hand crafted jewelry

A Few of my Favorite Things

/ becreativemary / 2 Comments

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I started making jewelry oh probably 15 years ago.  The jewelry I was seeing in stores was just not sparkly or colorful enough.  So I tried my hand at making my own pieces.  I was working for my family picture framing & art gallery when a customer came in and loved a necklace I was wearing.  His son had a pretty famous website and he thought he’d probably want to sell my creations.

What? Someone might want to buy something I simply made for fun???

That concept had never been a consideration and this amazing creative lightbulb went off.  What if I could spend everyday just having fun making things I enjoyed making?  Well then I’d never have to work another day in my life – because it would never feel like work  -it would feel like play.

That unsuspecting customer coming in and commenting on my necklace changed my life.  It created a personal paradigm shift within and I’ve never turned back.

Now I’m definitely not a millionaire.  In fact, if I didn’t marry the most supportive guy I know, this wouldn’t be a reality.   I pretty much have been able to live to this concept.

I have fun enjoying things I make.

Now this brings me to this wonderful Ted talk I listened to.  If you are someone who sells ANYTHING in this gosh-for-saken world, listen to this amazing concept!

 Here’s the motivational speaker Simon Sinek:

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http://www.ted.com/talks/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action

My take away from this Ted talk is a fundamental notion.  “PEOPLE DON’T BUY WHAT YOU DO THEY BUY WHY YOU DO IT!”

Are people buying this little piece of sparkly metal to put around their neck because it’s my job, I produce material objects and we all need more material objects?

Hell no!

It’s because people can sense my excitement, my passion for fun and for sparkle!  I love what I do and I think you will too!  I love that I have the most colorful things I have ever seen.  That makes me smile.  People fundamentally want a part of that.

Passion, play, excitement, humor, a good smile.  I agree with Simon Sinek.  People want more of that than they want the what.

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So as I travel on into the Christmas Bazaar Battlefields, I will smile and carry my enthusiasm for the little things that bring me joy!

SCRATCHING THAT CREATIVE ITCH

/ becreativemary / 3 Comments

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If I’m being honest, I’d have to say organizing, creating print media, picture framing and the overall creation of the 365 Art shows is driving me crazy!

All of the administrative work has kept me from creating.  I haven’t picked up a paint brush since December.  I don’t even want to count how many days have passed.

One thing that has kept my creative urges in check is the pottery studio.

Especially the first few weeks of January when my 365 challenge ended.  I had no idea what to do or where to be.  I found myself wandering over to the pottery studio, where I’d poke and prod clay, still not knowing what to do.  Somehow the physical manipulation of the wet cold clay, the cutting, molding, stamping allowed my mind to drift and not worry about what needed to be done. I guess one could call it “coming back to earth”.

From this time of “just being”, came many jewelry pieces.  First I worked in the studio creating the pendants, next I glazed them and soon the project found its way home.  I’d select some beads here, string a pendant there. The simple act of creating this jewelry gave me an outlet, a ritual, even a purpose when I was feeling lost.

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I am thankful for my pottery muse.  I needed this to keep my hands busy and my mind at peace.  Luckily The Guild where I take pottery is having a pottery show next week.  I will bring my wares there in hopes of finding interested patrons.

You’ve probably heard this before from many an artist, but it’s worth saying again.  For those who need to create daily, just to be able to breathe freely, it’s generally never about amassing their creations.  It is like the Buddhist monks who spend a week designing mandalas in the sand only to sweep them away when finished.  I have this incredible urge to make things, to use my hands and to work with color.  If I don’t, I begin to feel like I am going to explode.

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I certainly miss painting, but alas I have “grown up” work to do.  Until I get back to my art studio time, I will have to derive pleasure from the small creative processes that make my heart sing.

http://www.becreativemary.com

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