I have plunged back into my big piece and I am pleasantly reinspired! Having taken time away to create holiday gifts and two independent projects, it was good to return to this piece that has claimed so much of my time. I am excited to see it beginning to come together. When I met with an artist friend, she was impressed with how much I'd accomplished and that, too, was inspiring. Doing a project with so much repetition can be overwhelming, but it is also empowering to create something significant. That is why mixing it up is so important. Trying to keep interested in whatever I am doing, and motivated to complete projects and continue to grow, I think a variety of projects is essential. Doing something on commission, like my last piece, or for a gift, the person figures prominently in my working process. A large exhibition piece brings other thoughts to mind. I want to create something that can be viewed by a large audience and that I will be proud to present publicly. It's a good incentive but also a bit scary! Having a deadline is also a good motivator. One thing that a large piece always ilicits from me and viewers, is the question of how many beads are involved. To keep track, I have a running mental tally going. So far, on just the back piece, I have over 20,000 beads! When I read a book, I try to finish chapters in a sitting. Here, I try to finish rows, or get another 100, 500, etc. beads added. Whatever keeps me beading!