About a million years ago, when I first started making jewelry, I was obsessed with seed beads. It started because I wanted the skinniest strands of beads possible. I would buy tiny beads - size 15 seed beads, and smaller if I could find them - and make multistrand necklaces out of them, as well as stretch bracelets, which I wore all at once, about 10 or 15 on each wrist.

Then I saw a beautiful freeform peyote sculpture at a bead store in Weaverville, California, and decided I needed to learn how to make things like that with my beads. So I learned a few simple beadweaving stitches - peyote and netting - and started making cuff bracelets and necklaces using these weaving techniques with my seed beads. Jewelry making started to feel more like an artistic endeavor, and less about fashion.

At some point, however, I discovered wirework and metalwork, and my seed beads have been pretty neglected ever since. It’s been years. But lately, I’ve really been wanting to do some beadwork, only I’m having trouble getting started. I think because it’s been such a long time, it feels like a stretch, something that is no longer in my comfort zone. Most of the jewelry I’ve made in the last year uses only silver wire and the occasional pearl or stone for a centerpiece. I wrap, sculpt, and fuse my silver, and that feels comfortable and natural.

It’s funny in a way - back when I worked primarily with beads, I never could have predicted that someday metalwork would be easier for me than beading. But it appears that’s what’s happened.

I hope to get over my beading block soon, because I have lots of ideas to try.