Week 2

For my second week of my senior project, I was making jewelry. This was the only craft that was somewhat familiar to me as I had taken a jewelry making class last year and made jewelry during quarantine. When school started up again, I didn't find myself having as much time to try new skills with jewelry making and being able to make it at all, so I was excited to have the week to do it again. This week, I was doing a flat beed peyote stitch bracelet and clay rings.

I have gotten into the routine of taking a weekly trip to Michaels on the first day of the week. This week it was Tuesday as I was traveling on Monday. When I went to Michaels, the woman working there recognized me since I had gone in last week and we started talking about the crafts I was doing. She actually gave me advice on purchasing a different type of clay to do the rings as she had tried the project a few months ago. It was really nice to talk to someone who knew about the projects I was doing, outside of the group of friends I have that can aid me with questions I have. I've mostly been crafting at my house or parks nearby, and I've found going to Michaels to be a very fun enjoyable outing. 

Since there have been a few sunny afternoons, I have been doing my senior project outside on my lawn. On Wednesday afternoon, I was outside working on the peyote stitch bracelet with my dog next to me. I was just listening to music and working on a little table I set up. It was a very tranquil moment for me and since it was a mostly familiar skill, it was very relaxing. I've realized that I really enjoy the repetitive motion of a lot of the crafts I'm doing and it is very soothing to do the same motion over and over. With the type of bracelet I was working on, there are no knots or anything, it's just friction. In the past, I used a different type of bead, which haven't worked as well. For this project, I got the special fancy type called Delica beads, which are all the exact same size and shape so they form together better. It lies a lot better and fits more tightly. Below, is a picture of when I was about half-way through the bracelet. 

This week definitely felt more manageable than last week. I've learned that it can be very overwhelming to be given a completely open schedule, but still having a lot to do. This week, I focused on figuring out more of a routine, which was very helpful. I just started working at Starbucks too, so navigating time management is something I have had to continue to work on. Another thing that I learned was that I am a very impatient person. I probably knew this about myself before my senior project, but my crafting has only highlighted this flaw. As a bonus, I get to work on being more patient with myself and not getting frustrated when something is taking longer than I thought it would. 

As a delightful end to my week, I made jewelry on my deck at the beach.