There is truly a bottomless pit of design, ideas
and ability inside your head but you feel you don't have the talent to do anything
with it.
Most folks think that way. Countless times, through necessity
and just plain hard times, I've discovered things about myself that I never
knew were there. I get amazed sometimes.
It's inside you, too. You've
just never been determined enough.
Sounds like I'm pushing my own product
but the fact is that when I learned how to manipulate my world with mold making,
I opened up a whole new world inside myself. Part of my own succcess came through
insatiable curiosity. I always had to know, "How did they make that?"
I
just happened to have a creative grandmother who lived 700 miles away. When asked
if I could find a way to replicate an animals jawbone, in miniature, for a project,
I wrote to my grandmother. By hand-written letter, she gave me instructions for building
a rubber mold out of rubber latex. It was trial and error but I managed.
I
spent a childhood, finding and creating things with raw clay. When I discovered
the world of poured ceramics, later in life, it only fed the fires of curiosity.
Learning the in's and out's of pouring clay was not enough. I looked to those molds
in wonderment and that just pushed me further.
When life handed me a raw
deal, I weasled my way out by learning, the hard way, how to design for ceramics
and make the molds. I managed to eek out a living while staying safely tucked in
the underground world of women hiding from the gun of an ex-husband.
The
cherished part of that chapter in my life was the discovery of what all I had inside
me, hidden even from myself.
Nothing would thrill me more than helping others
discover this very thing within themselves.
The ideas are there and you don't
have to copy. What is in your own head, can be perfectly marketable.
What
is it that makes you stop and notice? Flowers? Clouds? Old things? Babies? Puppies
or kittens?
How about a list of things that spark your interest. Make one
of your own. Something like:
Carved and polished wood.
Polished stones.
Scroll
work on clocks.
Water fountains.
Needlepoint
Sculptured wall hangings
Old
cars
Twisted tree roots
Exotic fish
Snakes
Turtles
Whatever happens
to be favorites for you, regardless of how simple.
Now realize, you're not
alone. Others find these things fascinating. Those others could be your end customers.
Let's
say you have a thing for turtles. We'll start there. If a formed object, where all
could a turtle be and what could a turtle design do? How cute could a turtle be?
Dressed up? A girl turtle with long eyelashes?
Could the turtle be a mug?
A remote holder? A trinket box? A clock? A bird feeder? A sculpured wall hanging?
A sugar bowl? A pet feeder?
Use the same creative thoughts for just about
anything. I mean, could polished stones be set in clear resin to make a spoon rest?
Let's
say you have absolutely no money to experiment. Can you get your hands on a bag of
earthenware clay for about $4? What kind of molding material could you afford? Plaster
or liquid latex is about the cheapest. With liquid latex, you could make molds to
pour plaster objects. Or if you can afford more, there are numerous different kinds
of rubber you can use to make a mold to pour resins.
Did you know that you
can add just about anything to resin to either add texture or stretch the costs?
Sand,sawdust,powders of all kinds. You could find a way to grind up old plastic coffee
containers to mix with resin. Not only would that turn trash into treasure, it would
give color to your projects and stretch the resin cost. Don't be afraid to experiment.
I
talk about molds because only through molded obects, can you continuously replicate
your original design. Let's face it, not everybody can sell that 'one of a kind'
for big bucks. Most of us have to find a way to reproduce as cheaply as possible,
while cutting down on labor time. Why not let your designing time, pay you back
over and over?
Here's an idea? Come up with cute and decorative ways to tell
people 'No Smoking'? That's certainly on everybody's minds today. How about something
cute that decorates the dining table, that is actually a pill identity system for
those with bad eyesight? Divided small trays with identifying design by feel. Differing
number of small buttons or identifying shapes? Spark any ideas?
If you can
come up with items that help people to be more independent in their own personal
lives, you've come up with a huge seller. Help people to help themselves or give
to the market, something they can't resist. It's cute, it's useful, it cuts down
on costs in some way, it feels good, they want to share it.
How about a unique
toilet paper holder for the bathroom? I designed one that can store 4 rolls and uses
no center spindle but nobody's making it. If you want the idea just give me a holler
by email.
Take what's in your head and find a way to push those hot buttons.
After all, you're not designing just for a hobby.
Of course, if you are designing
just for a hobby, you don't care if anybody else likes it. Just do it.
What
I'm getting at is that there is more to you than you think. Pick up a bar of soap
and a knife and see what you can make of it.
Judy Sims
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