Studio Friday - Gluttony (and Lust)

I missed last week's Studio Friday, so I thought I'd catch up by doing two in one, today. I'll start with the more recent of the two. Tine is leading us through a series of prompts based on "The Seven Deadly Sins", and this week's sin is gluttony. Here's the prompt:

"What do you overindulge in during your days in your studio while creating? Food or drink? How bad is it and how bad is it for you? How are you planning on changing it?"

Since I work with polymer clay, my hands tend to be sticky when I'm in my craft room. Either that, or I'm wearing gloves. In either case, eating isn't easy, so I actually eat less when I'm working with the clay! I don't often drink in there, either, though I have been known to take a can of Dr. Pepper with me, if I'm very thirsty.

Tangent: Outside of the clay room, my guilty indulgences include Dr. Pepper, junk food, and sweets. I love pizza, ice cream, and candy... and Little Debbie snack cakes... and chips and popcorn. I do eat more candy/sweets and drink more soda than I ought to, probably. But I've got my cola-consumption down to one a day-- most days-- and I think that's about as good as it's gonna get! ;o) As for the candy and other sweets... Well, if they're in the house, I'm going to eat them, so I guess I'll have to stop buying them. :o( I like healthier snacks, too-- like fruit-- but if I have a less healthy option, I'm sorely tempted.

Depending on my mood, I may overindulge in talk radio or music (80s and 90s pop, Enya-esque, techno/dance, hammered dulcimer, Pink Floyd, The Wailin' Jennys-- my tastes are varied). That qualifies as gluttony of the ears, I guess? ;o)

The talk radio can sometimes be bad for me, as it can put me in a bad mood if I get too much of it-- but in limited doses, it's stimulating. As for the music, how could Enya or 80s pop ever be bad? ;o) Ok, after a while, I get tired of even my favorite music, so I switch CDs often and sometimes work in silence.

...Come to think of it, maybe I'm also a glutton for fake, miniature foods, since that's a large part of what I make, these days. I made these mini Pop-Tarts as a custom order just yesterday, and the cupcakes came out of the oven this afternoon.

Now for last week's topic:

"What do you desire? What feeds your passion and excessive love? Do you listen to your heart's desires or not? What happens if you do, what happens if you don't?"

Usually, my response would be a loud "New supplies!" (such as the alcohol inks pictured above), but since it's not long since my birthday, and since my husband totally over-did it and spoiled me with gifts ;o), and since I still have some of those gifts (new supplies among them) untried, un-played-with-- I really can't give that answer. I'm sure the day will come again when I'll be making a wishlist, but for now I don't really need much... in the way of clay supplies...

...but come to think of it... I actually have been making a wishlist of jewelry supplies. (blush) So that's the materialistic side of my "lust". I've been thinking of cabochon mounts (to use with the resin-making supplies waiting in the craft room)... ring blanks (or whatever you'd call 'em) to make some cool rings with... maybe some fancy bails to use on pendants instead of the jumprings I've been using... and so on. And I do have one or two new clay books I'd like to at least look through-- but they're not even published yet. (g)

On a different level, I desire to make beautiful or interesting things... to find new techniques that work for me-- that kind of thing.

My passion is fed by the fun I have working with the clay-- the joy I get in writing about and sharing photos of it-- the pride I take in a well-made piece-- and looking at the wonderful things others are doing with it.

I think I always at least listen to my heart's desire, but sometimes I tell it that it'll have to wait-- especially if it's wishing for yet another supply or tool. ;o) Don't feel too sorry for it, though. I indulge it often enough, trust me! (g)

When I do give in, I of course experience a temporary "high". ("Yay, I've got it!"-- whatever "it" happens to be.) Sometimes that high lasts, and I know it was a good decision; sometimes I end up wondering what in the world I was thinking. When I don't give in, I usually am just post-poning the inevitable, but there are times when I realize duing my cooling-off period that it was a good thing I thought it through.

I should probably impose a "cooling-off period" more often!