The Great Jewelry Purge

As artists, sometimes we can be our own worst critics - everything from doubt to perfectionism can get in the way of the pieces we want to design or share. On the other hand, sometimes we are a little too forgiving of our mistakes and mishaps, or a little too eager to share designs that might only be fridge-worthy. At least, I know I am.

I once read a help article for Etsy sellers that said something like “Get rid of your amateur items - you know which ones I mean…”. I knew alright, and I got rid of those not-so-great pieces right away. I thought I was done, but later learned that cultivating one’s work is an ongoing job.

This weekend, I did something that was long overdue. Encouraged by the refreshing and liberating experiences I’ve had during the destash beading challenge, I decided it was time to go through my jewelry inventory and weed out the duds. There were a lot more than I thought there would be! I pulled out all of the pieces that didn’t quite fit my current standards and style, and a few things that made me say “What was I thinking?”.

I’ve never been much for frogging - that is, dismantling - jewelry or even unfinished designs, so I have a whole pile of jewelry to deal with now. The good news is that I get to wear some of my favorite pieces, like my Raspberries and Cream lariat, and my son has a whole new crop of jewelry to play with. He likes to pretend that they’re hideous sea creatures that are attacking his army of storm troopers and G.I. Joes.

How do you feel about frogging, purging, and deactivating your jewelry designs?

Copyright 2012 Inspirational Beading
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