Is This Happening To You?…
Across Facebook, crafters in slow stitching, sewing, and beading groups are voicing the same complaint.
“I’m frozen” some beaders lament. “I still order and then my new beads sit idle, but I am sure my mojo will return,’ say the optimists!
And these conversations draw hundreds of replies. (Of course! After all, we are all affected by the ongoing and evolving peculiarities of living through this pandemic.)
This is puzzling because we crave time to bead.
I’m sure that a psychologist could shed light on this state of frozen inactivity, but for now, even though a huge project might feel completely overwhelming, let’s see what might feel doable.
- Sometimes, stepping outside your normal is all you need to jump start creativity. Challenge yourself to learn to use one new bead type. Check out our amazing shaped beads, multi-hole beads – superduos, miniduos, dimonduos, gemduos, paisleyduos, and the latest ones, chevron duos.
- Stick with small, filler type projects. Make several of those bracelets/rings/necklaces for which you know the pattern well. They’ll come in handy as gifts over the years, or maybe you could donate a few to fundraisers – check out our clearance section for inexpensive materials.
- Pick up a new fastening technique. We have an amazing array of clasps and closures.
- I’ve found that organizing, reorganizing, or de-stashing is a great boost to ideas and desire. Unless you’re super fussy, every once in a while, your stash needs some organization. Check out our organizers. Maybe you have beads that you use often – the metallics, perhaps? You might keep these on your desk in the bead pavilion, which holds 52 vials!
- Watch a few YouTube tutorials on a project that looks interesting. And don’t feel guilty if you watch five before one grabs you! Our favorite teachers and tutorials include
https://www.youtube.com/user/TheBeadSmith
https://www.youtube.com/user/JohnBeadCorp
Contemporary Geometric Beadwork
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUvkvz_zdi9VpxBEt8gTFWw (Bronze Pony)
The important thing is, don’t be hard on yourself. This too shall pass. Give yourself space to simply “be,” without pressure.
Your bead-buddy, Cathy
(Originally published June 13, 2020)