Information OVERLOAD.

Today's Silver Price: $30.35/t.oz.

The amount of information now available to us is staggering. These days if I am curious about something or need an answer to a question the solution is always "Google it!" The internet is a vast library of endless information and resources. I have learned to make rings from videos and articles online. I made my light tent from an online article. I check the price of silver everyday on the internet. Anything I want to know about or learn is at my fingertips.

Lately I've been feeling overwhelmed by all of this information. I keep finding new websites or new blogs that are interesting or educational. Videos on jewelry making, articles on fine art, blogs on selling handmade goods, webinars on utilizing social media to promote your business... I want to absorb it all! Then there is the news and current events, protests, wars, politics... forget about it. It's too much! Even if you stayed on the computer all day everyday you probably would not be able to soak up everything.

I just watched an instructional video on metal stamping on JewelryMakingDaily.com. It was a short five-minute video. Wasn't earth-shattering but was still informative. This is the kind of stuff I want to see more of and could see more of if I didn't have to work an office job all day. After spending most of my eight hour work day on a computer, coming home to use my computer is not all that appealing.

I have a ton of saved emails from Handmade Success that I never have time to read. They are full of tips and advice for crafters and artisans that have their own business. I keep saving them thinking one day I will sit down and read all of them. I may never have the time to read them all.

Today on my lunch break I was on Facebook and I saw an interesting post from Halstead Bead Inc. However I was using my Crackberry which is not conducive to reading an article, so I told myself to remember to come back to it later when I could sit down at the computer. Today I actually did go back to it and read the post and watched the free metal stamping video it linked to (mentioned above). However this is unusual. Typically I glance over the posts on Facebook and make note of the interesting things, but then never go back to get a closer look. I tell myself that when I have time I will look at all this stuff that I've perused. I think trying to catch up on everything would be impossible!

I have a Twitter account but I hardly ever use it. I really should utilize it more often, I have heard stories of jewelry designers who have been successful simply by promoting their product and website on Twitter. I haven't fully grasped Twitter. I don't see how people find one or two sentences to be interesting. Also I feel it contributes to our rapidly shrinking attention spans. We read a post, we giggle, we move on. Always worried about what's next; what else is out there.

So many ideas floating through my head. It's hard to hold on to them! Do you ever get home from work and try to remember some really great idea you had in the middle of the day but it's gone? This happens to me all the time! The ideas that I can't hold on to are jewelry designs, patterns, painting inspirations, interesting shapes and new materials or a new way of creating something. A coworker's necklace, the shape of the clouds in the sky, or the color of a highlighter can all spark a new idea. Today I brought my sketchbook to work. On my lunch break I started jotting down some of the things that had been bouncing around in my head that morning. This may partially solve my problem of fleeting ideas and thoughts... if I can hold onto the thoughts until lunch time! I feel that I may start to become preoccupied with the sketchbook when I should be focusing on work projects. Today I was doodling at my desk on sticky notes. Not a good habit to get into. Even though my office is super laid back, I don't think they would appreciate me using company time and supplies to scribble down the designs in my head... sigh.

Managing the information- both on the internet and in my head. I believe this will be one of the biggest challenges I find in maintaining my business, improving my jewelry making skills and nurturing my creative energies. Being able to focus on one idea at a time and seeing it to it's fruition. I think I need to start meditating to keep my mind clear! More yoga!