Honest opinion needed re: bead name

Marisa Cappetta wroteldestLike so choosertists trying to make a living from what they do, you are

Sorry, not a reg here, only a viewer over the wifes shoulder, and came over this while getting my machine squared away. Something to consider on this same line of thought. Shaman as a group, rather than a name, were the keepers of wisdom, and the protectors of life, the healers of ancient tribes. So, from another perspective, a line of any type of artistic work named Shaman would reflect a desire to live, and learn. It also in this particular frame would give a more meaningful twist to the line.

Sorry to but in. My eldest sister chose to direct her life in a similar manner, but by different means. My deepest condolances go out to you.

Mike Undercofler

A lot of artists (jewelry artists and metalsmiths, especially) take the middle path if they want to make a living out of their art by having two lines of work, similar to haute couture and prete a porte (sorry don't know how to get the french accents over the letters), in the fashion world. One could make haute couture beads- the ones where you put all your emotional effort into, that you either keep or sell for large amounts of money (that most people wouldn't be able to afford) as your private collection. And then one could have another set that are easier to manufacture in multiple amounts- that may be more appreciated by the "general public", so to speak, and with which you may be able to make a living out of. I think that this is a good compromise.

Remember to have fun too. Being a tortured artist shouldn't be a full time job :).

My grandfdather was a shaman. I made a piece in his honour (sorry, not beading) that I called shaman's sling with pecans

I don't know what he would have thought of it.

What a lovely tribute. Diana

I like the lines on that. It's beautiful.

Yes, this is exactly why I think it's a good name. A Shaman walks the line between worlds. A Shamanic worldview is one that rejects compartmentalization. A Shamanic journey................... No, too complex to get into here. I have a little experience. My husband has quite a bit.

Tina

"Mike Undercofler" wrote in ...

Any idea what his Spirit Guide was? They are usually animals. I've never heard of one being a plant, so the nuts are an interesting choice. But as close as you feel to plants.... who knows.

It's a very evocative piece.

Tina

"m>

This is exactly what I do, min. My drawings and poetry and some of my textile work are examples of this. The more commercially oriented work in turn balances this by giving me some light relief from the intensity of producing the other stuff. -- Marisa (AU/NZ)

"I am NOT a floozy! I am a goddess..I can do what I like!", said Venus. 'The Adventures of Baron von Munchausen' > A lot of artists (jewelry artists and metalsmiths, especially) take the > middle path if they want to make a living out of their art by having two > lines of work, similar to haute couture and prete a porte (sorry don't > know how to get the french accents over the letters), in the fashion > world. One could make haute couture beads- the ones where you put all > your emotional effort into, that you either keep or sell for large > amounts of money (that most people wouldn't be able to afford) as your > private collection. And then one could have another set that are easier > to manufacture in multiple amounts- that may be more appreciated by the > "general public", so to speak, and with which you may be able to make a > living out of. I think that this is a good compromise. >

We're from a northeast *Indian* tribe :)- not Native American, so to speak. We're technically Hindus but it's Hinduism imbedded with older animistic beliefs. I don't believe he has a spirit guide, but then again, I didn't know him that well either. He was more of a herbalist shaman and didn't do much chanting or dancing.

As for the pecans themselves, they don't carry much significance. A huge bagful of them were given to me by a woman in Lousiana who had some trees growing in her backyard. Since I'm not a very big of pecans (I prefer walnuts to eat), but they looked neat, I thought they'd work better as containers, so I'd scooped out the brain and made tops for them. And then came the question of *what* to do with all these little containers I'd made- so I used some for the Shaman's Sling as more of a humourous piece where a shaman could carry all his/her potions in little bottles. The grandfather connection was really an afterthought, and it was one of those "Oh, that makes sense!" moments.

Sorry, not very deep, I know.

Thanks anyway :).

Thanks :).

I usually have the main piece and the "left overs" pieces. The main piece would be something like my shaman sling- which consists of several pecan containters, and is quite unaffordable (and which I'm unwilling to sell), and then I have individual pecan pendants, which are inexpensive. I did this with several of my pieces, so that I could be comercial without sacrificing my er... artistic agenda (good god, that sounds pompous).

Thank you, Marissa! I lost this thread for a while (server farted) and just now found it again. As I've let things settle and clarify in my mind, I've decided to go with "Shaman's Flowers"... it's my gift to his memory.

-Kalera

Marisa Cappetta wrote:

Thank you, Mike... it's nice to get to meet you! I'm sorry to hear about your sister... when people make those choices, I really think they can't know the mess and pain they leave behind. If they did, they could never leave us like that.

Shaman's name is very meaningful... sometimes I think it was too big a name for him to bear. Other times I think that he was named too aptly, and that he had a gift he couldn't carry in the world the way it is today.

-Kalera

Mike Undercofler wrote:

Min, that is exquisitely beautiful! I had not seen any of your work until now, and I must say, I love it.

-Kalera

m> >

No, you are making perfect sense! Like I have a name given to me by my father which only he, I, and certain elders know, and then I have my legal name, which everybody knows me by. My grandmother told my father and my father told me, everything has a real name, and if you know it, you'll know its secrets. My grandmother was an herbalist, and she said that if you listen to the plants they'll tell you what kind of medicine they are. I have a little of her talent, but it won't be a practice I really take on until after menopause.

-Kalera

Diana Curtis wrote:

Yes... hence Suicide Flowers. You get it! But it probably is a bit much for many people, ie "The Marketplace".

-Kalera

Christ> And you know, in another vein, including Shamanism, giving up

Thank you. I am to terms with it most of the time, but it often rises to the surface when I'm working. It *is* a bad word to most people... I'm not sure I could counteract that.

-Kalera

Deepwood Art wrote:

Thank you, Kandice! I have decided to call them "Shaman's Flowers" and let the explanation of the name carry the meaning. I have posted them to my website, though I'm, come right down to it, ambivalent about selling them now. Here's a link:

-Kalera

Kandice Seeber wrote:

Thank you, Margie! That is a beautiful word for a terrible thing! I suppose in that sense it fits.

-Kalera

Margie wrote: