of his disappointments, accomplishments and joys. I’ll admit that I have since tried this myself and found it to be one of the most freeing experiences I have ever had.
2. Art of Expression
You don’t have to have a professional set of oil paints or be schooled at the finest art institute to express your artistic soul. I’m talking about art that comes from the very depths of your being and isn’t meant to be pleasing to anyone else but you. ‘Dharma Art’ is a kind of artistic practice where you begin to gather things from your surrounding environment and rearrange them in a creative and artistic way. There are no rules, just simply collect what you find interesting and then create something new. An easy way to experiment with this idea is to make a collage from magazine clippings. Take an hour and create a collage that truly reflects your passions in life. Incorporate favorite quotes and sayings that inspire you. Who knows, one day you may be gluing old clock parts to a worn out straw hat as a personal commentary on time.
An old college roommate of mine recently sent me a small mixed media painting as a token of friendship and thanks. Here is what the enclosed note said: "this is what I did the night I talked with you on the phone. You were inspiring. To me, it looks like something a teenager would do but it reflects how I feel these days…whatever that means." It meant the world to me!
Creativity helps us unlock our inner selves, but it also needs to be shared.
Showing posts with label tools. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tools. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Stained Glass A2Z
I recently found this article on the web and thought it was interesting. Just remember that you can be all your stained glass supplies from Stained Glass A2Z. Check us out at www.stainedglassa2z.com.
Recently, one of the best stained glass supply and teaching centers closed its doors. Shockingly they were very aggressive and well run. The business was around for over a decade. I wondered why it failed. Two years earlier, the long time run business was sold by the original owner who wanted to retire to a man who had made enough money for the purchase running a janitorial business.
The new owner soon discovered that the stained glass business is different than any other business. The stained glass business is a difficult business to make a living.
When I started in the stained glass business, I soon discovered that the business was a rollercoaster ride gone wild. It was a feast or famine situation. I’d sell a window or commission and have enough cash to get another order of materials together. I never really felt I was making any money; it felt like all I was doing was just using up supplies and then replenishing. I found that running a stained glass only business was very tough profession.
I quit doing stained glass as a living for a while, but continued to take on commissions and personal work in my spare time. This is an avenue that I recommend to students who think it might be fun to get into the business. This way they can test the waters and find whether they really want to expand into the business of glasswork. Most find that doing a little on the side is the perfect avenue for them.
It is tough, and rewarding but not so much in a financial sense but on an artistic level. I beat my head against the wall trying to figure how to make a living, but simply seem to scrape by each year.
I do make a small amount of money by offering stained glass classes. But after taking all expenses and costs into account, I find that I just break even on classes. If I made enough money to support myself well in this business, I would take the extra money and expand and hire help, but so far I'm just keeping my head above water. It is my belief that the key to making it in stained glass is to offer products that will help others to enhance their stained glass experience.
I would advise anyone thinking of going into any business, that before you make a decision to get into it, work for at least 3 months in the business, 90 days seems to be the point where you really get an eye opening. The honeymoon ends and you see what you're really getting yourself into.
Be very cautious about the valuation of the business that you are looking to purchase. Remember that you are looking at retail values versus the wholesale values of the business. Figure that the cost of buying all materials and starting a business from scratch is 1/3 to 1/4 of the retail value of the business. It is rare to find that an existing business really has a built up value of customer good will, which has much, if any, value to the potential new owner. Customers are our friends and I love them, but because most people only have a limited interest in the business, their value to future income is smaller than the seller might lead you to believe.
It is true that warm glass has more to offer in a studio setting than just flat glasswork, but look at the root of the matter. The stained glass industry knows that they are working with a craft that is fleeting. The normal student has one to three projects in them and then they are done. By expanding into warm glass, I am able to offer a wider range of techniques and projects, which help to hold the students, interest longer. But what I've done is change a three-month customer into a 6-month customer. I still face a huge attrition rate. Being a lover of glasswork, I am often shocked at the number of students who start class and then drop out without even finishing their first project.
