Week 12 in New York: Crafting for Sanity

Although I'm not particularly proficient in any one craft, I have dabbled in many. When I was really young, I made killer boondoggles, floss friendship bracelets, and a fetching line of tunics and sac dresses for Barbie & friends.

Once I got into high school I got into intricate hemp designs, throwing clay, and real-life sized versions of those same sac-like designs once sported by my doll collection.

I never really picked a craft and stuck with it. I either got bored, realized that I'd have to work to hard, or just plain forgot about it. The knitting needles and 100 squares that I planned to stitch together for a blanket that are sitting in a closet somewhere since the 8th grade are a perfect testament to my flightiness. While I've consistently loved snapping photos and through the years and have gotten better equipment, even now after all the time I could have been spending on learning how to take better shots, I'm still only mediocre. I am not a photographer - I'm a photography hobbiest.

When I moved to California, I bought a sewing machine. It was very expensive and I've used it approximately 4 times in 4 years. I also got into a wealth of other crafts while I was there - including paper arts inspired by a dear friend's dear friend, and the craving to make jewelry from that same dear friend's other dear friend. While I was there though - I was a lazy crafter. I had all the time in the world but I had no motivation to actually create much of anything. However, it at least whetted my appetite for the future.

When I moved back east and then down to Westchester, I realized very quickly that getting my feet on the ground here was going to be tough for me. I'm not a social butterfly and coming to a new place not knowing but one soul was very lonely. Upon the discovery a craft store across the street from my job, I figured it was the perfect time to take on something new.

The excitement from buying my first set of jewelry making supplies was tantamount to elation. My first "creations" looked like absolute crap. A year later, they don't look quite as nascent as they did then, but I'm still learning. The beautiful thing of it all is that a year later, I'm actually still producing. In the history of my life, I've never stuck to anything for as long as I've stuck to this craft. As my collection of beads and findings and charms grows, so too does my collection of experiments, rejects, and the occasional winning pieces. I've sold a few, given away many, and even had a few commissions. I think that without this pass-time to get lost in, I'd've been lost here a long time ago. I'm happy to have found something that keeps me this content, sane, and occupied.

Maybe by next year I'll actually have enough of an inventory to keep my etsy store stocked.

Cheers,

Breezer M.