A Sense of Self

Have you ever felt like you lost something? Like you just aren't sure where you put it and you wanted to get it back? I've been an artist for many years. I even majored in Art in college because I LIKED it. I liked art SO MUCH that when I got out of college, I didn't want to get a career in it because I didn't want to lose my interest stressing out over it. So I took it a few steps further, learning new interesting things like lampwork beadmaking and stained glass. I always like to joke that I haven't met a craft that I didn't love.

Well, it disappeared a while back. I'm not sure where it went. My studio started to collect dust. There were even times when I considered moving all of my stuff up to the attic and just keeping a nice guest room. Of course, I was sad about it. It was me, who I am..and it was lost.

But lost not forever. Perhaps it was my old artbox that got me thinking. I missed it. It wasn't anything special. It was an old caboodles fishing box style makeup box that was well worn in through several years of college. Somehow, it was gone. I don't know exactly where it went. I don't recall throwing it out, but I missed it. I wanted it back. I wanted AN artbox again. So I went out and got a wooden box. I decorated it and stained it and added a handle. I made it mine. In the process of this, I was going through my paints and realized that a lot of the things that were in my artbox were in the paint box. I took some of them out, the bare bones to be honest, and put them in my artbox. It's just a simple move really, but it sparked a little fire in me.

Today, I cleaned out a lot of drawers in my studio, going through things, organizing it all. I even made some glass beads! Something kicked in. Maybe it's the season of the year, but I feel like the crafty me is back. I hope it stays!