When I talk to other businesses, I often ask if they will furnish me a copy of their business plan. I hope to learn from those plans ways that I might be able to find more success in my own business. If you come up with a business plan, I'd love to see a copy of it.
One word of encouragement, people in the business are in two camps. There are those who are secretive and afraid that you might want to steal their ideas. But the vast majority of business owners in stained glass are open and willing to share their knowledge and advice. They are those who realize that there really isn't any competition in the business. That shop down the corner doesn't create competition, they increase the knowledge and appreciation of stained glass in the community, and so they actually help your business rather than hurting it.
Recently, one of the best stained glass supply and teaching centers closed its doors. Shockingly they were very aggressive and well run. The business was around for over a decade. I wondered why it failed. Two years earlier, the long time run business was sold by the original owner who wanted to retire to a man who had made enough money for the purchase running a janitorial business.
The new owner soon discovered that the stained glass business is different than any other business. The stained glass business is a difficult business to make a living.
When I started in the stained glass business, I soon discovered that the business was a rollercoaster ride gone wild. It was a feast or famine situation. I’d sell a window or commission and have enough cash to get another order of materials together. I never really felt I was making any money; it felt like all I was doing was just using up supplies and then replenishing. I found that running a stained glass only business was very tough profession.
I quit doing stained glass as a living for a while, but continued to take on commissions and personal work in my spare time. This is an avenue that I recommend to students who think it might be fun to get into the business. This way they can test the waters and find whether they really want to expand into the business of glasswork. Most find that doing a little on the side is the perfect avenue for them.
It is tough, and rewarding but not so much in a financial sense but on an artistic level. I beat my head against the wall trying to figure how to make a living, but simply seem to scrape by each year.
I do make a small amount of money by offering stained glass classes. But after taking all expenses and costs into account, I find that I just break even on classes. If I made enough money to support myself well in this business, I would take the extra money and expand and hire help, but so far I'm just keeping my head above water. It is my belief that the key to making it in stained glass is to offer products that will help others to enhance their stained glass experience.
I would advise anyone thinking of going into any business, that before you make a decision to get into it, work for at least 3 months in the business, 90 days seems to be the point where you really get an eye opening. The honeymoon ends and you see what you're really getting yourself into.
Be very cautious about the valuation of the business that you are looking to purchase. Remember that you are looking at retail values versus the wholesale values of the business. Figure that the cost of buying all materials and starting a business from scratch is 1/3 to 1/4 of the retail value of the business. It is rare to find that an existing business really has a built up value of customer good will, which has much, if any, value to the potential new owner. Customers are our friends and I love them, but because most people only have a limited interest in the business, their value to future income is smaller than the seller might lead you to believe.
It is true that warm glass has more to offer in a studio setting than just flat glasswork, but look at the root of the matter. The stained glass industry knows that they are working with a craft that is fleeting. The normal student has one to three projects in them and then they are done. By expanding into warm glass, I am able to offer a wider range of techniques and projects, which help to hold the students, interest longer. But what I've done is change a three-month customer into a 6-month customer. I still face a huge attrition rate. Being a lover of glasswork, I am often shocked at the number of students who start class and then drop out without even finishing their first project.
When I talk to other businesses, I often ask if they will furnish me a copy of their business plan. I hope to learn from those plans ways that I might be able to find more success in my own business. If you come up with a business plan, I'd love to see a copy of it.
One word of encouragement, people in the business are in two camps. There are those who are secretive and afraid that you might want to steal their ideas. But the vast majority of business owners in stained glass are open and willing to share their knowledge and advice. They are those who realize that there really isn't any competition in the business. That shop down the corner doesn't create competition, they increase the knowledge and appreciation of stained glass in the community, and so they actually help your business rather than hurting it.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Modern Uses For Ceramics
We commonly think of ceramics as art objects and decorations. But ceramics really are diverse pieces of multi-purpose material that are made from burning formed pieces of pottery. This shaped clay started out many years ago being hand-formed and was eventually made with a wheel to iron out any fingerprints or major imperfections.
