Jewelry Making Classes and Clubs: 4 Ideas for Social Interaction and Creative Inspiration

Do you spend so much time making jewelry you have no social life? Perhaps when you make jewelry there's always a child (or a spouse) waiting for you to stop playing with your beads so you can cook dinner? Either way, you need a creative time out.

You need social interaction with artsy/craftsy people just like you. Your creative me time doesn't have to be a week long seminar or a weekend artist's retreat. It can be a refreshing pause in your day, a simple hour or two spent in the company of people who reaffirm your creativity.

Planned activities with other jewelry makers can help you combine your creative and social needs. You can share ideas and show off your work. You can rehash the triumphs and pitfalls of the art and craft you love. Socializing with your creative peers can be an enriching and rewarding experience. Here are 4 ways to do it.

Start a Jewelry Making Club

Organize a jewelry making club and you can create and socialize at the same time. Schedule weekly or monthly meetings as your 'time out' with jewelry making friends. No one has to lead. You simply make jewelry together. Share techniques, practice skills and show off your work. You'll feel inspired.

Enrich your club experience by setting up outings to art and craft events and museums or galleries. Go places where you can see what other jewelry artists are doing. Enroll in a class together. Get out of the house! The time you spend sharing jewelry making experiences with like minded friends will enhance your creative alone time.

Begin a Bead Buying Club

If you create jewelry, sooner or later you'll succumb to bead addiction. The sight of beads will make your heart quicken and your eyes sparkle. Your fingers will get grabby and spending will become hard to control. Excessive bead buying is a hazard of the craft, but many bead shops and Internet jewelry supply sites like Rio Grande and Fire Mountain offer quantity discounts to ease the pain. You can combine your purchases with similarly addicted bead loving friends to get the best buying advantage. When you shop on line you can divide the shipping costs.

Make it a monthly Bead Buying Club. Get together with friends. Sip coffee, tea or wine. Talk about your latest projects and plan your purchases. You can even visit your local bead shop or a bead show together for a hands on bead buying, social experience.

Sign up for a Jewelry Class at a Bead Shop

A jewelry class can satisfy both your creative and social needs. Many bead shops have a rotating schedule of economical classes or workshops. An experienced jewelry maker will teach you a new project, technique or skill in a relaxed environment. You'll have ready access to the supplies you need.

You don't have to make a major time commitment. Bead shop classes are usually one day events that last an hour or two. You can take a class with friends or go alone and meet new people who share your jewelry making passion. The time away from your lonely work space or family will recharge your creativity.

Enroll in a Jewelry Program at a College, Gallery or Community Art Centers

Jewelry classes are great for a one day creative experience, but what if you want more? Do an online search for jewelry making programs in your area. Colleges, galleries and arts centers offer programs usually consisting of 1 class a week for 6 to 10 weeks.

These programs may offer metalwork, wire work, enameling or other skills that require more than a single day to master. You will grow comfortable working with the same people week after week. As you learn new skills together, your friendships will blossom and so will your creativity.

Source:
Rio Grande:
http://www.riogrande.com/default.aspx

Fire Mountain Gems:
http://www.firemountaingems.com/