Here it is mid-January, and after a few days of January thaw last week, many of us find ourselves back in the deep freeze. Although sunny, it's so cold outside that even my winter-loving dog doesn't want to be out for long. It's a good week to stay inside and try to get myself back on track, a task I have been doing my utmost to postpone, with amazing success. That is, if you define success as being measured by the number of ski days I'm racking up. Which is 26, by the way.
It's time for me to admit that I've been in 'work avoidance' mode. Upon reflection, I believe that this happens every January, but this year it has been worse than usual. I don't know how to explain it, and I wouldn't have thought anyone else out there could relate, until I received an e-mail from a fellow artisan that mentioned a sort of 'depression' that sets in time of year. Not wanting to go into the shop. Being in a bit of a creative rut. Not knowing what to do next. Dreading getting started on taxes.
And I thought: "Wow. That's exactly how I feel!"
There is a kind of 'high' that comes with the rush leading up to Christmas. A sense of urgency. A sense of fulfillment as you receive customers and see their happiness with items you have created. A warm glow that comes from being able to make something with your own two hands that someone else actually wants to give as a gift to someone they care about. Sure, it's hectic at times to look at a work queue that's longer than you should ever have allowed it to get. But that, too, brings a little bit of adrenaline- (and caffeine-) charged focus that in turns yields a sense of accomplishment as you check off and deliver one item after another.
Then comes January. And, frankly, in terms of creative energy and impetus, it doesn't offer much.
Sure, I could be making a bunch of stuff to re-stock my seriously depleted shop displays. I could at least be twisting up a new pair of earrings for the Piece of the Week. I could be putting away the Christmas decorations that are still on display in the shop, and getting a jump start on items for summer retail accounts. I could (perish the thought) be working on my taxes.
Why should I? There is no sense of urgency! There is no steady stream of visitors to the shop this time of year. Everyone is tapped out from buying Christmas gifts, and this just isn't a busy time of year for us artisans, as my friend J.D. and others of you out there know. So, to deal with my own creative crash following the Holidays, I've been skiing. Call it "Downhill Therapy".
But now I'm home, and I realize that I have 4 pairs of custom earrings, one custom bracelet, and half a dozen retail items to make. And I should probably start thinking about Valentine's Day items, because it'll be here before you know it. Time to go turn on the heat in the studio. Re-stock the supply of cookies for Shop Doggie. Put some fresh water in the quenching dish and some new diamond-coated bits in the drill. Time to get busy and focus (on anythingthat will keep me from having to get started on taxes).
Check out the Piece of the Week on the website, made from Garnet, January's birthstone. (I've also provided a link to another website if you want to read more about the historical uses of garnet.)
Until next week---find your own kind of therapy to deal with the January slump!
