a start

When I got the stuff I ordered from Niko, I said that I was hoping that it would be the start of being more creative. Of course, I had really already started getting creative earlier in the week with the making of Dora's recipe book. And, last weekend, I purposefully went to the farmers' market to do a photo shoot. So, what I'm really hoping is that I make time to be more creative.

Writing the first two posts on this blog (first published in my other blogs) was a step towards being more creative. I've really been wanting to get back to writing -- both the more casual/fun blogging and the more serious academic writing -- so it's good to be able to put something down again. This morning, I decided that if I'm going to get more creative and want to document it, then I'd need to make a new blog. I know I don't really need yet another blog since I'm pretty bad at keeping them up-to-date, but it's a psychological thing, a commitment (even if it ends up being short-lived). And anyway, the creation of a blog--with the personalization of design elements--is itself a creative act. So, here we are.

Also, this morning (actually yesterday morning, since it's now past midnight), I ordered some basic bookmaking supplies. I had been looking at them the previous night, but I didn't commit to purchasing them until this morning. I had decided that I would go with pre-cut materials for accordion books so that I wouldn't have any excuse to get started right away (well, one less excuse anyway). As with any shopping, I got very excited and carried away and wanted to get all the basic equipment for both glued and sewn books. But, as I saw how much it was costing (and on the advice of my friend), I decided to only order the materials that I would actually need.

I ordered:

• 2 sets of accordion book kits (2 different sizes) -- only includes chipboard covers and inserts
• 2 kinds of adhesives -- Yes glue and PVA
• glue brush
• awl -- I don't really need this, but I got it anyway
• bone folder
• lots of decorative papers

I still spent quite a bit of money, but I'm really excited that I've taken this step. Too bad that it might take a couple of weeks for the stuff to get here, though. Who knows if the enthusiasm will be gone by then? I hope not, though.

My goal with getting these stuff is not necessarily to get all fancy, but just to get myself started. This is why I chose to go with the kits first. Once I really get into it and especially if I find that I really have the time to do it, then I can try to get more complicated. Wish me luck!

shopping and creativity

On Thursday, I got some stuff I ordered from Niko Silvester, a friend/classmate from folklore grad school. Niko is a Renaissance woman -- she writes stories, books, and comics, binds books, makes prints, creates jewelry, does photography, etc., as well as reviews video games and gaming equipment.

Last week, I was thinking of a present to get for a colleague, who is retiring after 36 years at the UCLA Library. I happened to be wearing a book necklace I had bought from Niko a couple of years ago and got a compliment on it. Niko's book jewelries are basically very miniature hand-bound books, and I figured that book jewelry is an appropriate present for a librarian. It took me a long to decide which ones to buy, but I finally picked these:


Aren't they wonderful?

Well, since I was buying stuff, I thought I might as well order something for me, too. I have always admired Niko's works, so I bought "Liminal," a black-and-white intaglio print featuring a tree trunk and fairies (I love both!). I have to say that the pictures on her website don't do it justice. I love it--it is gorgeous! And I happen to have a frame that is perfect for it. So, I have put it in the frame and found a space for it on my bedside table.


As you can see, I have sort of created a little nature-themed vignette. In front of it are two huge grey/white conch shells that I collected on one of the uninhabited barrier islands on the Eastern shore of Virginia last summer (I went on a seashell-collecting boat excursion), as well as a Jade iron fairy.

The point of all this, aside from being very happy about my purchases, is that I am inspired to do more creative stuff. I've been feeling this a lot lately anyway, and this is just another source of inspiration. So, I am hoping that writing this post is just the beginning to the rekindling of my creative endeavors (the writing part, at least).

Postscript: I asked Niko for more info about the print, and she ended up writing an entire blog post about it. It's a detailed description of the process of creating the print with some more pictures of the print. Very interesting. Seems like a lot of work! Makes me admire it even more.