I was always getting in trouble for trying to create things in elementary school years.
My grandfather was a pipe smoker but he also kept a stash of cigarette papers. I would try to make the papers into a little book that I would write stories on by using very tiny writing to make it fit. Needless to say, he was not too happy about that.
My great-grandmother’s Epsom salt and glue were used as glitter. I got many a finger shaking from this very fascinating lady who was one-half Cherokee.
If I could not come up with anything better to do I would use my writing table to make a whole page of dots that I later connected to make images of houses, birds, and many more images that came to my young mind.
In high school I took an art class and painted a replica of The Old Guitarist by Pablo Picasso. Why did I choose that painting? My favorite color at the time was blue and I found it fascinating. I won 3rd place at the county fair. Someone later pointed out that my painting was different because he had 6 fingers instead of Picasso’s five!
I wasn’t too upset by getting 3rd place for my painting. I had also turned in another art piece I created with modeling clay that I had molded into the Laughing Buddha and stuck it on an old picture frame and painted the whole thing black. Won 1st place! You just never know what judges like at those things.
After high school, my creativity was put on hold. Every once in a while it would pop up when refinishing furniture and learning how to decorate my home but I did not think about it at the time being something that helped me throughout my life.
Then one day 4 years ago at the company I worked for, we hired a HR lady. She wore pretty pieces of jewelry everyday that seemed to make her outfits look stunning. I asked her about her jewelry and amazingly she said she made her jewelry. I found out as much as possible from her and started looking for classes around me. This coming from a person who at the time did not wear any jewelry except a watch!
I found classes and over the years have learned many techniques from beginners beading and wire wrapping to PMC certification, to metalsmithing, to weaving, to crocheting, and the list goes on. My creativeness has finally found a home in my soul and heart. There is something so soothing when you handle beautiful pieces of “sparkle” in your hands. It makes the rough day seem to disappear and fill you with thought s of creativity.
I am the happiest I have ever been in my life. I will be sharing these experiences with you. Just maybe I can make a difference by adding “Sparkle” to your life. We all could use that in our lives!
