It's been good to get back to making and doing this past couple of weeks after the open studios. I was inspired by my visitors, and talking about my work gave me an opportunity to review my creative focus and to see what I do through new eyes. Now it is time to stretch my wings a little and begin to push through some ideas that have been brewing for a while. 
I always have about half a dozen projects on the go, some just started, all bright and fresh, some part way explored, some a little tired and waiting for something to spark them back into life, and some seemingly finished but maybe not. 
At the moment I've been enjoying a brand new project inspired by my grandson's circle drawings. Working on this has nudged a couple of other ideas along a little as well and this is why I tend to have more than one thread hanging at all times. Sometimes, like now, this can work in my favour. Other times I can feel a bit all over the place and then I have to focus down and concentrate on moving one thing forward to completion. This can be hard. The meandering play is sweet, aimless pleasure but there needs to be a balance between that and determination and drive. If I lean too much towards either of these qualities what I produce seems to go wrong. The work can become hard and heavy, too calculated and blunt. Or alternatively too loose and sloppy, too general and wishy-washy. 
The knack is to find a line between these two things so that the free-flow of play is married to the integrity and discipline of work. It's a line that i am constantly re-negotiating. And with which I am always trying to hold connection without grasping too tightly and losing it completely.