Two Heads Are Better Than One

So, as I said, I constantly dream of being able to create things that I simply do not have the skills, knowledge or expertise to make. And gauging from the comments and email from my last post ("Embracing Uncomfortable") 

many of you do this, too. It makes sense that our creative minds are always seeking ways to play. Over the years I've been able to satisfy some of those creative whims by collaborating with friends.

For instance, after thinking about it for years, I fulfilled my fantasy of creating a giant wooden clock with my friend Rob. I drew it, he cut it out, sanded and primed it, and I painted it. Dubbed 'Mister Kitty' by my dear friend Amy, he travels with me to trade shows often and sits in front of my booth. (My friend and mentor Julie Ueland calls this 'booth bait' because it gets people's attention from afar.) Last year Mr. Kitty was joined by Dancing Dog. I love them!

I design jewelry in my head all the time. I dream it, I draw it. But let's face it, it takes years to become a good metalsmith and I've got a more than full time job already. So a few years ago at ACRE I approached a wonderful jewelry designer named Joanna Craft and asked if she'd be interested in collaborating. To my delight she agreed and created a gorgeous line of jewelry using my artwork as the images. I can't tell you how thrilling it was for me to see what someone else's expert hands and creative mind did with my artwork. 

If you've been reading this blog since the beginning, you know about Spoonflower.com, a fantastic website that allowed me to make another one of my dreams come true. Fabric design has been at the top of my dream list for as long as I can remember. So when I discovered Spoonflower I went wild. But a few weeks ago, my friend Colleen MacDonald helped me take my dream one step further when she agreed to use my fabrics to make some of her wonderful wallets for me. 

I love all of Colleen's BCharmer Creations and it was so much fun to work with her. She helped me choose additional fabrics and colored snaps from her incredible collection and voila! 

Combining two visions and different mediums can be really exciting and rewarding, whether just for your private collection or to provide additional income for both of you. So I suggest that next time you find yourself wishing you make or create something which you don't have the skills for, find someone who does and start playing. And when you do, please send me the stories and pictures so I can share them here!