A quick peek inside the crafty life of...me, actually.

I've been working like a plush making machine over here, readying all new creatures for Craftland. (Hence the lack of new Chickenpants lately.) Here's a peek:

I shot the video with my new phone, so the formatting is a little weird. Anyway, there it is. Hopefully the next one will be bigger. (Er, if I even should do a next one. We'll see!)

Maker Faire 2011 Recap

Maker Faire San Mateo 2011 was wonderful! I'm positively infused with inspiration and a sunburn.
This was my first year attending as a free, non-table bound person. It was so weird for me to not be vending! Honestly, I didn't know what to do with myself. And I sort of missed having a table I could duck behind when things got overwhelming. (Which happened at about 12:57 pm. I overwhelm easily.)
This is one heck of a link-heavy post, so you may want to grab a cup of coffee and a snack. (Don't worry, all links open automatically in new tabs.)
So, what did I see? Let's start with these amazing costumes for the Venice Carnival:
They were made by Erin Mahoney. Amazing, right?


I was lucky enough to snag a dress by Field Day. (photo to come soon!) Perhaps I can start living the Summer of No Pants, after all!

Bug Under Glass was there with his super insect displays. He even had some of the bugs posed on mini-bikes displays. LOVE those!
You guys, if you're thinking of starting a bug collection, start with this guy. His pieces are amazing. And he has a baby due in two weeks. Just so you know.


This fantastic coat was made by an artist as part of the Redux Studios and Gallery in Oakland. Oh you guys, I want this coat. It's exactly how I want to dress. *ahem* Anyway, coat lust aside, the artists make amazing things out of cast off stuff. It's recycling at it's finest.

I totally regret not snagging something by Village Clayworks. Oh, those darling plates!

Also in the "I regret not snagging it when I had the chance" category: the Miyazaki Club shirt by Martin Hsu.

Amazing woodblock artist Ayu Tomikawa was there. I seriously wanted one of everything at her table. He work is so precious!


Also, anyone know which company made the fabric on this skirt? So perfect.


I was delighted to see Motormouth Press and her food-y cuteness. Laurie is one of the sweetest makers I know! Annnd I managed to not take a photo. Nice.
*No, wait! Okay, here she is. Waaaaay at the left side corner, next to my table. That's Motormouth Press' table! And Laurie herself. And it's only...3 years old! I really need to take more photos.

I feel like I'm forgetting to mention a million things. (Like these guys! And this!) And I also feel a bit overwhelmed again. I suspect you do, too. Let's wrap this up:

Naps for everyone!

10 Fantastic Creativity Quotes

1. While most people in the arts think they have to be constantly looking forward to be edgy and creative....the real secret of creativity is to go back and remember.
-Twyla Tharp

2. Creativity comes from trust. Trust your instincts. And never hope more than you work.
-Rita Mae Brown

3. Anyone can do anything with a million dollars. Look at Disney. But it takes more than money to make something out of nothing, and look at the fun I have doing it.
-Tressa Prisbey

4. Don't worry about originality. You couldn't get rid of it even if you wanted to. It will stick with you and show you up for better or worse in spite of all you or anyone else can do.
-Robert Henri

5. The secret of the creative life is how to feel at ease with your own embarrassment. We're all in the dirty laundry business and we're being paid to take risks and look silly. Race car drivers get paid to risk their lives in a more concrete way; we get paid to risk our lives in an emotional way.
-Paul Schrader

6. One does not discover new lands without consenting to loose sight of the shore for a very long time.
-Andre Gide

7. What if you just did it your own way - no rules, no right or wrong, just what you think is beautiful?
-Sandra Magsamen

8. Stuff your eyes with wonder, live as if you'd drop dead in ten seconds. See the world. It's more fantastic than any dream made or paid for in factories. Ask no guarantees, ask for no security, there never was such an animal. And if there were, it would be related to the great sloth which hangs upside down in a tree all day every day, sleeping it's life away.
-Ray Bradbury

9. Always be a first rate version of yourself, instead of a second rate version of somebody else.
-Judy Garland

10. Just stop thinking, worrying, looking over your shoulder, wondering, doubting, fearing, hurting, hoping for some easy way out, struggling,gasping, confusing, itching, scratching, mumbling, bumbling, grumbling, humbling, stumbling, rumbling, rambling, gambling, tumbling, scribbling, scrambling, hitching, hatching, bitching, moaning, groaning, honing, boning, searching, perching, besmirching, grinding grinding grinding away at yourself. Stop it and just DO. Try and tickle something inside you, your "weird humor". Don't worry about cool, make your own uncool. If you fear it, make it work for you- draw and paint your fear and anxiety. And stop worrying about big, deep things such as "to decide on a purpose and way of life". You must practice being stupid, dumb, unthinking, empty. Then you will be able to DO! Try to do some BAD work. The worst you can think of and see what happens but mainly relax and let everything go to hell.
-Sol LeWitt

Library Book Review - Ignore Everybody

Ignore Everybody! And 39 other KEYS TO CREATIVITY! Why, I like ignoring people! And being more creative! Look, there's even a sketch of a guy with an axe on the cover.
Naturally, I picked this book up. I found this tiny tome sitting on the New Releases shelf of my local library during a recent-ish run. (Yeah, it was released in 2009. And it's nearly 2011. No matter.)

The book is divided into 40 tiny chapters. Each one is only a few pages long and gets right to the point. It's interesting, but very confrontational. This is not another feel-good artsy-fartsy woo-woo book. But there are plenty of those I've already read. Quite frankly, some of it annoyed me.

While I didn't agree with everything written, this book really made me think. Nearly every chapter was provocative, and very good at making you question your business/craft. Needless to say, that also makes this a very slow read, at least for me. Having to stop every few pages to stare into space and think can do that to you. Not that being made to think is in any way a bad thing.

Ignore Everybody started out as a blog post, and swelled out from there. What's really cool is that you can read the first 12 chapters on Gapingvoid's blog. I love that you can see if it resonates with you first.

If you're looking for a book that will make you question the way you're doing things and what you're creating, by all means pick this one up.

Ignore Everybody: and 39 Other Keys to Creativity