brOKen, again.

Every once in a while I hear stories about people connecting through my jewelry/art, and the world feels wonderfully connected and small. These connections remind me of why I spend such a good chunk of my time creating. Occasionally I'll experience a deeper connection like the one made last week.

On Saturday my friend Kristi wrote and told me to "Go here". I've never met Kristi's friend Alece so beyond recognizing her name from Kristi's blog, I didn't know anything about her. It's difficult to describe how I felt while reading Alece's post and all the comments about how/why she wears my "brOKen" bracelet. (How like Kristi to pass on a bracelet!)

A couple of years ago I created these "brOKen" bracelets so that when the heat gets turned up, I'll remember to trust what has been tested in the trenches. I made a few extras for close friends. (I have searched all of my computers for photos of my candles/mirrors painting installation from which I designed this bracelet. If anyone out there has a copy will you send it back my way?)

There are broken times when I resist change and fight hard at the lack of peace in my life. I often make those times worse by a lack of patience and by frustration with my own silly temperament. When I allow the brOKen times, and truly rest in the "OK" part of the word, art that is deeply meaningful to me is often borne.

That this borne art would connect otherwise unrelated souls in similar thought, at different times, (not to mention different continents!), and even gain new meaning is really powerful to me personally.

Alece has asked me to make a few more of these bracelets, but until I feel inspired to make more, I think I will teach people how to make them for themselves, for their own friends. I'll be composing a tutorial in the coming days in which I'll post step by step instructions. I think it's a great way to share more than just the amount of bracelets I can make but to also share in the whole meaningful experience of creating, giving, and sharing. Maybe people will even have their own word(s) to share.