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For artists and collectors sponsored by Intercal...your mohair supplier and Johnna's Mohair Store
Do you ever have 'why' days in your bear making/designing? I've certainly do. I've had a 'why several days,' in fact. 
I had a beautiful piece of faux fur and knew exactly the style of bear it would be perfect for, so why then, did I go off on a tangent and spend several days designing something completely different, only to hate it at the end?!! Hate it so much in fact, that I disassembled the dreadful thing, stole back all my washers, hacked out its pretty eyes and quite literally threw it away!! 
All I could hear myself muttering was 'why Paula?, You know what you like, you know what you are good at, so what on earth are you doing exploring a design you don't like anyway?' Hmmmn. Good question. There's 'nowt as queer as bear designers,' I guess! 
So, I've wasted several days and I have a show on the horizon! Duh! :doh:
Anyone else feel driven to explore things that don't really appeal to them in the first place? If so, d'you reckon we should have more sense and should really concentrate on what we do best, or on the other hand, do you think we should continually push ourselves into new areas to broaden the range of skills we can offer? I'd love to hear your views! 
Strange BearsIt's called the creative process. Even though you may not like the final result you may have tried new techniques or skills.........and if you had loved the result?.....would you be upset or just amazed. We just have to follow that creative urge where is takes you........for better or worse......
Bumpkin BearsPaula, we are both at exactly the same point right now! I've got two bears that I've been trying to make in January but can't even bear! to finish because I don't like them at all, just don't feel like me.
I too with the new year thought I would try something different, a new design, spent hours and hours drawing, thinking and designing, but the moment I started cutting into the mohair I didn't feel right about it... but I carried on, not feeling too positive, and with each step things went wrong, nothing seemed to work right, leg positions in wrong place, couldn't get eyes how I wanted them, couldn't get the nose right, all problems I have not encountered for ages with the designs I like deep down in my heart...............Agghghghghghghghghghgh YEP I too was beyond fed up and feeling like a complete beginner all over again and not enjoying what I was creating! :crackup: 
I've been having difficulty with my health and family issues too which is really getting me down so this was just the "straw that broke the camels back"!!
I made a decision yesterday to go back to my roots, the bears that I know I love and enjoy to make and try to bring back some of the love and enjoyment of this creative process. So I think it is good to try new things and be creative I think we need to stay true to what we love. This is not meaning we can't get creative within that area. I know there are soooo many talented artists here that can really step out of the box, but there is always a look of their style about their pieces.
Take a deep breath Paula, try not to bash yourself up too much, like I did :crackup: !!
BIG relaxing hugs,
Catherine
xxx
Dear Paula,
Just a quick note here as I've got to get ready for work, but I tried something entirely NOT ME before and just hated it. I know the "doesn't feel right" feeling. We must stay true to our hearts for that is when we "shine" through our creations.
I too have chucked a few "Not Me" pieces and haven't regretted doing so. So don't beat yourself up over it ...you tried it and it just wasn't you .... so now you'll never wonder ....what if I had .... now you know!!! So it wasn't a total loss.
Have a better day ...now off to work.
Hugs,
Wanda
Laurie Lou BearsI have just done the same thing myself.Someone liked a 20 inch bear that I had just sold and wanted me to make them one similar.My faces never turn out exactly the same so I thought I would tweak the original pattern and make the nose a bit different.I didn't like it so on to head number 2-I thought I would lengthen the nose as number 1 was a bit short.Didn't like that either.On to head number 3 and the last one I could do before I wouldn't have enough mohair left to finish the rest of the bear.Head number 3 was the original one that I had made Walter with and the one the lady liked.He looks different to Walter but he is the best head out of all.Why didn't I just use the original in the first place aaargh.I had sat up until 1.30am for 3 nights trying to get it right putting in eyes noses etc hoping they would look ok when I finished them.I know exactly how you feel and how much time that you can spend on them.Sometimes though you have to go through this process as you will never know what you will like in the end and it could have worked out in your favour-Just wish it wasn't such a lengthy process and in my case it would have been much easier if it was one of my 12 inch bears as I hand sew all of mine!
The funny thing is that as you try out these things it doesn't take long before your instincts are telling you this isn't going to work yet you still try to make it work.I have thrown many a head in the bin much to hubbys dismay when it is one of those heads that I just don't like.You know that you don't like it and sometimes you can't even explain why
Maybe thats what makes an artist good at what they do as they can see the difference between a good piece of work and something that just hasn't got it.
