Beading—The Creative Spirit, livre ebook

Find Your Creative Self in the Kaleidoscope of Beads & Color

"Beading and my spiritual path are intricately interwoven. It would be difficult for me to separate the two because they are so completely intertwined with one another. As I sit and weave with my beads, I allow the Creative Spirit to flow through me, and though my hands are doing the work, another force is actively participating in the process. This force is a transmission of Spirit that fills me with deep inner peace and joy as I bead. As a result, the practice of my art form has become a creative path to my sacred center."
—from the Introduction

Believing that beading is a form of meditation through which we can access the Creative Spirit that is always present in us, master bead artist Rev. Wendy Ellsworth offers multiple ways to explore beading as a spiritual journey of self-discovery. Each of the seven chapters is rich with personal stories, exercises, and beading projects, and each project has a meditative experience to encourage a contemplative spirit and creative play. The project results are beautiful, meaningful symbols designed by a master bead artist for both novice and experienced beaders alike.

Original projects include:

• Geometric Mandala
• Personal Mandala
• Personal Prayer Beads
• Beaded Prayer Pouch
• Goddess Archetype Necklace
• Beaded Stick Figure Goddess
• Chakra Necklace
• Chakra Flower Sculpture
• Free-form Gourd Stitch Bracelet
• Ruffled Cabochon Brooch
• Dutch Spiral Necklace
• Spiral Vessel
• Song Beads
• Herringbone Stitch Cuff with Freshwater Pearls

Acknowledgments vii
Introduction 1

1 Find Your Center
For Equilibrium and Balance 7
Exercise: Creating a Comfortable Space 17
Project 1: Geometric Mandala 19
Meditation: Asking for Personal Symbols 26
Project 2: Personal Mandala 28

2 Knock on Spirit's Door
Using Beads to Pray 35
Exercise: Blessing the Materials 47
Meditation: Accessing Your Right-Brain Creative Spirit 49
Project 3: Personal Prayer Beads 52
Project 4: Beaded Prayer Pouch 55

3 Stir the Pot
In Search of the Authentic Self 63
Exercise: Focusing—The Sacred Triangle 76
Beginning Meditation 78
Project 5: Goddess Archetype Necklace 80
Project 6: Beaded Stick Figure Goddess 86
Ending Meditation 90

4 Spin the Wheels of Life
For Integration and Wholeness 93
Exercise: Visualizing the Vertical Currents of Core Energy 105
Project 7: Chakra Necklace 108
Meditation: Bringing In the Light 113
Project 8: Chakra Flower Sculpture 117

5 Shake Up Your Palette
Playing with Light and Color 123
Exercise: Shake Up Your Palette 138
Project 9: Free-form Gourd Stitch Bracelet 141
Meditation: Color 147
Project 10: Ruffled Cabochon Brooch 149

6 Dance with the Rhythm
Ten Tools of Creative Expression 157
Exercise: Drawing Spirals 174
Project 11: Dutch Spiral Necklace 176
Meditation: Spirals 180
Project 12: Spiral Vessel 182

7 Bead Your Bliss
Sing Your Song 189
Exercise: Discovering Your Song 202
Project 13: Song Beads 204
Meditation: Beauty 208
Project 14: Herringbone Stitch Cuff with
Freshwater Pearls 210
Inspiration for the Future: Creating a Bead Challenge 217

Resources 219
Bibliography 221
Project Index 225