The past week has flown by. I can only assume it's seemed shorter than it was because I spent the better part of three days creating jewelry. This reminds me that I've been meaning to write about the meditativeness of beadwork.
Anything meticulous can be meditative. Consider the swirling patterns in gravel made with rakes, the sorting out of a pile of many-colored objects, the exhaustive tracking of the scientist, the many practices of a musical piece to imitate that perfect version of the song we hold in our minds. Some people call this meditative state of doing things steadily and well "The Zone." Though I don't really think of it that way, perhaps there is some truth to the idea that I'm in a different plane of existence when doing good beadwork if time itself seems affected by it.
Seeing my work take shape, one tiny speck at a time is an amazing feeling. Each bead is special to me as I add it in, "I choose this one because it's slightly chubbier than the others and will fill this space well." Or "I will put this wedge-shaped one aside since it will mess up the flow here but later I might really need a weird-shaped bead like that." Sometimes I break a bead (heartbreaking) meaning more work. These little stepping stones take me to accomplished and unique places as I lay them down.
Beadwork can be maddening. The pieces have to fit together perfectly, like small bricks. When they do not, there are two options:
- Take it out and try again
- Let it look less beautiful
And what does this mean about beadwork? Can any meditative/meticulous process also be maddening, usually because even meticulously done work goes awry?
One part of good art is not settling for less than what you had envisioned. This is difficult to live by because it ensures you will make fewer things in your life if you want them to conform to the beauty that is within your soul. You have only so much time left on earth. You don't know how much time it is. So committing to your artistic vision limits your productivity (while also increasing your talent and value as an artist.)
This is why it's so important to enjoy the art you create. When I use seed beads, I always feel extremely happy. I love their roundness, the bright colors, the way they shine, and feel cool to the touch. I love sewing these rainbow bits into a wearable textile or embellishing already lovely things with them. Do this. Work with materials that excite and inspire you to make great things.
May your work rooms and kitchen tables be blessed,
--Pam