Beading challenges are all around us: A quick search on the Internet, a glance at our forum, or keeping tabs on a single competition, like Bead Dreams, will reveal plenty of opportunities to increase your creative challenges. When beaders step up to the challenge, I am often amazed and delighted to see their work.
There are many ways to challenge yourself. My coworker, Anna Elizabeth Draeger, for example, recently challenged herself by making 26 projects for her new book, Crystal Brilliance.
Another beading challenge quickly comes to mind when I think of the beaded quilt project that Jeanette Shanigan coordinates for the Bead&Button Show’s auction to raise money to fund *** cancer research. Every year, the quilts focus on a single theme, and dozens of beaders contribute beaded squares that Jeanette assembles. This year, the theme is turtles, and you can see the variety of turtles that were created here. I love to see the many ways beaders can interpret a single idea, and it fuels my own fire to push my creative boundaries.
If competitions, creating a unified body of work, or working within a theme aren’t enough, another way to challenge yourself is to pick a project from the current issue of Bead&Button that seems slightly out of your comfort zone. Go ahead, and give it a try! I bet you’ll be surprised at how well you meet your challenge.
What are some ways you’ve challenged yourself with beading?
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