How Making Jewelry Saved Me?

If someone would have told my younger self you’d be creating jewelry and launch your own company, I would have laughed. My dream was having my own clothing line and adorning the many windows I had my face pressed against on fifth avenue on my way to work the night shift.  However, the sparkly gems of jewelry had another goal in mind for me.

In 2005, while in school for fashion design and merchandising, a fellow student gave a demonstration on how to make jewelry.  Once I saw how to construct a pair of earrings I was captivated with jewelry design. My curiosity on how things are structured and move needed to be explored.  I’m always asking “how was that made?”

I began to experiment and create earrings, rings, and bracelets for family and friends. The first time I made something, and someone else wore it, was such an empowering feeling; plus I made a profit.

All of this extra time during quarantine had me staring at all the beads, cord, glass, and wire I had in my craft room.  They were calling me to create.  I even changed the look of my craft table just because I knew I needed to begin something new.  During all the uncertainty of the various events that have taken place, jewelry has been my source of solace.  The comfort in knowing that I have the ability to create made me feel comforted.  This is the one thing I felt I had control over.  

This time rally pushed me, to not only understand what was important in terms of  health, family, and friends but also what made me smile while working.  Creating jewelry was the only thing that had me wanting to get out of bed.  It was all I could think of.  All of my supplies and tools were sitting around waiting for me to use to create. It generated a spark in me.  I have to design because there is so much for me to create.

Seeing all of my previously unfinished projects I begun felt like I went on a shopping spree, but never took items out of the bags.  I had to finish those pieces.  It was no longer a want but a need.  Passion is defined as a “strong and barely controllable emotion” (Oxford Languages, 2020).  Jewelry, one of my passions, needed my fire to ignite, and space to smolder.

Creating jewelry has also taught me patience.

Recently, I created a pair of earrings that required me to hammer wires and then punch a hole through the flattened side.  Five times I hammered and punched holes. Only to find the hole I punched was larger than the actual wire (much like when a hole is torn on loose leaf paper), ugh. I felt myself getting so frustrated and wanting to give up on the piece. I took a break, walked away, and came back. I did not want to leave it in the unfinished project pile.  I worked on it, and kept hammering wire and punching holes until I got it centered.

Since that experience, I’ve relearned that it might take several tries to get something right.  Just keep sticking to it and finally you’ll get it.  I’m thankful that not only do I have the ability to create jewelry, but it has helped keep me grounded. I get the opportunity to accessorize by adding some flavor to an outfit and making someone feel special.