~The Evolution of Teeny Bean~ Jewelry making is new to me. Im not some fancy expert with a ton of training, rather a photographer and mother of four who suddenly found herself in a wheelchair with a lot of time on her hands. A few months ago, one of my doctors explained the importance of exercising the mind as a method of pain management. Pain is initially triggered in the brain. If the mind is occupied, it can be a pretty effective supplemental tool in pain management. So began my mission to oil the gears of my mental machine. I started out by attending Stanford. Theres this big little app called iTunes U - for anyone too cool for physical school (or broke) this is a massive archive of thousands of audio and video courses from universities around the world. I also attended Harvard, but Im a West Coast girl at heart. Occupying the mind can help to muffle the heavy metal of chronic pain. The brain can only focus on a few things at a time. Think about it. If you really stub your toe, then drive to Starbucks to tap a vein, on the way there, your mind may wander to thoughts of what awaits. During this day-dream, you may realize that for those moments the pain in your toe had become background music. Thats the goal. Turn down the volume. Learning new things sparked a match. I had forgotten how wonderful moments of awe can be when reminded how magnificent our world can be. I began tuning out from TV and in to books, eBooks, Audible. I bought ten books in two days. This was getting pricey. Although I have always been a right-brained creative, I never really thought of myself as a crafty person. The scrapbooking aisle brought on an apoplectic twitch. Too many fantastic little sparkly options at once left my mind in a spin. Painting. Ill try painting. But what to paint? Looking at a canvas gave me performance anxiety. So I started with a desk. I was in bed for a week. Finally, it happened. A sparkle. The kind I could handle. In my quest through YouTube How-Tos for something to shield my brain from pain, I came across a video on how to make a necklace. I was clasped. Not only was making jewelry fun, it was something I could share with our children. The following Saturday, my office looked like Michaels after a 6.8. Tiny crystals peeked through the ridges in the floor - everywhere. I could lay back and create a mini masterpiece. Even if it was a flop. Then I realized what my doctor was talking about. It wasnt so much about finding a new hobby, more than a new passion. I had mourned losing the ability to photograph weddings. But it was also about losing an identity. The name Teeny Bean comes from the nickname I used for my children when they were small. It also reflects my affinity for delicate jewelry that a woman will wear, rather than the woman being worn by the jewelry. I dont know where this new path will take me. But at least I know it will involve things that sparkle in the light. Thank you for being a part of this journey. Micaela Bensko TeenyBeanFineJewelry
Posted on: Sat, 27 Sep 2014 23:52:33 +0000
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