STEPHIE'S BEADS AND BAUBLES

Making money kills creativity,  sometimes. I believe that is what happened to me. I used to just play and have fun and was so creative. Then I decided I need to create to sell and that is the end of my true creativity. Well, it WAS. I had a chat with a fellow beader on facebook recently ,and she chided me and said that I needed to play in my studio and not worry about money and I was already feeling that way, so I am embracing my creative side and putting profit to the back burner. I have been having fun just making things, and yes, they go in my store, but they are just for fun !! No stressing about it, and no worries about whether or not it will sell. It does not matter anymore to me. I just want to create pretty things and try new techiniques and learn all I can about creating wonderful jewelry.

I have so many new materials on their way to me and I have so many fun projects in the works both in my mind and on my table. I am working to just start letting my imagination go and stop worrying about money.

I do not need to make money at my craft. I would like to. My husband supports me in every way with my business ,  and never says a word about a bead , or beads, that I buy. I suppose I feel quilty though and want to help bring money into the house , but he is not making me feel that way, quite the opposite, I am making myself feel bad. He is happy when I am happy creating and he is always happy to give me a suggestion when needed and advice as he is a very creative person too, both as a stain glass artist and photograpaher. He ,however, is the reason I bead. He found a book 25 years ago about making the beaded fringe earrings, thought it would be fun and then got me to try. He lost interest in it not long after but I loved doing that bead work , but , over time I stopped and started doing more tradtional jewelry. I cringe when I think where I would be now had I kept at the bead weaving , but you just cannot live in a state of regret, you just have to move forward .  That is my goal now !!!

I have learned that  what you think about you attract and if you are creative, you get more creative, when you worry about money, then that creativity starts to wane and your sales actually go down as well . You worry about listings, and stats and all of those things and not what makes you smile, what would look cool together , just because. When money is your focus, you will never be successful because you cannot be creative in that envirement because you are worrying about it and worry never helps anything .

I have wanted to make wedding jewelry for years and have never done it. Just a few pieces here and there. I do not  know why when it is something I have been interested in. I believe it is because my mind was too set on building a succesful business , and not the art itself. I would find a fun category and then make a bunch of them. Wine glass charms, key chains, earrings, charm bracelets, Mardi Gras jewelry and so on . It was fun, but not that creative, and I still was not selling that much anyway.

I am going to just make what calls to me from now on and maybe only make one. Maybe make things I have never made or use materials I have never made. I still like simple things, so I will do those as well.

I made this today for a spring challenge I read about on a bead blog. I posted it on the page with all the other peoples entries. Mine was the most simple. Not as esoteric  or different as the others, but it was what I wanted to make. A simple beaded chain bracelet in spring colors. I really like it and had fun creating it. I feel in love with dragonflies and purple when working with a friend on some amazing projects last year, so I had a blast picking out some colors I loved and felt spring like to me. I am still working on wire wrap and did a simple wavy wire with a small butterfly bead on it. Lots of fun, and I participated in something fun with other artists.

The key was, I had fun. I made a simple , undertated piece that made me smile. I will list it, but if it does not sell by spring, it will go into my own jewelry box and I will enjoy wearing it very much.

I am going to work on more steampunk stuff, I LOVE steampunk jewelry, well, the more pretty kind, not the way out kind !! Lots of keys and watch parts and brass and cobalt blue and black glass beads. I have going to do a lot more of that kind of thing as well !! I just got a bunch of watch parts in, so that is something I am looking very forward to !!

Here is a steampunk inspired piece I made yesterday, just for fun !! I might list it, but I am just enjoying looking at it and seeing if there is anything I want to change, or add. Just because I want to. No watch parts, but I love the brass and black and blue beads, just enjoyed making it !!!

My goal for this year is to do stuff I want to. No worries about whether it will sell or not. Just create it and have fun doing it !! That is all that really matters !!

When I first started out 25 years ago, I would have given anything to have the studio I have now, and the ideas would have flown out of me. I want to get that back. I am going to get that back !!! One bead, or sequin or finding at a time !!

Thanks for stopping by , as always I love to hear others experiences and advice !!

Stephie