I watched the movie "Julie & Julia" recently, and was inspired to create a blog of my own, and to see what it might bring about in my life! 

I asked for suggestions of topics from friends,and Mary Elizabeth shall be declared the winner for suggesting one centered around my jewelry.  (My humble thanks to you, M.E., dear friend who always seems to actually DO the things that I only ever journal about...xoxo)  Here goes ~

This, my first post - "Too Much of a Good Thing" - refers to one of the larger and more-encompassing of my fatal flaws.  It has to do with a perfectionistic bent that serves me less and less well over time, and that drives my more spontaneously-minded friends bananas!  

In general (and, of course, specifically) I LOVE to have all my ducks in a row, all the players on the field, everything in neat little rows, divided into color-coordinated organizing devices, with everything tied up neatly in a bow (neatly, that is, with wired ribbon that affords the opportunity to form and KEEP perfect, equal-sized and -shaped loops).  I take great pride in my Just-this-side-of-OCD Organizational Abilities.  In fact, I have at least one friendship with this firmly at it's foundation.  (That's you, Alan!) 

The thing is, is that once the Organizational Extravaganza has taken place, all the plastic boxes, bags, and trays are sorted, filled and filed, then I find it hard to dig in and make the mess that is actually REQUIRED to achieve completion of a new piece of jewelry, let alone BEGIN it!

Truth be told, I couldn't stand not having a place to create my jewelry.  So I bought a sweet little slant-topped desk, with a cabinet, drawer, shelves (oh, the organizational possibilities!!!) along with a front panel that closes it all  neatly away.

Beautiful!...

...except I've not made a single piece of jewelry since I bought it!

So here's what I've gotten from writing this first post:  maybe the thing about making jewelry (or just about ANYTHING in life that is the least bit creative) CANNOT happen if I'm unwilling, or afraid, to make a mess. 

By it's nature, creativity is ALL about the blip of an idea, the thrill of putting something together, and taking it back apart, and dropping $%&*'ing things, and cursing, and doubting, and wondering why I started any of this in the first place, and getting annoyed that it's taking SO much longer that I thought, dammit. 

All that, then, makes the sweetness of completion even sweeter - when it's just the way I envisioned it, or even better, and I'm happy and proud of what I made, and then wear it all night, even with my pajama's because I'm so tickled with it!

The thing is, is that I can sit across the room and look at my pretty little desk with the lid shut, but that's NOT going to pop out new pieces of jewelry like an Easy-Bake Oven.  And if it did, it would defeat the purpose of why I began doing this to begin with - which was to enlarge and nurture my urge to create beautiful things.  And to inspire others to find the things that make them feel that urge as well...

...and to flounce around in pretty jewels in my jammies!
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