When Did You Last Make Something Just for You?

When was the last time you sat down and made something simply because you wanted to?

Not because it was on a list. Not because somebody needed it. Not because it was part of your job.

Just because you fancied spending a few hours doing something completely different.

I think, somewhere along the way, many of us stop making things.

As children, we don't give creativity much thought. We draw, paint, cut things up, stick things together and proudly present the results to anyone who'll look. We certainly don't worry about whether we're "creative enough".

Then adulthood happens.

Life gets busy. Work takes over. Families need us. There is always another email, another job around the house or something that really ought to be done first.

And creativity can quietly disappear from the list.

You don't have to be "creative" to make something

One of the things I hear surprisingly often before my jewellery making workshops is:

"I'm not very creative."

Usually said with a slight warning, just in case I'm expecting them to arrive with a sketchbook full of jewellery designs.

I don't.

You don't need to know how to draw. You don't need to have made jewellery before. And you definitely don't need to arrive with a grand creative vision.

That's rather the point.

A beginner jewellery workshop is about being shown the techniques, getting the tools into your hands and discovering what happens.

You might choose a different texture from the person beside you. You might prefer something simple while they hammer every available inch of silver. You might change your mind halfway through.

That's all part of making.

There is no factory-perfect version that everybody is trying to reproduce.

The small differences are what make the finished piece yours.

There is something very satisfying about making with your hands

Most of us spend an extraordinary amount of our lives looking at screens.

I'm certainly not anti-technology, running a small business would be rather difficult without it but there is something completely different about working with a physical material.

Silver needs your attention.

You measure it. Saw it. Shape it. Hammer it. Texture it. File it. Gradually, what started as a piece of metal begins to look like jewellery.

Your hands are busy and you're concentrating on the thing immediately in front of you.

And then comes the part I still love seeing.

That moment when somebody looks at the finished piece and realises:

I actually made that.

Not assembled it from a kit.  Made it.  There is a difference.

Why I think we need to make things as adults

Making jewellery certainly isn't going to solve life's problems, and I won't pretend a three-hour workshop is some form of miracle cure for being busy.

But I do think there is value in occasionally being a beginner again.

Trying something when you don't know exactly how it will turn out.

Asking questions.

Getting something slightly wrong and fixing it.

Learning what a tool does.

Discovering that you're much better at something than you expected.

We become very good, as adults, at staying in areas where we know what we're doing. There is something refreshing about stepping outside that for a few hours.

My own relationship with creativity changed enormously as I got older.

Jewellery began as something I did alongside a completely different career. Eventually, what had been my creative outlet became something I couldn't imagine not doing.

I went full-time with my jewellery business at 50.

So I'm probably the last person who's going to tell you that creativity belongs to a particular age, personality type or stage of life.

Sometimes you just have to give yourself permission to try.

Jewellery making is different from simply buying jewellery

I make jewellery for a living, so obviously I'm very fond of buying and owning beautiful jewellery too.

But wearing something you have made yourself feels different.

You remember the piece of silver you started with.

You remember choosing the texture.

You know why one tiny mark isn't quite like the others.

And when somebody says, "I love your ring," you get to reply:

"Thanks. I made it."

Which, frankly, is rather satisfying.

It's one of the reasons I love teaching jewellery making workshops.

Jewellery is already personal. We wear it against our skin. We associate pieces with people, celebrations, places and periods of our lives.

Making the piece yourself adds another layer to that story.

What actually happens at a jewellery making workshop?

If you've never been to a silversmithing or jewellery making class before, you might imagine something quite formal.

Mine aren't.

My jewellery making workshops in County Louth are deliberately small, relaxed and informal.

I teach each workshop personally, and they're designed for complete beginners.

Over approximately three hours, I'll take you through the process step by step and introduce you to some of the traditional silversmithing techniques I use at my own bench.

Depending on the particular workshop, you might be creating sterling silver stacking rings, a charm bracelet, a personalised pendant or another piece I've designed specifically for the session.

The tools and materials are provided, as are a few refreshments to keep us going.

And importantly, you do the making.

I'll demonstrate, guide, answer questions, help when something isn't quite behaving itself and occasionally rescue things when required but this is your piece.

By the end of the session, you'll have jewellery made by your own hands to take home.

Coming on your own is completely normal

This probably deserves a section of its own because I know it stops people booking things.

You absolutely do not have to bring somebody with you.

Of course, jewellery workshops can be a lovely thing to do with a friend, your mum, your daughter, a sister or a group of people you haven't managed to get together with for far too long.

But plenty of people come to creative workshops alone.

And I actually think that's rather nice.

Once everyone sits down and starts making, conversation happens very naturally. You're all learning the same unfamiliar thing, comparing progress and asking questions.

Nobody is standing in the corner wondering who to talk to.

You're too busy making jewellery.

A different kind of gift

I've noticed a wider shift towards giving experiences rather than simply finding another object to wrap.

And I understand why.

There comes a point when most of us don't particularly need more "stuff".

A jewellery making workshop gift is different because there's still something tangible at the end of it but the finished jewellery is only part of the present.

You're also giving someone an afternoon to themselves.

Something new to learn.

A story.

And perhaps the discovery that they enjoy doing something they'd never considered trying before.

For birthdays, Mother's Day, Christmas or simply as a "you deserve something for yourself" gift, I think experiences can feel incredibly thoughtful.

And unlike many experiences, you get to wear this one afterwards.

Learning a traditional skill in a very modern world

There's another part of jewellery making that matters to me.

These techniques have been used by craftspeople for generations.

The tools may evolve and jewellers now have technology previous generations couldn't have imagined, but so much of the work still comes back to hands, tools, heat, metal and skill.

When I teach somebody how to texture silver with a hammer, shape a ring or add a hand-stamped detail, I'm passing on a tiny piece of that knowledge.

Nobody is expected to become a silversmith in an afternoon.

But you get to understand a little more about how jewellery is actually made.

And I think that changes how you look at handmade things.

Once you've spent time making something yourself, you begin to notice the marks of the maker.

Maybe it's time to try something you're not already good at

There is always something else we could be doing.

That's unlikely to change.

So perhaps the better question isn't, "When will I have time?"

Perhaps it's:

When did I last make time for something simply because I wanted to?

If it's been a while, come and spend a few hours at the jeweller's bench with me.

You don't need experience.

You don't need to think of yourself as creative.

You just need to be willing to have a go.

I'll take care of the rest.

And you'll leave wearing the evidence that you made something yourself.

Explore my jewellery making workshops in County Louth and find your next opportunity to take a seat at the bench.