It is here again: a brand new year, a fresh start in life. Time to make a list of new years resolutions. For me all these stickies are just the ways to reach one big goal: FEEL BETTER. It does not really matter which way you chose, just pick the one which gives you the most satisfaction.
How does it apply to jewelry making? Well, for the people who see it primarily as a hobby (and not the way to make a living), it boils down to getting the good feeling from 1) the creative process, 2) the result and 3) the recognition.
The third part is the most difficult one, cause it depends on a large investment in marketing and pure luck when someone sees, likes and buys your product. But the first two are – almost entirely – in your hands.
Number one – enjoying the process, goes almost automatically. I remember a Russian joke, when a man is asked “Do you like children?”. “Well”, he says, “not so much the children as a result, but the process itself”. If you consider your creations your children, then you certainly must enjoy the process.
Enjoying the result is trickier, especially for a perfectionist (like myself). Perfectionism is a big fly in the ointment of creative process.
So my New year resolution # 1 is: take it easy and let go of your perfectionism. Know where to stop. Or, if you still want to improve the piece, let it rest for a while and come back to it after a couple of days. Look at it in a different way. Either accept it, or break it and start anew, but don’t dwell in the middle doubting whether it is good enough or not.
Happy New year to everyone and success in pursuing your own new year’s resolutions!
Leave a Reply