8 Things I Learned By Designing Jewellery

I've been feeling a little flat lately and wondering if this whole jewellery making malarkey is worth it, or if I've totally wasted the last 4 years of my life doing something that nobody gives a crap about. 

Then, the other day, I saw a post that said simply: 

Awesome. I let the words sort of sink in, then I sat down then and started to think about what I have really learned on this journey. Here's what I came up with: 

1. I can take criticism (when it's done properly). Don't just walk up to me and tell me my stuff sucks. Actually, don't do that to anyone because it's kind of a dick move, to be honest. Say something like, "Hey, I really like this piece, but have you thought about doing ............... instead?" Yes, offer me a suggestion! I won't bite your head off for doing so. Sure, I might bite my tongue and then cry a little bit when you're not looking, but I'll certainly think over your idea and try to put it into practice later on down the road. 

2. I have more artistic talent than I thought I did in high school. You remember those art classes? The ones with the little paint pots and A3 sized paper and a gazillion brushes in the room? Then the teacher, blabbering on about some famous painter or another, expects YOU to create some sort of weird masterpiece? Yeah. I sucked at those. I mean, I really sucked. I remember one "creation" I came up with that supposed to be a silhouette of a sunset and the piers I used to go to as a kid...it looked nothing like it. I talked myself down so much over that stupid painting that I decided I would never, ever, ever, in a million years, ever be an artist. Ummm..... my mistake. 




3. I'm really good at online shopping. Do I need to explain this one? 

4. I might be just a tiny little bit pedantic. This is not a good thing, people. Okay so being pedantic about some things and needing to have stuff in a certain way can be constructive and helpful. For me, it's the most paralysing thing EVER. I can't work if my workspace is a mess. My workspace is always a mess. You see the problem? I clean it up, I work well for a while, then by the time I'm done it looks like little jewellery making elves came in during the night and had a party on my desk. Then I can't work because it's a mess and it's too overwhelming to clean it up, but then I do because I'm so desperate to create something...... and so it goes.  Sigh. 



5. I am far too easily distracted. It's a problem. Oh look.....beads and wire and cogs and clocks and...Oooh someone liked my Instagram photo! I have comments on Facebook.... Oh yeah. I was writing a blog....my bad. 

6.  The jewellery making community ROCKS. For the most part, anyway. There's always the few who look down their nose and go "Oh, you just string? That's nice." Yeah, I did just string until a few weeks ago, and I don't see anything wrong with that. It is still art! Aargh! I'm a member of SRAJD (Self Representing Artists in Jewellery Design) and that community is amazing. It's full of super supportive, funny, entertaining and insanely talented people, all trying to make the world a better place one creation at a time :D 

7. I have a serious addiction to storage boxes. I can count 15 different types of storage just sitting here. That doesn't include the stuff that's NOT here on my workspace within easy reach, or what's in my filing cabinet which doesn't actually store anything that needs to be filed.. My husband sent me a text a couple of weeks ago telling me he'd bought me a present. It was more storage for my clay. I was so excited I actually squealed when I saw the photo. I may have a problem.

8. Making jewellery is my world. Apart from husband and children of course. It comes a very close 2nd. I've learned that if you're not doing something that you truly love - something that you can be proud of and that is pretty much an extension of yourself, you're not really living. Go. Find your passion. 

With all my love,

xxx