So as many of you may know I love to garden even though I am really terrible at it. I do try and try though. Some years are better than others. Now that I’m in my house it should be a whole lot easier to work on the garden instead of having to travel to it all the time. This summers crops were the worst I’ve ever had as it was the building of the houses that interfered. We had no water for a long time and had to transport water. Then when we had it I had to come water it every day by hand. Plants were only surviving. We had no electricity to turn on my drip system. It was just a whole mess though I tried and tried. In the end it fail despite all my efforts. The little that may have survived died because the gophers eat or killed the plants off. So a new season is about to start so I’m excited. I just have to prep the garden and then plant for this winters crops. When I garden it inspires me so much. It uplifts me. I think it’s a combination of hard work and the care I put into it. I also love life and the plants that bring on this new life. Seeing them start out so small and then grow into beautiful plants just brings me hope and keeps me working hard to achieve all this plant life. It’s also just peaceful to be around. I love just sitting there staring at the garden. I waste too much time just staring and thinking.
This brings me to how gardening inspires me at times when I design jewelry. When I’m in that uplifted state, I’m more receptive to ideas and there are many times nature itself will be incorporated into my designs. Many times it’s the beautiful curves and shapes that blend together that make up an ever so unique and powerful design for jewelry. I usually will incorporate these patterns and designs into my pendants and rings. The rings are usually wide so that they can fit these organic patterns. There is more room for me to fill the ideas that flow from my head. Not all of them translate into a great design, but the ideas start happening and I can then jot them down and test them. If it doesn’t work then I can play with it until I find something that does work. I have so many designs I have made in CAD but have never cast into metal. As with any small business owner might know, I can’t just come out with new designs every day. I need to work on many aspects of the business to make it all work together. I do wish I could just sit and create all day. That would be the best, but for now I to it all so time is limited. Even through all that I still am inspired to design and build custom designs all the time. If I didn’t then I don’t think I would keep progressing forward one step at a time. That is where passion comes in. I do all the other non inspiring parts of the business to look forward to do the fun inspiring, joyful and satisfying parts of the artistic side of the business.
sun and wheat patterns inspired by nature
So if you ever wondered how gardening can be an inspiration to make jewelry then well now you know. Gardening does not have to be what helps you make jewelry, but it could inspire you to do whatever you are passionate about. With new life comes new ideas. Try it some time. It does not disappoint!