Laurie :hug:
Posts: 1,836Anyone else feel driven to explore things that don't really appeal to them in the first place? If so, d'you reckon we should have more sense and should really concentrate on what we do best, or on the other hand, do you think we should continually push ourselves into new areas to broaden the range of skills we can offer? I'd love to hear your views! :thumbsup:
YES! I did this a lot last year. I know what I like, not just what I'm "good" at...but I know what inspires me, what drives me, etc..BUT I kept trying to make this other thing work. I finally just looked at the last piece, the time it was taking and the frustration of it all and said "WHY am I doing this?". I thought about it a lot and came out with the simplest answer "I know what makes ME happy, what inspires me, what makes my creations mine, that's the right path"
That's not to say I don't try new things, explore new ideas, push myself to be my own personal best. Not at all...BUT I looked at myself honestly and said stop trying to fit into a mold that's not who or what you're about. I've been so much happier since!!! 
:hug:
~Chrissi
...BUT I looked at myself honestly and said stop trying to fit into a mold that's not who or what you're about. I've been so much happier since!!!
That's it in a nutshell Chrissi! :clap:
Thank you so much for bringing this up Paula....I was having the same issue....I have started making all these puppies and haven't wanted to make a bear just yet, well yesterday I forced myself to start a bear and it was a disaster!!!! Spent 2 days just making a new pattern. I plan to just let the puppies run their course and I am sure that a bear will push through sooner rather than later!!!
Hugs,
Krista
Jane Perala Designs Ltd.I hear you all, and I hate to be the lone dissenter, but I think it is good to push yourself into other avenues every now and again. We all are comfortable with the tried and true and what works for us, but I feel that as artists we need to push beyond that in order to grow and improve. Even if what we try ends up as a disaster, we have learnt that that isn't quite the avenue to travel, and maybe the next venture out of the box will be the one that does. That is just my 2 cents worth, and I hope no one takes offense.
Sorry about all the metaphors in my post. 
Jane P.
aerBearsThis is what sucks about bear making, I feel bad for the bears that don't turn out. One time, I did the same thing, I hated it, tore it open to get my parts back and plucked out the eyes and threw it in the trash. When I opened the trash later, there it was staring up at me ... well, kinda glancing in my direction (hard to tell with no eyes).
It made me feel so bad I started crying. Since then, when I don't like something, I keep on going, give it some cute accessories and give it away to a member of my family.
Hmmm, its just a piece of fabric right?
Aeri
I hear you all, and I hate to be the lone dissenter, but I think it is good to push yourself into other avenues every now and again. We all are comfortable with the tried and true and what works for us, but I feel that as artists we need to push beyond that in order to grow and improve. Even if what we try ends up as a disaster, we have learnt that that isn't quite the avenue to travel, and maybe the next venture out of the box will be the one that does. That is just my 2 cents worth, and I hope no one takes offense.
Sorry about all the metaphors in my post.Jane P.
I agree to an extent Jane .. after all, if there's a creative bone in a bod it nags at us to give something new a go, or we become bored with the repetition of staying within our comfort zone. I think for me though, it's a case of working from the heart, rather than attempting something I don't really like in the first place. For example, I knew from the outset that the bear I was determined to design would never capture my heart as a collector ... I'm just not keen on that particular style of bear. So what on earth was I doing trying to convince myself otherwise?!! I would have been better employed using my time to develop something that really did inspire me, both as a bear maker and also as a collector. Instead I was trying something, purely for the sake of trying it. So, all in all, I think it was destined to failure! :redface: 
Do you find when you're changing your pattern in a dramatic way that you're also going through a period where you feel out of control or you're going through one of life's bumps in the road? I do this. For me, dramatic changes in patterns is my way of feeling that I have at least a little control over something in my life.
Take the little anime bear I made for example. Anime is not a style I would normally create. I adore and drool over other peoples designs though! In the end though, it's just not a style for me. However, going through a rough spot at the end of last year, I got a wild hair and sat down one day and designed an anime bear. My life was in hyper-drive and I needed to feel like I had control over just one thing. Designing is my control. The bear turned out cute enough but I won't be making any more of them. It's just not a style that works for me.
So in a way, these dramatic times in my life do have silver linings, they push me to design bears I might not normally design or to try a new technique. Change isn't always a bad thing. Breaking out of our comfort zone is a scary thing. If you're going through a scary bit in your life though, breaking out of that zone doesn't really seem that scary any more. At least it doesn't for me.
Warmest bear hugs, :hug:
Aleta
This is what sucks about bear making, I feel bad for the bears that don't turn out. One time, I did the same thing, I hated it, tore it open to get my parts back and plucked out the eyes and threw it in the trash. When I opened the trash later, there it was staring up at me ... well, kinda glancing in my direction (hard to tell with no eyes).
It made me feel so bad I started crying. Since then, when I don't like something, I keep on going, give it some cute accessories and give it away to a member of my family.
Hmmm, its just a piece of fabric right?
Aeri
:crackup: :crackup: Ha ha!!
I'm glad I'm not the only one!!! Once I've started a bear, it feels like they have started to 'come alive', so I have a bag full of half made bears that I knew weren't going to work, but can't bear to throw away!!! Luckily I work in miniature so they don't take up much room!!!!!
