HANDMADE GOODNESS QUARTERLY JUNE 2014
ISSUE 2
Welcome the Unknown
It’s the wide-open doorway to Creative Expression
By Laura Gasparrini
Jewelry Artist, Educator, Inventor and Creativity Catalyst
www.omtara.com
In teaching beading for over 15 years, I have met hundreds of women just
starting out on their creative journey. For many of these women, beading
is a way to step through the doorway of creativity – it is an accessible
medium, easily transportable, and seemingly friendly in terms of the perceived artistic
ability needed to start. Comfortable, doable, easy. Often with just a few lessons a budding
jewelry designer can be well on her way to creating jewelry for fun and profit.
One of the most common methods of learning foundational techniques in any art form is
through the process of imitation. An interested beading artist can find plenty of magazines,
videos, and tutorials with replicable projects for the taking. Beginning and experienced
jewelry artists alike can
find ample opportunity to
recreate the designs of
others, and practice,
practice, practice.
But how can a budding
designer take the leap from
imitation to inspiration?
How does an artist move
from imitating to
expressing her unique
vision? In my classes I
bundle the essential
learning of techniques with
toe-dipping opportunities
for personal expression through choice in bead
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