Q: If you were not a bead artist, what would you be doing?
It’s hard for me to imagine doing anything else than lampworking, But if for whatever reason I could not continue it, maybe I would return to one of my earlier hobbies, interior design. I was always drawn to interior design because I like the challenge of turning an uninspired, maybe even non-functional room into something beautiful, which works better for the requirements of the people living in the space.
Q: Do you have a life motto and if so, would you like to share this with us?
Yes, I live by the motto “Never look back”.
Never regret the decisions that you made, try to make the best of the current situation without thinking all the time “what if”. Live in the moment, not in the past.
Q: Do you have tips, tricks or advise you like to share with us?
There are so many questions that beginner in lampworking ask, and quite often it simmers down to one simple advice: practice, practice, practice. That applies of course not only to lampworking, but to almost every craft or art form.
It sounds super boring, but if you wonder why your round beads are not round – it’s a matter of practicing hundreds of beads, and then hundred more, to really learn how glass moves, how gravity affects the shape of the bead and how to turn the mandrel properly, to get that round bead.
The same if you’re working with a new tool or a new technique, and it doesn’t work right away as you’ve seen it with others. It’s because they almost certainly put already 100, 200 or 500 hours of work into this particular skill to develop it to the point where it’s now.
The same with a business plan, marketing, networking, or developing a strategy for your glass business: there are unfortunately no real shortcuts. We all need to put the time, heart and energy in it, to see progress and success.
You can find Judith’s beautiful beads and jewelry in her etsy as well as her webshop. She also sells her beads on facebook on her fb page as well as in a group of lampworkers. But you have to hurry if you want some goodies, as her beads sell really quicky. More info can also be found on her website.