From time to time, we create something, with our beads, we feel is better than anything we have done prior. Since I am writing a book, deeply engulfed in looming, photo taking and writing, (which keeps me from writing in my Blog as often), I thought it would be a good topic of conversation.
This picture, of my Split Loomed Necklace "Sesen", is something I feel was one of my designing best, but has been shunned by some of the busiest beading contests. My post truly is not a pity party, but is actually a way to generate some thoughts, for you to consider, about your own talents. How often do you re-visit your stash of completed bead work?
From time to time, I look over what I have loomed and closely investigate what I have completed and how, maybe digging up the same inner thoughts I considered when originally loomed. There are some 'ah-ha' moments and there are other moments when I decide to put a piece further down the cabinet to keep for postarity's sake, only.
"Sesen", the SLN pictured above, is one I have scratched my head over. I think the looming techniques I incorporated were very new and different, but the additions of handwoven petals, all in the same stitch, is what makes this a 'simple', unmotivated design. Maybe I could have beaded each petal using various sized beads, various hand weaving stitches or not splashed the color through each petal to the point the pattern looks generated on a 'bead pattern program'.
That brings me to another point. My most revered pieces are those not patterned from a program, but those I have graphed or loomed free hand.
The 'subjective' aspect, of contests, is an argument for the ages. But right now, I am not concerned over the 'contest relevance' of my looming, but what can I see from my own past thoughts, intricacies of design and aspects of the techniques I once thought were so special they would make the piece my 'best design idea ever', yet now fall below the importance of my new creation. [probably should have been a sentence break in there :)]
I know it is not a creative streak to re-hatch what you already know, but sometimes we are not aware of how much an idea or design can be perfect, when pared with a new challenge. Consider 'this' a new challenge and try to incorporate into your daily beading travels.