I love the old looking bears. But every time I try to make one it ends up with huge eyes and lids and lots of shading cause I just can't stop fiddling until it ends up there!
Bumpkin BearsI know where you are coming from Aleta, at the minute my life is not going too well and it's all rather getting me down and stressing me out, so by trying something new I wanted to feel at least I could do this well and be in control of something! But this time it didn't work out quite right and made me feel even more frustrated 
But hey, at least I tried! Other new designs have worked well for me, so I think I just wasn't thinking too clearly with this one. I'm going to work on some bears in a style I know I love just to try and be a form of comfort and pleasure amongst the other bumps going on in my life right now. I can never throw my mistake bears away either 
Catherine
x
Ooh, Aleta, are you secretly a witch?!! 
My life couldn't feel any less in my control right now ... it's completely topsy turvy and giving me sleepless nights (nothing awful, just having to face up to relinquishing my independence, moving house and starting a new life with someone again!) and now that I've read your post, my dodgy design days seem to make perfect sense! Spooky!!
Past Time BearsI found a meaningful quote that addresses this situation to a certain extent.
"To be a human being, to be a great artist, you've got to have unusual experiences. You've got to get out of your comfort zone." Jose' Antonio Bowen, Dean of the Meadows School of the Arts, Southern Methodist University
Posts: 1,836I guess what I was trying to say above is I'm always trying new things...always. Sometimes to a point of having to reel myself back into focus. But there is no sense in trying to fit a square into a circle. Me doing animee would be painful for all involved :crackup:
It's obvious when an artist is passionate about their work and it's also very obvious when they are not. If they're not passionate about it or "thriving" whilst doing it they have to ask themselves "why" am I doing this? Try new things, push yourself to be a personal best...but don't create stress for the wrong reasons
:hug:
~Chrissi
Yes ..I have had one of those days today..when an idea that I had prepared for..drawn...made patterns for..made accessories..and finally when it all came together looked like an ill conceived monstrosity...so I absolutely do know where you're coming from!!
Patsy Lake BearsI am in a why time just now ..I have designed a four legged polar bear and made it up in faux fur... It turned out ok just a few adjustments to do ...made it up in mohair and it just isn't looking like I wanted it too ... another new head on the way!!!!
dusty attic bearsThis post has really made me laugh, it must be that time of year, because I have been doing the same thing.For the past two days i have been making a Baboon.YES A BABOON.Please don't ask me why, I tend to have these funny few days every so often.Anyway I am really not sure if i like him and I feel that I have waisted my bear making time.Why oh Why do we do these things. :crackup: :crackup: :crackup:
Ps I will post photo's when he is finished.
Brisbane:crackup: :crackup: :crackup: :crackup:
This post makes me laugh so much...I think we all do this don't we?? I also agree with Jane that it does us good to push ourselves out of our comfort zone even if it is to design something that turns out hideously ugly ....If nothing else it reminds us of what we love and what we are good at. Like Aleta I have one little anime bear that I have made (more by accident that design ) turned out cute enough but I won't be going back there!!!
But I can't throw any of them away...and I am compelled to finish them all even if they are hideous!!!
Jane Perala Designs Ltd.Paula, does this mean that you tried the "distressed" bear you were mentioning in another thread, and it didn't work? Do tell us please. I wish you had taken pics.
Paula, does this mean that you tried the "distressed" bear you were mentioning in another thread, and it didn't work? Do tell us please. I wish you had taken pics.
No it doesn't Jane! The distressed bear thread was more about my curiosity over how bear makers deal with achieving different looks ... I actually do really like the tatty ted style, but I'm not sure that working with the processes to achieve them, is quite me. It's something I'm going to give more thought to. I've always worked on the principle that if collectors are paying over £200 for something, I want them to feel it's perfect, special ... new!! I need to get my head round asking money for something I've deliberately sabotaged! (No disrespect to anyone who makes aged looking bears ... as you know, I think they are really appealing!)
The bear I was unhappy with was a double neck jointed bear (once again, no disrespect to anyone who makes double neck jointed bears - some styles are fabulous!) I've made them in the past but never been quite satisfied with them, so I thought I'd pick up the idea again and rework it to make a double neck jointed laughing bear I was really happy with ... in the end I decided that the extra (time consuming and fiddly) processes didn't add anything extra to the appeal of the original single necked laughing bear design, so felt frustrated that I'd wasted my time developing something that I really didn't need to develop in the first place!
I think it's taught me that you can definitely go too far with a design and we could all do with learning to recognise when it's appropriate to push forward into unexplored areas and when we'd be better employed recognising where our boundaries should be!
The bears above are some of my original double neck joint bears from several years ago ...
Teddybears SwedenLast year I tried a new design and happend to make a teddybears head look just like a hen.... having an orange beak and everything! Don't need to tell you that I didn't finshed that one huh..... (It was just suppose to be a cute bear with a bigger chin!!)
