Find joy in creating beautiful pieces of jewelry.
Looking for a new outlet to keep yourself calm and centered? Picking up a stress-free hobby that you can do during your days off can help you recharge after a week of hard work. If you are inclined to the arts or perhaps have an affinity for creating things using your hands, why not give jewelry making a try?
The best thing about picking up a new pastime is that you are in control of your pace or of how much time you devote to it, without the pressure of a deadline or a boss hovering over you. So think of this article as your introduction to the art of jewelry making and the benefits you can receive from practicing the hobby.
1. Boosts happiness
Finding yourself immersed in doing creative works—whether it’s a painting, a song, or a piece of jewelry—apparently affects your brain process in several ways. For one, it gives you a sense of peace and calm. Artists and creators will tell you it hits them once they’re “in the zone” or that state where they are truly engaged in their discipline. At this point, they truly become one with their works.
Now imagine what jewelers feel upon finishing a project; that moment when they see their precious creation showcased on a jewelry display platform for everyone to see and admire. The act of finishing a creative project likewise triggers good feelings, such as the feeling of accomplishment. When done as a habit, it inevitably becomes a motivating factor for the creator to create more and to learn more about the craft because of the good feeling it induces.
What began as a simple creative outlet then becomes a cycle of nothing but positive feelings and emotions. At a time when a lot of things are still uncertain and anxieties about the future abound, jewelry making (or any other creative endeavor) can be a healthy diversion that can bring comfort into our lives.
2. Encourages mindfulness
Let’s go back to that part about being “in the zone.”
The jewelry-making process involves a lot of painstaking concentrated work: beading, threading, molding, cutting wires, shaping, etc. It requires the maker to focus on following a procedure while tinkering with tiny objects (crystals, stones, beads) that are easy to miss if the creator has a wandering mind. The demands of the discipline require patience and razor-sharp focus to create a finished product that is worthy of being admired on any easel or stand. That sense of mindfulness—where one is fully engaged and aware of what needs to be done—can be applied outside of the craft and is seen as a useful trait to deal with life’s challenges.
We face numerous hurdles every day and it can often feel like there’s no end to the trials that come. When this happens we inevitably feel burdened, overwhelmed, and wondering about which task to tackle first. But when we stop and breathe to take each challenge one at a time, devoting our focus on that one problem, we will be able to come up with better solutions and we inevitably lighten our burden much easier with each small effort.
3. Helps improve mental faculties
Numerous studies have shown the effects of creative endeavors on the human mind. As mentioned in the article’s first point, artistic pursuits—of which jewelry making is part—trigger so-called “happy hormones.” These hormones called dopamine and serotonin are activated by doing pleasurable things, such as experiencing and creating art. Having enough of these chemicals in the brain can help manage depression, and anxiety, as well as reduce feelings of isolation.
Likewise, doing art engages the mind and stimulates creativity, and as a result, delays dementia and other memory disorders.
4. Improves one’s physical health
For its calming effect on its practitioners, jewelry making helps prevent stress-induced disorders such as having high blood pressure levels and heart problems. Additionally, thanks to the previously mentioned “happy hormones,” having increased energy levels also becomes an aftereffect of taking on jewelry making as a hobby.
Because it involves the use of the hands, the practice helps strengthen hand muscles and improve one’s hand-eye coordination.
5. Builds self-esteem
There’s a lot of joy and fulfillment to be found in finishing a creative project. It happens whether one is a filmmaker during the moment when their work ends with the warm applause of a receptive audience, or a writer types the last period on a novel they’ve slaved over for months or years. It’s a sense of accomplishment that finally something you’ve worked hard at is finally done.
In the case of jewelers, whether it’s their very first finished product or their thousandth, seeing their precious creation come to life can be an exciting and ultimately self-esteem-building experience.
For its numerous benefits, the art of jewelry making is something we will never tire of promoting. Whether you’re young or old, it’s definitely a fun and relaxing hobby that’s worth exploring.
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