What I've Learned

I've been thinking about posting about this subject for awhile now, but in the past, I deeply felt that the topic was far too personal, and of paramount significance, to simply sit down and type away at.  What I did not want was a lackluster blog entry, for it would be easy to publish a post that would be overly sentimental and thankful--or at least, one that would come off that way.  I wanted the entry to reflect the thought process that I've gone through and continue to go through, which I find to be so important for the work that I do.

This post is my wholehearted attempt at this.

When I started my shop in November 2010, I would never have thought that I, through it, would be somehow touched by others, much less world events.  It all began with my first shop sale to the Sendai region of Japan, which would, less than five months later, be devastated by a horrendous earthquake and tsunami.  Watching the disaster unfold on television, I sadly realized that the region was that exciting first sale's destination.  This was part of the reason why I continue to donate the proceeds from designated items to the Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Relief Fund via GlobalGiving: there is one item left in my shop for this cause.

The event of the Japan earthquake and tsunami was not the last time that my shop would link me to another natural disaster.  In late 2011, I sold an item to someone, who in turn gave the item as a gift to a friend.  It turned out that the friend lost almost everything in Hurricane Sandy, and searched for the item-gift from my shop among the disaster zone that was once called home.  The EmeraldCut item was eventually found, I believe, but was in non-salvageable condition.  This person's friend, the one who purchased it from my shop, contacted me shortly after Christmas 2012 to recreate the piece--it continues to be one of the most meaningful items I have ever created.  Via PayPal, I am donating the proceeds of selected items to the American Red Cross for Hurricane Sandy relief and rebuilding; two shop items remain.

Other shop moments that I continue to hold close to my heart involve the significance of family.  One buyer commissioned a good luck-type pendant to start a family.  Another had parents who were ill, and asked me to create a piece with particular stones to represent family members--so that they would always be near.  This truly resonated with me.

With each piece I create, there is a deeper meaning than what can be read or seen on the exterior.  And it's not solely the work that I've put into designing and creating because it also includes what I've learned in the process from others, as I've discussed here.  It's pretty intense, this life; these lessons have not fallen by the wayside.  I'm thankful, that's all.

Future Tense

I am sitting here in front of the computer putting off the inevitable, waiting for the future-tense me to tap this present-tense me on the shoulder and tell me that everything will be easy peasy rather than the current topsy turvy.  This life is not easy, but others have it much more difficult than you, the wise future-tense laments, sprouting proverbs (I sure hope that she is wise...) as I stare blankly back at her.  My mind feels like an over-caffeinated, head-in-the-clouds marathon runner, one who has run miles upon miles and ends up in the same spot at the starting line every time, for she has lost track of where the race ends--lost in the process of it all.

As she takes one step back, and then another, the present-tense me begins to remember the reasons why the present matters, why and how the past informs the present.  The innumerable, complex connections spanning across time, running here and there--sometimes seemingly lost--comprises something greater than the sum of a life.  It is the measure of memories by the mind full; a consolatory homage to the past.  Frozen, permeable, forgotten...written down as a reminder to the living.   

Stick with Love

An intriguing, thoughtfully evocative Treasury by Patricia of Avery Beth Designs, this collection expresses the multifarious nature of love from the observably reverential, to the dutifully familial, to the subtly romantic.  Meticulously curated and complex, this Treasury is, in truth, the only flash mob that I am (and probably ever will be!) a willing participant in--albeit through an EmeraldCut listing.  It is the perfect, refreshing introduction to this month, minus the overly saccharine and gushy romanticism that tends to overrun poor old February.  Thanks, Patricia, for the inclusion!

Thank You

Lately, I've been getting into the holiday spirit in my own hermit-y sort of way--creating gifts for people, cutting up books (that will be a chronicled in a separate post sometime soon), and dreaming up ways to stay unique in a world that urges prototypical conformity.  It's not an easy task!  However, there have been some recent developments that have reminded me why I do what I do.  And for them, I am thankful.  

As I blogged about not too long ago, I sent my hermit friends their holiday cards very early because one's destination is across the ocean.  One of these wonderful friends, GoHeyJudy, blogged about her excitement upon opening the envelope--in addition to saying such nice things about my shop.  Not that her excitement wasn't warranted, but you should see what she sent me:

 My very own Guardian Judy doll...

...isn't she absolutely charming?!?

GoHeyJudy makes the most unique and spunkiest rag dolls, and I've had my eye on her Angel Judy for some time now.  Needless to say, I was very touched by her gesture.  "Thank you so much!" doesn't have enough leverage here.

Also, I've had some really kind return customers this holiday season, and some sweet feedback, too.  These actions are reminders to me that all those long days and nights spent agonizing and obsessing over how to wrap and present my shop items were well worth the anxiety and sleeplessness.  It has taken me a year to get into the groove of how to present items purchased from my shop.  Taking photos, listing the product, and describing the item came quite easily to me, but conveying the Internet look into real life, physical items was a difficult task for a very long time.

It's like taking the uni-dimensional, flat words on a book page and translating them into a three-dimensional image.  You will undoubtedly get lost in translation (pardon the cinematic pun), stumbling over tiny details ranging from color, to ambiguity in word meaning, to tone.  The same occurs when one attempts to translate a photo into a book or story...there are so many variables to consider.

This is one constant variable: a gesture of thanks. 

January, You Were So Kind to Me

The month of January was amazing in terms of my Etsy shop exposure and sales.  I hope for many more continued months (and years!) of creativity and kindness.  I am grateful, thankful, and HUMBLED.

  

Lovely Etsy Treasuries that feature my items:

• http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4d2c1b743ef56d91709bad96/a-softer-valentine?index=2

• http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4d32ffa772f48eef5f8a073f/tie-a-yellow-ribbon

• http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4d35ca1327b76d91713a2c6f/for-my-sisters

• http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4d40331543928eefcc1a044d/inner-light

• http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4d41ea0e4cf28eef156d09dc/mystic-and-mellow

 

Also, thanks to J. Grumbling, who also has an Etsy shop (www.jgrumbling.etsy.com) for featuring my first ever Etsy Treasury on her blog WAY back in October!

http://jgrumbling.blogspot.com/2010/10/treasury-tuesday.html