To say I used to be into beading and jewelry making is a slight understatement. I was slightly obsessed with it. That was before I got married, about 15 or so years ago. The collection of beading supplies accumulated during those couple of years and I delighted in making pieces for friends and family. But life changes; the ex took over the craft room playing online racing games with his friends. Not a conducive atmosphere for creativity. Things got packed away.
I’ve not thought too much about that stuff in a long time, but it has survived the past two cuts of purging. The thought of donating it would flit through my brain – briefly, but ultimately, it would just get packed away again and forgotten. Until… I was out shopping with a friend last week and saw a few pieces of crocheted beaded jewelry I really liked. Then I looked at the price. Ouch. Thrifty has become a state-of-mind for me. If I think it’s something I can do myself, I won’t buy it. I started thinking about my beading hoard in the storage closet. It haunted me for a week. Yesterday, I took a trip to Michael’s , bought myself a crochet needle and cord and decided to teach myself some simple crocheting (which is not so simple…). Last night, after years of being packed away, the storage container came out and my eyes feasted on all of my beading treasures.
I spent an hour sifting through all of the trinkets: different beads and stones, wire, threading material, findings, pliers, snips etc. Thoughts of how I poured myself into a piece I was making crossed my mind. Hours were spent at the craft store searching for the perfect beads or stones. Once home, I would spend another few hours arranging and rearranging the beads and stones on my bead board until I found a pattern that felt right. Then the stringing and wire process would begin. I would be lost in concentration not thinking or worrying about anything else. And at the end, with a stiff neck and sore fingers, I would take a deep breath and smile at the completed piece of jewelry.
To be honest, I’ve felt a bit restless, unfocused, uninspired and unfulfilled for the last several years, except when I was traveling and that’s not an option at the moment. My little crate seating patio project was the first glint of creativity and feeling good I’ve had in a long time. It was a bit like finishing a piece of jewelry. Taking an idea and seeing it through and having something done by my own hands. So why have I waited so long to bring out the trinkets stashed away in the closet? Why do we give up on things we know make us happy, yet spend so much energy on things that only bring us misery?
Right now, I have too much time to think about things; Netflix and I are getting way too close and the dating scene does not seem to agree with me. On top of that, I’ve promised myself to keep a better tab on my spending. I really want that beaded crocheted-wrap bracelet in the store, but I’m going to make it. This crochet thing may be a little tricky, but that’s ok. I have plenty of time to myself to work on that skill. And what better way to indulge myself than to reignite an old love and find some passion in it again.
The Potluck Journals 