Friday, Oct. 15, 2010 - 3:22 p.m.

The daily calligraphy practice is working: only a week in, and not only are my letterforms improving, but I dream about letters at night, and I'm beginning to get silly ideas about Art again. Those ideas that are either brilliant or stupid (or possibly either, depending on how they're executed and/or who is trying to get you to buy them).

I keep coming back to calligraphy in worn/displayed identity-- calligraphy on jewelry. I guess that's a good thing, since that's what I do, except I'm a bit disillusioned with what I've been doing now that I have a few years under my belt of seeing what people actually like to buy (to the extent that they like to buy any of it).

I keep coming up with ideas that are on the cute/clever/gimmicky side, when what I really want is to make people say, "ooh, look at that!". I'd like both: surprise, then awe. I've got a ways to go.

Sometimes when trying to brainstorm, I do better to try to think of something that I'd think was cool if someone else did it, rather than to try to think of something I would like to do. Strangely third-person approach. I picture the type of artist I would like to be, and then try to imagine what that person might make. And then I steal their idea.

Unfortunately for me, that nonexistant artist-I'd-like-to-be is also better with people and a better self-promoter than I'll ever be, and I can't seem to imagine that kind of competence up for myself.

Entering the period of winter artistic frustration early this year. Or maybe I never came out of it last year.

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