Learning and expanding…

A couple weeks before my trip to Tucson I had a very intense moment of doubt. Up to this point with jewelry making I have been completely self taught. I had booked two metalsmithing workshops with Vivi Magoo, both of which were taught by Erin Harris, a seasoned metalsmith with a plethora of skills to share. So late one evening an ugly fraud monster reared its head. I had the very clear though: What am I doing going on this trip, taking these classes, its irresponsible to spend this money on something I don’t NEED, I won’t succeed…these classes are far to advanced for me…

After only a few minutes I firmly shook the thoughts away. This was fear talking, trying to keep me from going where I wanted to be. Also as a very pragmatic person, I had already paid for these classes (there were no refunds so close to the date), my flight, a deposit on my accommodations…. so I was f*cking going whether I was full of doubt or not.

I must say Vivi Magoo chose the perfect venue for their “Dessert” workshops. Nestled in the foothills in the Santa Catalina mountains, the stunning Westin La Paloma resort and spa soothed any lingering doubts. Erin Harris was the perfect instructor, she was patient, provided class notes, made sure to take the time to address any questions and walk each student through steps that they found difficult. Not only did I enjoy both workshops I excelled. There were some tricky soldering steps but I completed these pretty smoothly. For some reason I had the idea that I was somewhat behind in my metalsmithing journey but from what I could tell I was most likely the youngest person in each workshop. The truth is lots of artists suffer from self doubt. Its important to not let fear get in the way of your journey, it will only keep you from achieving the progress you’re looking for.