My cup runneth over. This morning I had a visitor who brought me a box of jewelry. We’ve just newly met, and actually, it was at the craft shows I was in.

Yeah, well, somebody gave me some jewelry, so what? Feel like I need to give you a little back story. I haven’t always done art and I’ve rarely put my art out there for anyone to see, let alone purchase. This is all pretty big and new for me.

It goes back in time a ways, to sixth grade. As a class, we were working on a huge class mural. How exciting! I remember laying on the floor, coloring a section when a bellowing voice commanded, “You’re coloring the wrong way. You’re going to ruin it.”

Bam. Instantly scarred. I mean, if I am going to ruin something, art obviously wasn’t my thing. I did dabble in art here and there, but maybe you relate to this as well, I got stuck on the ‘I’m not good at art’, ‘I don’t want to mess anything up’, ‘mine isn’t was good as so and so’s, so I shouldn’t even try’ loops.

So, I didn’t. Until a year ago. I got this feeling that *I* was supposed to be creating something. I sure couldn’t put my finger on what it was. I LOVE photography, but have never allowed myself to spend the money on a good camera, maybe I was supposed to be taking pictures? No, photography wasn’t it.

A friend suggested I read the book, “The Artist’s Way” by Julia Cameron. I put it off for awhile, then I bought it. Doing the exercises in the book is what led me back to sixth grade! I had forgotten all about it. It was one of my artist’s blocks!!

It was painful to go back to, but I was ultimately able to set it free. I wonder if that teacher had any inclination to the damaging effects of a few words. Luckily, he didn’t get to take a whole life of art from me.

While reading the book, creativity waltzed back in. I was kind of afraid to try again, so I challenged myself to make art with beads in a watercolor note pad, every day for a week. Things and drawings started emerging.

Since then, I started using paper, glue, and old jewelry to put some unique beauty into the world. Just because. It’s fun to find the jewelry and give it a second chance. A lot of the pieces I get are mismatches, single earrings or pendants without chains or gorgeous brooches with a rhinestone or two missing. There are some really wonderful things that can be jeweled again, even me and my art.

Fast forward, to today. I have two arts and crafts fairs under my belt now. I have sold some of my art, which is an incredible feeling. None like it, really. The lessons just keep coming and one of those I’m realizing is, it’s all about the people. The people who show up when vulnerability doesn’t get the best of us. The people who text when they can’t make it to the show, but show support anyway. The people who step into the booth to look around and hand out compliments as easily as a river flows. The people who connect to the pieces made, whether those pieces go home with them or not. For all of that, I am in total awe.

I wanted you to see what the sweet person gave me today, it is definitely a box full of treasures. But, even more than that, I have received a divine confirmation that there is no wrong way to color!

Thanks for being here!

Jessica

P.S. It’s my birthday and she didn’t even know it! Pretty cool!