Do you look at something creative and wish you had the ability to do something similar? Or do you say to yourself… ‘I just know I wouldn’t be any good at that’, or ‘ I haven’t got a creative bone in my body’? It could be sewing, painting, screen printing, in fact anything that needs a degree of skill… but you think it’s out of your reach.
Well, when I first started out with jewellery making I had no idea if I was going to be any good or not. I only know that the idea sparked something in me to have a go and see what happened. Initially it provided me with a lovely calm space (the complete opposite of what I experienced in my day job), and I just played around with different ideas to see what worked and what didn’t. It was very therapeutic… but I realised it wasn’t as easy as I had thought.
Slowly as I learned more I began to get better, and then quite skilled at what I was doing. I loved it! I surprised myself as the only thing I had ever done was nursing. Thinking back, my mum, auntie and two sisters were very creative in different ways so why wouldn’t I be able to do this? I was quite determined not to let it dwindle away as this was ‘my time’ and I really looked forward to it. Eventually the jewellery I made was good enough to sell. Imagine that!
I think it is so important to have a creative outlet, whatever you choose to do. I am convinced that we all have the ability to do something, and that something will give us great satisfaction. Spending time doing something creative is where we can lose ourselves for a few hours and produce a piece of artistic work which we can be proud of. This is one of the reasons I have started the workshops at Aura.
So far I have had 8 ladies come to the taster workshops and sample the traditional skill of pearl knotting. None of them had done it before. It isn’t easy, there is a technique, you need patience, but most of all they enjoyed it and went home with their bracelet. Their very own piece of ‘art’.
Jo Malone wrote 3 words in her autobiography which always stay in my mind. It was ‘why not me?’ Why not indeed! We all have it in there just waiting to be discovered.
Just remember the following:
In the beginning, it isn’t going to be perfect – so what.
Keep at it, and the skills will come.
Enjoy the time and immerse yourself.
And perhaps the most important –
Just make a start!
September workshop dates coming very soon via email and social media. Sign up for info www.aurajewellerydesign.co.uk