If You Want Something Done….

Give it to a Busy Person…

This is a statement I have heard more than once in recent times. I wonder what that really means.  Does it mean that if you have too much to do that you organize better?  Or does it mean that as we fill up our lives with activities, chores and obligations that we are in a survival mode?

So much to do, So little time!

How about the other side of this coin?  If we don’t have enough going on, do we become complacent or lazy?

I have to say that I create my own “busy-ness.”   So many times I get asked to do things and I rarely say no.  I often hear my colleagues and friends express the same sentiment.  I am sure this happens to many of you.

I think that on some level, we are flattered that someone thinks enough of our competence to ask us to participate, and therefore we must “accept” the charge.  We look at the calendar, see that the date is free and say “sure, I can do that!”  But when we actually have to complete the task, we ask ourselves “what was I thinking?  I should never have said I would do that.”

I guess I am not the superhero I think I am!

 

And then it comes time to meet your own duties and goals. Often, when you are busy, you let some of these things go, because after all, you are not a superhero.  To the outside world, you look like you are amazing, because you have met all of your external obligations which are all of those things you said “yes” to and had to get done.

I guess I am not the superhero I would like think I am.  I have let my blog be one of those goals that fell through the cracks.  Whenever I had a moment to write, I felt paralyzed.  It was almost as if I was being defiant, as if the dialog I was having with myself was “I have been too busy, and just for that, I am NOT going to write!”  Some other personal goals have fallen short as well, including my own Jewelry Business.

It was almost as if I was being defiant, as if the dialog I was having with myself was “I have had too much to do, and just for that, I am NOT going to write”. 

Are you one of those busy people who “over-accept?”  I sure would like to get better at saying “no” to those things that make my life crazy.  All of us “busy” folks need to re-assess what is truly important to do.

 All of this talk about decluttering our spaces—what about decluttering our lives?

Let me know what you think.    How will you “Declutter” your life?  Now back to making my jewelry!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lynne Patnode is the owner of Silverspiral Creations whose mission is to create wearable jewelry art from nature’s most beautiful stones.  She also creates fused glass jewelry art inspired by nature.

 

 

Do You Choose the Stone or Does the Stone Choose You?

How to Choose the Right Stone or Crystal for You! 

So you have decided you love stones–perhaps you love some of the colors and patterns and see them as works of art.  Or maybe you love the crystals, and the possibilities they have to help you with your mood, to heal, or to feel good.  Some of you might just love to hold and feel a tumbled stone, experiencing the warmth or coolness of that stone.

Throughout time, many cultures have used stones in many ways to enhance their lives, through home décor (stone countertops), art (sculpture), Medical healing (metaphysical) and for jewelry (from beads, to cabochons, to faceted stones).

Some folks love to collect them–learning all the names of the different stones, and a fascination on how they are created by Mother Nature.

In today’s blog, I want to concentrate on the fun reasons you might use stones, and how you would choose a stone for your everyday lives.

I did some research into this, and found many authors who suggest that the best way for you to find out what stones you are drawn to and will work for you is to go to a rock shop, and look around.  What grabs you?  Are you drawn to the colors of the stones?  The feel, the textures, the sparkles, the patterns?

Do some stones “call you?”  Do you somehow feel connected to the earth when you see or hold a particular stone?  Do you prefer the rough natural stone, or one that has been cut and faceted by a lapidary artist?

Most of us will never know why we like certain stones, or why we are drawn to them.  If you talk to the New Age Healers, Metaphysical properties are very real and there is a strong belief that stones will help in healing from physical and emotional illness. If this is of interest to you, there are many guides available on the internet from respected sources to help you.  I am listing some of these links at the end of this post.

If you are drawn to stones because they are beautiful, then you might consider looking at them as pieces of art, either to be sculpted, or to place around your home as a way to feel grounded and part of nature.  Or perhaps you are drawn to the possibility that stones can be worn as an accessory to your wardrobe–as another way of connecting with nature.

There is something about a natural stone that just can’t be duplicated.  Perhaps there is a “vibration” as some suggest that reaches out to us humans.  I don’t know–but I DO know that I have always been drawn to their lovliness, and fascinated by the fact that such beauty exists in nature.  And unlike plants, stones don’t die, and almost never go bad.  The fact that they are older than most of us can ever know, and will live on long after we pass is also an indication of how powerful they are…Just think about it!

So how do you select your perfect stone?  One author, Phyllis Galde, in her book Crystal Healing, offers one suggestion that resonates with me:

“Pick a stone by attraction, by being drawn to touch it, and then hold it in the left hand loosely. Let it rest against the palm chakra and notice the impressions, colors, sounds and mood feelings that accompany the stone. No two crystals are the same. They are like snowflakes. Each crystal has its own particular vibration, and each will resonate differently. Look for one that will resonate with your being—regardless of size, shape, color, or jeweler’s quality. It’s the intuitive impression which is important.”

And so I do….

Resources:

Metaphysical and Healing:

http://www.healingcrystals.com

http://www.bestcrystals.com/metaphysical.html

http://meanings.crystalsandjewelry.com/a-to-z-list-of-crystal-meanings/

http://www.crystal-cure.com/gem-healing.html

How Gemstones are formed:

How gemstones are formed

https://www.gemsociety.org/article/gem-formation/

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SilverSpiral Creations creates handcrafted jewelry using Nature’s most beautiful stones–creating wearable art for you!  To visit the website Click Here for SilverSpiral Creations

Giving Up Your Life for Art

As I sit and contemplate another snow day, my first thought is–Okay!  I have time to “play!” Then I say–“I mean–work!”

You see-I have 2 lives…By day a music therapist in a school system, and by night I am a jewelry artist-

So what does this work-play mean?  It means spending another day in the studio designing and creating more art.  And for most people, it sounds like a dream–to have the ability to make and create things whenever they want. To have NO supervisor or boss that dictates how your day will go, to not have a critique of your work, to decide what your hours will be and how much time you will spend during your lunch hour.  Sounds great–right?

It would be my fantasy to live this way–to be an artist and to live life the way I want to.  Unfortunately–it is only a fantasy for most artists.  Very few  can command the money for their art that to make a living, and must work at other steady jobs in order to be able to create.

I am fortunate in that I have a creative full time job as a music therapist, another way in which I am able to express myself through art.  And I love my job–helping others use music as a way to express themselves, to learn, to heal, and to develop a sense of self.  But I am also passionately drawn to the solitude of creating my own piece, with my own ideas.

Working in a school system does allow me the schedule to create jewelry art on the “off” hours, and I use every opportunity to create that is available to me.  This means nights and weekends where I am not out socializing, spending time with neighbors and friends.

I believe this is the story of many artists.  There are so many creative souls out there–yet our society says art is not a priority–it is an “extra” a “frill” and that one must make a living elsewhere.  That art is play, and play is not work.

Well–Can you imagine a life without the beauty of art?  Music, paintings, sculpture, jewelry, metalwork, textiles, architecture, graphic design–these are all arts!  What is the value of this?  And how many artists have given up their social lives to create for us?

Lynne Patnode makes sterling silver stone jewelry. You can see her creations at SilverSpiral Creations Etsy Shop and you can visit her website at Here