Okay, this might be getting a bit deep, but bear with me. I've just returned from a conference (not on beadmaking, alas!), and one of the things we spoke about there was around identities, how they form, how you become who you are. So I thought I'd do a little post on what beadmaking means to me, and if anybody feels happy to share, do butt in :o)) I guess when I look at who I am, 'learner' would top the list. I love learning, curiosity shapes my entire being, I always want to know how, why, what, who...at the same time, I enjoy creating, but prefer a fire-and-brimstone approach to creativity (if it could hurt me, it's gotta be more fun...I wonder what that says about me ;o)) In beadmaking, I have found a hobby where there is no 'finished' point - you finish the bead, you learn new skills, but do you ever 'master' them? This idea fits in well with the concept of eternal learning, and the unpredictability of the medium means you never get complacent - just when you think you've mastered silver-rich glass (not that I have!!), a new one comes along and throws you all over again, or you combine it with a different glass, and the learning journey begins anew. So......I guess that's why I make beads. To carry on down the yellow-brick-road of learning, without the chance of ever arriving, and therefore no danger of complacency.....is that odd?
