Using Fragrance to Help Build Beading Creativity

One of the most overlooked creativity building influences that we can control is, in my opinion and experience, the use of fragrance in the studio or beading area. Fragrance is a pathway to creativity, a subtle but very powerful mental stimulant, proven to help foster a sense of well being, energy and creativity. Adding fragrance to a room or area can help us in more ways than we may anticipate.

My current favorite creativity-building fragrance products are made by Calypso Christiane Celle. Calypso has developed a line of fragrances, both candles and personal scent, that I find particularly helpful in the bead studio. Here are some of my current favorites, and their particular influences for me. They are:

Thé:
This is a great fragrance for everything. It's bright and sparkling, and makes me feel energized, happy, focused and clear-headed. I use the candle or spray while I'm working with beads, writing or, especially, when corresponding with readers and others. I also find it to be great when I work with silver and semi-precious stones in the cool color families.

Marine:
A warm day at the beach is the only way to describe this amazing fragrance. A must when I work with organic stones, since most organics are marine in nature - shells, pearls, and corals. But this fragrance also works with amber, jet and meerschaum, since each of these substances has watery associations. Very refreshing, too, when I'm tired or feeling low.

Tangerine (AKA Homme):
An excellent energy-builder. I love to give my studio a spritz of this one first thing in the morning, while I'm getting ready to start my day. It's a great motivator and a wonderful way to "clear the cobwebs" if I've slept too long or stayed up to late the night before. I also take this along on those big bead shopping events; using a little when I begin to run out of energy and start lagging.

Rose:
Calypso's Rose is a honeyed rose; emitting a complex, sweet, and citrus combination, like certain roses in the garden when they've been warmed by the sun. It's uplifting and perfect if I'm feeling a little frazzled and need a happy boost while I work. Used while working with crystals, it seems to keep the work sophisticated, never tacky or gaudy.

Ambre:
This is such a perfect interpretation of the frangrance of Amber. While I've only experienced Ambre in candle form, it is one of my favorites in the Calypso line. It is a warm and gentle; enveloping the area in a heady, almost intoxicating scent, but is not at all overwhelming. It's perfect for me when I'm designing, sketching, planning or laying out and choosing the beads for a new project.

Gardenia:
Cheer in a bottle, and, though I have not experienced the candle, I bet it's just as wonderful. Light, bright and sunny, with a sweet edge and a clear, refreshing note. I like this when I work with small stones, seed beads, pale, feminine colors, and anything meant to be cheery. It is uplifting and works well for adding a bright edge to the atmosphere, even on a cloudy or gray day.

Chevrefeuille:
Another great green fragrance, one that I love to use when I work on mixed media, bead embroidery and other bead, fabric, or found-object combinations. It is a complex, clean, and energizing, but is meditative and make me feel reflective. When I use Chevrefeuille I can work for hours without feeling stressed or fatigued. I also use this fragrance to jump-start the inspiration when I'm feeling a little flat in the ideas department.

Mimosa:
Mimosa is pure "sunshine in a bottle" and partners well with Chevrefeuille for inspiration. I use this one to scent my studio when I need to move in a different direction. Lightly citrus, with a green overlay, it helps break me out of creative ruts and is great when I start procrastinating. Mimosa also helps keep the burnout to a minimum, making me feel cheerful and enthusiastic the whole time I'm working.

Jasmin:
This scent is absolutely perfect those days when you feel like doing anything except the work you need to do. Jasmin is not an energy booster, though, but a slow, gentle, uplift; inspiring a relaxed and confident energy. It also helps me tremendously with concentration, and I use it frequently if I find myself jumping from project to project, checking e-mail every five minutes, getting up & down, fluttering about the studio. It's also very comforting, which may account for the increase in concentration.

Figue:
I smile every time I think of this fragrance. It has the warmth, depth, and complexity that the name implies, but also has a cheerful note that makes it unlike anything I've ever experienced in a fragrance. Dark and light, musky and flowery, citrus and green, it's everything rolled into one, and it works perfectly. I've only tried the spray, but it makes me happy, lending a sense of playfulness when I use it. I've done some of my best beadwork while "under the influence" of this charming fragrance.

Mimosa:
I love this fragrance when I'm in need of a boost of confidence. If I have one of those days when I doubt my own abilities, I just spritz a bit of Mimosa, or light the candle, and I find I can shake out that extra bit of confidence I need to finish whatever has me stuck. This fragrance also works wonders as deadlines near, to give me that extra boost to finish on time.

Vanille:
Vanille is unlike any vanilla I've ever experienced. Warm, with a tiny citrus touch, and none of that awful "cake and cookies" association, although I've only used the candle, not the spray. I use this one when my work is just not going well; the designs don't jell, the clasp is wrong, the beads don't "read" right, or I need to rip out rows due to an error. I just step away, light the candle, wait a few minutes, and start over. Works every time!

Violette:
I have to admit that I have not had the pleasure of working with this scent very much, but what little I've used has had the interesting effect of "naturalizing" my work. It seems to encourage the use of at least one natural element; a touch of wood, a quill, a nut, seeds, or a bead made of natler or bone. It's also great when I'm irritable or have had too much coffee. I would love to use this fragrance more, to see where else it takes me.