Staying Connected with Beading During Uncertain Times
There is no way to avoid the challenges we’re all facing. We have to take each day one at a time, figure out how to navigate and manage what’s in front of us, adapt, and be creative. It helps to also be kind and patient with ourselves (this isn’t easy!), offer grace to others, and some days, just hide under the covers and take a break (that might just be me!).
ABOVE: Free peyote-stitch pendant taught by Nancy Cain on Facebook Live. Photo courtesy of the artist.
In the August/September 2020 Beadwork Bead Buzz, Melinda Barta talks with a few artists from our community to learn how they’re facing their own challenges—spoiler alert—no one under covers, here!
During times of uncertainty, many people turn to the calming, often meditative qualities of beading. The hardest weeks of the COVID-19 outbreak were no exception. With the generosity of bead artists Kelly Dale, Nancy Cain, and Melissa Grakowsky Shippee, free online workshops kept us inspired at home, offered much needed “bead therapy,” and helped many form new friendships.
When Kelly Dale’s physical bead store, Off the Beaded Path in Forest City, North Carolina, temporarily closed due to COVID-19, she began hosting free Bead Therapy Live Stream sessions five days a week. For 30 minutes to an hour, she chatted with other beaders while working on a beading project. Kelly says, “Beading has always been therapy for me, and it was the only way I could think to help people take their minds off these troubling times.” Beaders all around the world tuned in. “I had a lot of viewers who logged on every day and made new friendships through these videos.”
On Saturdays, she also held online beading classes for her local customers. Many helped repay Kelly’s generosity by supporting her small business. “The online videos helped my online business thrive. Beaders were really supportive and purchased instant download patterns, as well as supplies to make projects shown in my live videos.” Find links to her collection of YouTube videos at OfftheBeadedPath.com.
Just before the pandemic hit America, Nancy Cain returned home from teaching Master Classes to the Bead Society of Victoria in Melbourne, Australia. After finding herself at home and missing her students, Nancy was able to share her design talents via Facebook Live. Her first class was a bead-along peyote-stitched pendant; the free beading pattern and video are accessible on her website, NancyCain.com.
When asked how teaching online has helped her stay connected with others, Nancy says, “Seeing someone’s face and interacting with them is huge in feeling connected. It truly makes you feel like you have spent quality time with your friends. We can laugh and share our mutual love of beads.” This positive experience inspired her to offer additional Facebook Live and Zoom workshops. “I can offer something fun to do at home and feel like I have contributed something of value.”
With three kids at home during the pandemic, YouTube LiveChat gave Melissa Grakowsky Shippee the ability to teach beading during her baby’s naptime. “It’s helped me feel like I can continue to teach, which was a part of my job that suddenly ceased. I love being in the same space as other beaders and sharing my love of the craft, though we can’t physically be together right now.” Many students post pictures of their work on Facebook, and YouTube LiveChat allows students to go back and review the video, including the class for Melissa’s Wild Geranium Necklace.
Melissa fell in love with the interactivity of live online beading classes and plans to do more. “I liked the idea that students were working on a project live while I was teaching it. They were able to see my techniques and chat with others.” Keep up with Melissa’s latest classes, designs, and kits at MGSdesigns.net.
Here at Interweave, we’re all very thankful to come to work each day and to continue serving your creative needs. We’re also grateful to our contributors who make it possible to bring you inspiration and expert instructions. We’ve been navigating change as best we can, adapting to working remotely and connecting with each other through video calls. We’re still refining our methods for filling in the gaps we have, now that we can’t stop by each other’s desks when an idea strikes, but we’re doing fine.
Outside of work, we’ve all admitted to missing that creative spark and the need to fight through periods of mental fatigue. For me, it’s been good to keep my hands busy but admittedly, new ideas are few and far between. The outlet I’ve found that has worked, is making masks for whoever needs them. Family, neighbors, teams of nurses, grocery store workers, and even the Navy. The quiet time I’ve had sewing has also been a great escape from the real world, even if just for a little while.
Now that the list of requests for masks has been satisfied and everyone in my family has a few to wear, my hands are busy knitting late into the night. Thanks to our current Knit Along for the Phyllotaxis Hat, I again didn’t have to do anything as far as planning, I just had to cast on and follow the pattern. I’m now onto some jewelry making for our next Fast + Fabulous theme and I’m relieved there are finally some new ideas rumbling.
Tammy Honaman
Director of Content, Interweave
Being creatively productive is part of my daily life. Keeping that status quo through this pandemic has proven to be a touchstone for me, something I can dive into and turn my mind off if it all gets too overwhelming. From sewing hundreds of fabric masks to donate to healthcare and senior-care workers in my community, to commissions for Viking reenactment clothing, to making beaded jewelry for this very magazine, and upgrading and remodeling my crafting room, I’ve been keeping busy!
Getting outside and into nature for small adventures every weekend and trying new recipes at home to keep it interesting have helped me and my family survive and thrive through these trying times. We’re really fortunate to be able to do all of these things and I try to focus on the mindfulness around that to help cope.
Meredith Steele
Technical Editor, Beadwork magazine
My day to day work life looks pretty similar to how it looked before the pandemic with the addition of two co-workers ages 10 and 14 who stop by my desk for lunch breaks or catching up. Depending on what I’m doing each day, I set my laptop up near an outlet and write articles, answer emails, review pages for the magazine, participate in video conferences, and other editorial duties. One day, I set up a beading station on our kitchen where we made stretchy tassel bracelets and wrote about it for the blog.
I started hosting the Jewelry Artist podcast during the first few weeks of the stay at home orders and it has given me an interesting peek into other artists’ lives during this unprecedented time. Jewelry artists are finding more ways to sell their work online, relying on their newsletters and social media to communicate, teaching classes virtually, and finding other ways to connect. It seems like the necessity of staying at home has spurred a lot of creativity – from the jewelry itself to the business side of things. It’s exciting to see!
But I’ve also talked to some fellow creatives who just aren’t feeling very energetic right now. It’s understandable when life is overwhelming. Here are a few tips for getting your mojo back:
- Establish daily rituals. Get started at the same time every time, whether it’s first thing in the morning or giving yourself some creative time at noon, or a couple of hours on Saturday, or whenever.
- Play with your beads. Most of us started beading because we love all of those little treasures. Take some time to look at your stash and reminisce.
- Give yourself a deadline. Nothing spurs productivity like a deadline, even if it’s one you set for yourelf.
- Focus on what’s in front of you. We don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow, so focus on what you can accomplish today.
- Be kind to yourself. If you just aren’t feeling it, allow yourself some grace. Your beads will still be there when you’re ready.
Katie Hacker
Editor Beadwork magazine; Host Jewelry Artist podcast
We continue to wish each of you good health and a path to finding your happiness and creative outlet.
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