Today I want to talk about my neighbor and friend. We met about four years ago when I moved to CT from Toronto and she moved next doors to me from Seattle, WA. I consider myself very lucky to have her so close to me.
We have become such great friends and she knows me very well. For many years she heard me say how I am not at all a creative person. She heard me complain about how I could not draw, paint, or come up with crafts to do with my son.
A couple of years ago I purchased a jewelry kit from Michaels. You know, the ones where they sell and has all the beads and the findings to make a piece of jewelry. It sat in my closet for months. I had mentioned to Sharron about it and she would ask me every once in a while if I had done anything with it. I finally managed to make an earring. It looked ok - not too bad I thought for someone who has no creativity. I then decided to purchase some books on the subject of beading and jewelry making. These also sat in my closet for months. I felt that I would never be able to create anything out of my own head. I felt I would always have to follow a pattern another person made using their creativity.
So Sharron, my neighbor and friend, let me peruse all of her beads and told me to take anything I wanted. Of course, I took a few beads here and there - I did not want to take too many. I thought they were all so beautiful and the colors drove me to distraction. I spent a lot of time just looking at them and touching them. It was really awesome. Then she calls me up and says - "You know what? I am not going to be beading again so I want you to have all of the beads and findings and wire and everything else. All for you."
I was in complete shock and felt she was making a huge mistake giving me, a being who has not a drop of creativity in her, all of these wonderful treasures. She seemed to be sure, so I gratefully kept the gift.
And that is when it all happened. I unearthed the books I had purchased. I sat down and read them and enjoyed the pictures. I went to Michaels and bought a few things to do one of the projects. I sat and tried and failed and tried again to make a simple loop - for God's sake this should be easy because it is called a simple loop, right? This was it, I was hooked. Since then I have been reading more about beading, watching You Tube videos, borrowing books from my library and immersing myself in the world of beading.
The most wonderful thing of all has been to realize that I am creative after all. I have made things without a pattern and guess what? They look good!! I wear them all the time :-) I wear them out in public and people do not roll of the floor laughing at my creations. Some people actually compliment me on my pieces. My pieces. Mine...
So I want to share my latest creation. My friend, Sharron, once again gave me a gift. This time she gave me two beaded watches. I was looking at one of the them and thought the brown beads were looking a little glum - I felt I wanted to try something different. So here is for all to see.
I am still a beginner. I am still learning so much. I have yet so much to learn. But I feel like I belong here. I belong in the world of creativity.