Handmade ceramic is still made as an art form today, even though it is no longer the industry standard for making objects. As a beginner you would learn to mold, glaze and trim the clay to form objects. Uniquely painted, polished and decorated ceramic is always sought after. Developing your own style will come from practice and experimentation.
Most ceramic materials, however, are now made with precision using machines that do not rely at all on the human touch. But it doesn’t mean that this molded clay doesn’t touch our lives. Modern developments have made it possible for companies to create new and diverse products from the clay that can change how we do things in the future.
Well-Known Uses for Ceramics
Most people are aware of the presence of ceramics in their homes. It can commonly be found in their art sculptures, dishes, platters and other kitchen wear, kitchen tiles and bathroom structures. It is functional and often beautiful.
Lesser-Known Uses for Ceramics
What most people aren’t aware of is how diverse ceramic materials really are. They can be used for almost anything. Ceramics are currently used for computers, tools, dental replacements, engine parts and tiles on space shuttles. Ceramics play an important role in our everyday lives, even the parts we can’t see and don’t give much thought to.
Future Uses for Ceramics
Scientists are just beginning to tap into the many uses for ceramic. The biggest area we expect to see growth in is how it will help in our life functions. It will be able to sense our needs and deliver medicine as needed. It will be able to remove impurities from our drinking water. It will be used to replace bones such as hips, knees and shoulders. It will be able to replace diseased heart valves. The health benefits from using ceramic in the medical field are remarkable.
A common use for ceramic today is in the dental field. Ceramic can be used to make fillings, crowns, veneers, implants and brackets used for holding braces in place. As an increasingly vain society, ceramic will be used more often not only for our dental needs, but to improve the look of our teeth in general.
Because of the remarkable electric, mechanic, thermal, optical and magnetic abilities, ceramic materials have numerous uses. The possibilities of how we use ceramic are literally endless. From the medical field to computer technology, ceramic material has and will have a profound effect on how we do things. It can really change the way we live, how long we live and how well we live. It will make our day-to-day life easier, increase our technology and help us to live long, healthy lives even when our natural body parts can no longer support us.
Handmade ceramic is still made as an art form today, even though it is no longer the industry standard for making objects. As a beginner you would learn to mold, glaze and trim the clay to form objects. Uniquely painted, polished and decorated ceramic is always sought after. Developing your own style will come from practice and experimentation.
Most ceramic materials, however, are now made with precision using machines that do not rely at all on the human touch. But it doesn’t mean that this molded clay doesn’t touch our lives. Modern developments have made it possible for companies to create new and diverse products from the clay that can change how we do things in the future.
Well-Known Uses for Ceramics
Most people are aware of the presence of ceramics in their homes. It can commonly be found in their art sculptures, dishes, platters and other kitchen wear, kitchen tiles and bathroom structures. It is functional and often beautiful.
Lesser-Known Uses for Ceramics
What most people aren’t aware of is how diverse ceramic materials really are. They can be used for almost anything. Ceramics are currently used for computers, tools, dental replacements, engine parts and tiles on space shuttles. Ceramics play an important role in our everyday lives, even the parts we can’t see and don’t give much thought to.
Future Uses for Ceramics
Scientists are just beginning to tap into the many uses for ceramic. The biggest area we expect to see growth in is how it will help in our life functions. It will be able to sense our needs and deliver medicine as needed. It will be able to remove impurities from our drinking water. It will be used to replace bones such as hips, knees and shoulders. It will be able to replace diseased heart valves. The health benefits from using ceramic in the medical field are remarkable.
A common use for ceramic today is in the dental field. Ceramic can be used to make fillings, crowns, veneers, implants and brackets used for holding braces in place. As an increasingly vain society, ceramic will be used more often not only for our dental needs, but to improve the look of our teeth in general.
Because of the remarkable electric, mechanic, thermal, optical and magnetic abilities, ceramic materials have numerous uses. The possibilities of how we use ceramic are literally endless. From the medical field to computer technology, ceramic material has and will have a profound effect on how we do things. It can really change the way we live, how long we live and how well we live. It will make our day-to-day life easier, increase our technology and help us to live long, healthy lives even when our natural body parts can no longer support us.
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