Allow Yourself to Make Mistakes
I spent a lot -- a lot -- of years afraid of making mistakes and allowing that to keep me from creating art.When I was in high school and college, music was my life. To me, it made sense. You practice really hard and then you could play a piece perfectly. Yes, I also did play the saxophone and yes, that did require some soul and some improvision, but to me, that was still just part of a formula. If I was in a jazz band and had a improvisional solo, I still knew what key to play in, what speed and what the general melody I was riffing on.Art never felt that way to me.I tried to take an art class in high school, but I quickly dropped it when I couldn't do it perfectly. I didn't know back then that it didn't have to be perfect. I never had just painted or done a drawing for the fun of it, although I always wanted to be "good at drawing."Since I wouldn't allow myself to make mistakes, I never made art.When I finally started painting and then discovered acrylic paints, I realized that I am a painter and that I actually am a creative person. We all are, if we just allow ourselves to be.Making jewelry is the same thing. Yes, there are certain skills and tools. You can follow patterns and instructions. But you will make mistakes. And mistakes will most certainly be the way that you discover a new technique or a new way of doing something.Now, not all mistakes are going to be beautiful pieces of art. Sometimes it just turns into a giant mess and you should move on. (And take what you learned from that mess and make something amazing.)But oftentimes, mistakes are exactly what you need to make your masterpiece. Figuring out when you embrace your mistakes and when to let them go is really the key to becoming a jewelry artist!*****************************************************************************************************Ready to get creative AND learn new jewelry techniques, and make some expressive creative jewelry? Pop your email address in the box below and I'll let you know when my new free mini eCourse about just that is ready!!