Earlier this year, I spent months making this necklace: Designing it, stitching it, taking out the work, and then beading it again. Then I entered it in the Swarovski Bright and Beautiful Design Contest 2007. Although I didn’t win, I’m glad that I went to the trouble to make the design as I envisioned it.
I saw a friend over the weekend at our 15-year high school reunion. Since then, she looked me up on beadandbutton.com and saw that I have been doing a job that utilizes my talents, and I get to be surrounded by beads and other people who are as passionate about what they do as I am, in the medium we all love! My friend was around when I first started beading, so it was nice to be reminded of how lucky I really am.
I decided not to mope about the contest, and instead to think about what I am going to make for it next year. And even if I never win anything, I can be satisfied that I am continually challenging myself to push my creativity.