Back to Work (sort of!)

So. As you may have noticed, I haven't written a single blog post now in a really, really long time. A person I love very much has been struggling with a very serious addiction lately, and I just haven't had the heart to write about or think about much else. Finding out someone you love is addicted to heroin is a sad and painful experience, and it has resulted in me doing some serious reflecting on my life and on the choices I have made. For a few weeks this past month, I was starting to wonder exactly why I had gotten involved in this whole jewelry business in the first place. Working in a field like jewelry--a field that is so tied up in commercialism, in the buying and selling of things, can feel a little hollow sometimes, a little bit incomplete. When I used to work in theater, sometimes I felt the same way. As satisfying and rewarding as it can be to create art (in the case of jewelry, little wearable works of art), it is also important to keep things in perspective. Making art, you know, does not directly save lives. It does not contribute to people's basic needs, like food and shelter. This doesn't mean, of course, that art has no place in the world or isn't worth making. I have spent the past decade of my life as a working artist, and I will probably (hopefully!) spend the next decade doing the same. I do think that art is important. It's important, useful, etc., for a myriad of reasons that I won't go into here. But I also know that it isn't everything. The world is full of so many things, sometimes, that matter more.

I have literally been trying to finish this post now for almost a week. I just can't figure out how to end it or what conclusions to draw. I mean, I guess there is a lot to feel hopeful about. The person I know who has been struggling just celebrated 30 days clean. Which doesn't mean that it's the end of the story, or that everything is perfect now and back to normal, but it is something to celebrate. I have a lot to celebrate in my own life too. Things are far from perfect, but I am happy in many ways. I do love creating jewelry that other people also love and want to wear. I love working for myself and making decisions for my business. It's not the end of the story for me by any means, but I can (and do!) still enjoy all of the wonderful people and things that I have in my life right now.

And hey, maybe I will be starting some kind of charity jewelry line very soon.... Or create a signature necklace, maybe? Something to help provide support to the families and friends of addicts? Help addicts with the cost of going to treatment? Something else, maybe mental health related? Any ideas, anyone?? I am feeling like I want to find a way to put my jewelry skills to use for a good cause.....