Practicing creativity and self-care

October 20, 2015October 20, 2015 ~ Seeking Spirit Designs ~ Leave a comment

Yesterday, I was feeling a little anxious. There’s something soothing about creating a chain through connecting beaded links. It’s methodical, detail-oriented, and repetitive. So I decided to make something.

I have a bag full of beads leftover from other projects, or given to me by a friend who didn’t want them. I’d seen a picture somewhere of necklace created with leftover mismatched beads, and wanted to try it.

This was my result:

This necklace is simple, yet it stands out because it doesn’t follow a pattern. I appreciate its asymmetry and variety.

How did I feel after making this piece? Definitely calmer and more focused. Creating is part of my self-care practice. I’m so grateful there are times when I can take care of myself and make something beautiful in the process.

Intuitive Custom Orders by Seeking Spirit Designs

August 29, 2015August 29, 2015 ~ Seeking Spirit Designs ~ Leave a comment

My vision:

I sit in an office, or maybe it’s the back room of a store, or at a small table in a living room. I ask my customer what she is looking for: is there a specific stone she is drawn to? I have a bowl full of stones to look at as well as other resource books on crystal meanings. Would this be a gift for someone or herself? Is there a quality she would like to embrace in herself more? Something she wants to let go of? Something she wishes to protect? Are there any symbols or shapes she is drawn to? I ask her record her dreams for a week and tell me any details that stick out to her.

Once I have information I spent time brainstorming. I show her some sketches. She gives me feedback about what she is drawn to, and why. At this point, we discuss materials and price. Then I create, playing with wire, gemstones, and intuition.

I would like my jewelry design and art business to have an intuitive custom aspect, where I combine my energetic and artist gifts to create one-of-a-kind pieces for people. I’ve made a custom piece for a friend, and I really enjoyed the process: it was experimental, collaborative, and very satisfying.

Jewelry Portfolio — Custom Piece: Citrine and Silver Spiral Nest

My energy healing training: I am Reiki Level 2 attuned and I’ve also done some informal training based on the teachings of the Berkeley Psychic Institute. Energy work feels like it comes naturally to me, but training and attunement has made it easier for me to access and sense energy. I also identify as empathic, and can pick up on others’ emotions. I want to continue to integrate these skills and abilities into my creative process – it feels healing for me, and I hope it will help others as well.

I love the idea of setting an intention and working with someone to make something special for them or a loved one.

If you are interested in ordering a unique, intuitively-created piece, let me know. You can contact me here.

My jewelry making journey

June 7, 2015June 7, 2015 ~ Seeking Spirit Designs ~ Leave a comment

When I was in late elementary school through middle school, my father dated an artist – a potter, to be specific. She made everything from teapots to bowls to rattles, all with a fanciful and semi-Southwestern flair.

I always got the feeling that she didn’t know what to do with me as an adolescent. However, she did know what to do with me as an artist.

Her studio was an artist’s playground. Of course, she had clay. She also had the materials for stained glass, jewelry making, collage, and much more. I could spend hours there creating. She also showed and taught me some things: how to make a bowl from a mold. How to solder stain glass together. How to make earrings with beads and headpins.

Of the techniques she taught me, jewelry making stuck with me most. I made several pairs of earrings and put them up for sale at my dad’s yoga studio. While it would be years before I would return to the basic wirewrapping techniques, they somehow stayed with me. Years, later, my boyfriend’s mother gave me a wirewrapped pendant. I loved it and wondered if I could make something like it. She gave me some copper wire to experiment with.

I didn’t until I held a piece of blue kyanite in my hand, a stone that my mentor told me would be good for psychic protection. “Are you going to wire wrap that?” She asked. I resolved to try, and used the copper wire to wrap the piece, complete with a spiral in the center. And that was my more recent beginning with playing with wire and stones.

I wrapped a few stones after that, and then resolved to really learn and refine my techniques this past fall. I took classes. I spent hours experimenting and practicing, and discovered what worked for me.

Agate Pendant I made after taking a class in February

Now, I have my own materials and a solid collection of stones. I am still learning and playing. Sometimes, I have a design in mind. At other times, the wire and stones speak to me and turn into something that surprises me.

Sometimes, I think about when I started making jewelry, how exciting and rewarding it was to create a finished piece. And honestly, it still is. It’s often the activities that I enjoyed when I was younger that suit me best now as an adult.

Quartz and Copper Pendant from March 2015

Someday, I hope to have my own studio, full of all kinds of arts and craft supplies. There, perhaps I will teach someone else a technique, and this will inspire them to create for years to come.