On all those lists of What Creative People Do or What Artists Are Like there is always something about how they’re easily bored or have short attention spans or have multiple projects on the go. I don’t consider myself either easily bored or having a short attention span but I do, always, have several projects running at the same time. That way when I hit a break in one I can work on another.
Tooaquarius has been my beady and polymer clay concern for years. The name came out of a version of my gaming name from ages back and it’s officially been my claying name online and at shows for about twelve years or so. During that time I’ve done a few other projects – Claychicks, with my good friend Carolyn, comes to mind – and a few of the ones going on these days are my Field and Fable, Superior Tech and CraftGossip gigs.
Field and Fable has a site and an Etsy shop, just like Tooaquarius but it’s also got a physical, brick and mortar, building in my small town. In it I sell a variety of local and regional handmade items, some supplies and I teach classes. The studio where all the Tooaquarius goodies are made is in there, too. The building itself is where my partner’s family business used to be and Field and Fable occupies the show room and parts room. My partner works out of the old car bay area (and the “clean” side when needed!)
Superior Tech is my partner’s business where he works mostly doing electronic and computer related work for cars. Occasionally I get to help out with the online parts of this – helping set up a website, YouTube channel and other things right now – or work on computers or pass parts for repairs. Our busy seasons dovetail nicely so I can help when he’s at his craziest.
And finally I’ve been the polymer clay editor for CraftGossip for a few years. There, I get the chance to show off what the community is working on, promote places and tools for clayers and generally see all the very cool things Polymer Clay can do.
Do you guys find yourselves creatively doing 5 things at once sometimes?
