Caron Michelle

Facing your fears

2011 has been a huge year for me, testing my creativity to its maximum.  Personally, its been a year of reflection and whilst I've had my moments, in comparison to others I know who have suffered terribly its been a good year.

As I look back on my achievements over the past 12 months - I overcame some major health issues and can now report an (almost) 100% bill of physical health. I started off the year in a new role and slightly different career direction - which at first was a case of what have I done but through the support of my wonderful work colleagues and close friends, my hard work has paid off and I'm enjoying my role.  Personally, there have been some small setbacks, however I'm blessed with an incredible support network and some amazing friends and working through these. Overall, I'm  happy with the direction my life is taking me.

On the artisian front - this year I took up bead looming.  My dear friend, Erin introduced me to the loom as a means to keep me occupied after my surgery.  I was one of those people who said those words "never" when it came to using seed beads in my work.  I don't know why I feared these itty bitty tiny beads but I did.  The dye was set and the loom arrived - the challenge was in place and after my first tentative rows and the pattern evolved, I was hooked!  Then came pattern development, testing my patience and capacity with new techniques and methods ... its a constant, evolving process and I have so much to learn!  Not only did Erin introduce me to the world of looming but to others like me who were looking to embrace or develop their skills n this area - I'm part of a fabulous group and have made many lovely new friends this year.

Another area I had been involved in but wanted to explore further was metal clay.  After the studio closed, I saved up for a kiln and late this year it arrived.  After much searching, I found someone to make a stand specifically for the kiln which would withstand high temperatures.  I'm now set to go.  I have never been more scared to start something in my life - with fears of burning down the house and after much reading, the kiln is now up and running.  I'm going through the testing phases at the moment but with my first commission for early February, the pressure is on!

So - this year has been an interesting one - I have faced many fears - from personal to creative ones - but if you take a deep breath and just go for it ... you can overcome yours too!