Thursday, August 14, 2008

Guilty Pleasures

I've developed an addiction to reality TV shows on Bravo. In the past, I would never had admitted to this, but we're all friends here, right?

My all time favorite, of course, is Project Runway. I've also really gotten into Shear Genius. I love watching the challenges and the wonderful and awful things that these people come up with. I love choosing my favorites and least favorites and imagining myself wearing those outfits and haircuts. My favorite "character" is Stella, the wonderfully ridiculous designer of all things "leatha."

I rush home every Wednesday to watch these favorite shows of mine. If I can't be home to watch them, they'll always be on the next day. And the day after that. And pretty much every day until the next Wednesday, the next episode. But then, all the episodes are on that day too...

This all got me thinking. What if there was a Bravo TV show about the type of designing that I do? What if there was a show just about beadweaving. Or about knitting and crocheting. The camera focuses on me. I'm beadweaving, and you hear a voiceover. "I decided to do a peyote cuff. So I started with some beads. And then I put on another bead. And then I put on another bead. And then I put on another bead. And then I decide to change colors." Or "I did a row of knit. And a row of purl. Then I did an intricate lace. Yarn over..." Maybe it's just that I've been watching too much TV and frying my brain, but this concept makes me laugh! Just imagine how entertaining that would be to the outside world! (Not!)

But it also got me thinking about the people I design for. I always design with a little piece of myself in mind. After all, who could love something I make that I don't even love? In their own way, the Etsy Beadweaving challenges are kind of the same concept. The last challenge in particular got me out of my comfort zone, but I was determined to make something beautiful within the guidelines that was still true to my own sense of style, and I'm pretty sure I pulled it off.

And of course there are the people who wear my jewelry. I just love opening a package in which there is something wearable that I ordered from Etsy. (Lamp work jewelry is another guilty pleasure of mine.) And when I put it on, I feel amazing and beautiful. That is exactly how I want people to feel when they wear my jewelry. I want them to feel like the powerful women they are, or to feel like princesses. Whatever makes them feel best, that is how I want them to feel. Whether I give pieces I make away or people purchase them or even have me custom make them, I just want my pieces to be loved, and I want the people who wear them to feel just that little bit more amazing.

6 comments:

GrandmaMarilyn said...

I agree with you completely. By the way, my daughter got me hooked on your 2 favorites too.

beadsandblooms said...

Not much of a TV viewer except for college sports, the occasional movies and I'm an uncurable Lost junkie! But I totally agree with you about wanting the people who wear my jewelry to love it and to feel lovely wearing it. Afterall, they're wearing a little piece of me.

Anonymous said...

Adina,
I recently purchased the Dreamy Summer Night choker and I adore it. It's even prettier in person; it generates lots of comment from total strangers and I feel like a princess when I wear it. I think you achieved your goal with this piece! I even had my hair cut a little shorter to show off my beautiful new necklace!
RockyandSpike

adina said...

I'm so glad!! That makes my day!!

SarahKelley said...

Love this post Adina! I love wearing things that make me feel amazing and unique and special. I love making things that are amazing and unique and special and I love the thought that someone else feels amazing unique and special in the things that I make. It's joy all around isn't it?

Marlaine said...

I think along the same lines as you do. I want everyone who wears one of my pieces to feel like they are special and deserve to wear something special.