Patience

I like to randomly select and open my books and read until I know I found the message for me right now. Today's book was The Vein of Gold, A Journey to Your Creative Heart by Julia Cameron who is the author of the Artist's Way and many other items in my possession. The chapter was "The Paydirt in Pay-tience" in the Kingdom of Attitude section. I have read this chapter so many times, if it were possible, the ink would be off the page and written in my brain!

It's about our results oriented society, of wanting to have the big sale or show to prove that we are artists. The goal of perfection in art versus the process where we work at a level, then it becomes hard, then if we continue our work is on a different level. We must learn to have patience with our imperfections. The author writes of artists whose work is only sporadically accepted by the public and admits that some of her best work was not sold while some of her worst was.

So I remember my last show where I sold little and what I did sell was 4 years old, from when I first started beading, was not the type of work (strung not beadwoven) I'd like to say I do, and realize I'm experiencing something similar to those the author was writing about. I continued my process with a beadwoven peyote cuff bracelet I entered into the Etsy Beadweavers October challenge, listed and promoted it on Facebook. I was asked where I purchased the clasp, went to that website and found "THE way I should have attached it to the bracelet" instead of the inferior, less than perfect way, I did attach it. (The website is of a well known beadweaver/author.) So the perfectionist reared it's ugly head once again.

This was the perfect way to remind me to be patient with myself. My customer did get pretty items at a good price, and the newest item is acceptable--it was an assortment of tiny beads, a needle and thread before I spent 17 hours making it be what it is, which is a small miracle. So if I didn't write this, no one would know my process. I learned, and now have ANOTHER way to attach the clasp next time I make a beadwoven peyote cuff bracelet, if I decide to try it.