Tweaking Your Craft
The other day, I decided to whip up some quick earrings to wear this next week at school. Like most school kids, I have a few new outfits, so they deserved new jewelry. Even though I know how to wire wrap briolette beads, I found myself tweaking and experimenting with my tried and true technique as I started to make the earrings. What if I did “this”? What if I did “that”? Of course, this meant I spent more time making the earrings than I had originally anticipated. And my experimentation didn’t really yield anything new because I finally just used my old technique to make them.
I seem to be always tweaking my work, even my school work. During my holiday vacation, I spent a good two days messing around with a class I have taught for years, but of course, I started with that “what if…” thought processes and from there just went crazy changing all kinds of writing assignments, reading requirements, and so on. At one point, I thought I needed to have my head examined because I was spending all my vacation time messing with a course that worked fine “as is,” but I wanted something different, possibly something better.
Eventually, I came up with a course that I think is pretty interesting and that I’m excited about teaching it. Plus if my changes work out, all my work can be used over and over again until I get the next “tweaking bug” and have the urge to change it all yet again. Hopefully, that won’t happen for awhile though!
But all this tweaking I think is just part of the creative process that those who enjoy the process can’t help but be tempted by. Sometimes it can be a real pain in the you-know-what, but other times, we are rewarded for our efforts with innovative ideas that excite us and possible others. So, I think all this tweaking is worth the effort after all.
Are you a tweaker or a if it ain’t broke don’t fix it type?
I’m still learning so many new things as a relatively new beader that I’m constantly tweaking. Sometimes I see something I want to try for myself. I have no instructions, because, perhaps, it was a picture of something in a catalog or an ad in a magazine, but I just want to see if I can do it. I have taught myself a couple new things this way, but often I end up searching online for tutorials so I can see how to do it better or easier.
My job is often about tweaking new pathways of doing the same old thing with the same old materials, so I’m always thinking of new ways to crack the nut. I think it keeps our brains active and engaged and that’s a good thing.
Even if you don’t come up with something groundbreaking, you learn something.
That’s good stuff!
Cheers,
Madge
Yes, it sounds like tweaking is part of designing!
OMG! I am definitely a “tweaker”…I have blown through 3 Blogs in 2008…Blogging Kenneth Fron, Kenneth Fron Style and Seriesse Style. I kinda sorta has the Kenneth Fron Blog for a week and now it is all revamped to my brand new one: Kenneth Fron: Las Vegas Culture. It’s going okay so far. If one of my Blogs ever make it to a year old…it’s a drink on the house for everyone! LOL!
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most definitely a tweaker! I would be sooooo board if I didn’t change something every time I did it!
Stef
http://sweatersurgery.blogspot.com/
http://craftside.typepad.com/
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