Step by Step Beads

Re: When do you stop calling yourself "Beginner?"

KristaS — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 21:41:42 GMT

I consider it a per technique thing. It depends to me, on how many times i've done the technique.. How comfortable I am with it.. Could I teach it? There's a few stitches I do feel comfortable enough to teach.. and I would feel quite comfortable with some.. I suppose in those I don't consider myself a beginner.. But the ones I haven't perfected yet.. I consider myself beginner still.

Krista

Re: When do you stop calling yourself "Beginner?"

Vanbeads — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 10:48:33 GMT

Now this is an interesting question. I can't remember when I stopped thinking of myself as a beginner. I remember when my husband and I lived in our second apartment in 2000-2001, that was when I took up off-loom weaving seriously. I spent hours and hours beading, learning how to read graphs and charts, and learning about seed beads, threads and needles. I took weekly classes at a bead store about 50 miles from where I lived, and once I got involved with the community of beaders in that area, I think that was when I stopped thinking of myself as a beginner - I think because I finally had someone else to compare myself to, LOL! Does that make sense?

That said, I taught a couple of classes this summer around my area. For one class, I stated in the class description that the class was for intermediate to advanced beaders who were familiar with brick and peyote stitch. When I actually got to teach the class, it turned out that half of the students enrolled had never done brick stitch before, and the other half had only done a handful of peyote projects. They obviously thought of themselves as "advanced", yet they didn't have the skills needed to complete the project. So I think classifying oneself is a highly subjective process!

Does any of that make sense? LOL!

-Jen

Re: When do you stop calling yourself "Beginner?"

BeadingCat — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 10:21:42 GMT

What a interesting question!!!!!!

I concider myself as a trainee, because I'haven't stopp learning now. :)

I'm a straight stringer, I hope I put it right. I haven't done wirework or chain maille jet

But anyway I don't have to much time to bead right now :( So the learning process will stretch :)

Re: When do you stop calling yourself "Beginner?"

Anonymous — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 10:13:54 GMT

Wow, what a good idea for loom weaving-I understand exactly what your grandmother was doing, but it would take some practice to get it right for sure. Huge props to ANYONE who can do intricate designs like that with no printed pattern. I've done a few, but they were pretty simple, repeating designs. Anything remotely complicated and I sketch it first or my pea brain won't remember it!

Re: When do you stop calling yourself "Beginner?"

Leslie — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 17:36:34 GMT

I still take things apart and often undo more than I do, or so it seems. Yet, I consider myself very adept at almost every stitch. Plus, if I make things to sell, they must be perfect.

Re: When do you stop calling yourself "Beginner?"

apachegirl — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 04:03:49 GMT

Well, I dunno...

My grandmother could do her loomwork with two needles, which meant that she was counting from both sides of the loom for her designs. She never used graph paper, never even put pen or pencil or crayon to paper. Everything was in her head. With one needle, she could string about three feet of beads, then with the other needle and thread, weave it all to create very intricate designs with color combinations that were dazzling and no mistakes. Now that's a professional!! I'm not as good as Grandma but my loomwork got pretty darn close, and I'm finally starting to develop my own style with my tubular peyote work -- for things like beaded bridles (for horses), and the sash ends that men use in the gourd dance at pow-wows, and my most recent creation -- the beaded bottle that is now in my avatar image. I guess until I can approach my peyote stitch with the same confidence as my Grandma, I'll just consider myself an "ammie" (in the rodeo world, the ammies are the amateurs).

Re: When do you stop calling yourself "Beginner?"

Sue B — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 12:21:09 GMT

That truely is a question that one needs to really think about.

I have been making jewelry for about 5 years now. I started as many by stringing and then jumped to peyote, St.Petersburg, herringbone, spiral and a few others not to mention some wire art work. Even though I am comfortable with what I do I still only consider myself as a "new beader". I really don't break it down to beginner of expert because I feel you always can be taught something new. If you keep an open mind as to your ablity you are open and willing to learn more. Once you consider yourself an expert your mind closes up to what more there is to learn from others. I believe that if someone says they are an expert I believe they have all the answers to all questions and that in itself is a big responsability.

Re: When do you stop calling yourself "Beginner?"

VickiV — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 02:44:32 GMT

What a facinating question!

I think I will stop calling myself a beginner when I stop tearing out, taking apart or hiding more than I complete. But I noticed that, when in a group of bead artists, all of whom are so gifted, and some even published, they all pashawed when I told them that their work intimidates many of us. We'll never be as spectacular at our love as them. We just have to learn to live with that and keep trying anyway. And I hope that the artists I mentioned, secretly tear out some, too!

Thanks for being so thought provoking, Vicki

Re: When do you stop calling yourself "Beginner?"

Billy Z — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 00:24:36 GMT

That question is hard to answer. I stopped using beginner when I sold my first piece. I use the term novice now. I have some skills that are novice like beadweaving, but I am advanced in others like knotting. I'd say novice to intermediate in wirework depending on what I am doing. I'm good at some wirework and not so good at others, ya know.

Billy ;o)

Re: When do you stop calling yourself "Beginner?"

Sheila H — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 12:58:08 GMT

I do simple stringing and I have been doing that for almost 2 years now. I am fairly confident in the aspects of that, but I am continually learning new things. So I would still think of myself as a beginner. I don't think that I have advanced to an intermediate level yet.

I agree that it has to do with confidence in yourself and your work. It may be easier for someone else to clarify our level, kind of like the whole " What is your style" question. It may also do with being self taught vs class instructions, if that makes any sense what so ever!

Re: When do you stop calling yourself "Beginner?"

Anonymous — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 08:07:14 GMT

I think I have to agree with Dagmar-she's got it just about right and that basically applies to me too. I'd consider myself advanced for off-loom and stringing, intermediate at loomwork, but still a relative beginner at things like wirework and chain maille. I haven't even touched on polymer, PMC, lampworking and metalsmithing yet, but the interest is there.

I'm continually amazed at all the things people create, and find myself saying "wish I though of that" quite often!

Re: When do you stop calling yourself "Beginner?"

Nemeton — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 07:42:33 GMT

That's a really interesting question and I don't think I have an answer either! I think it has to come from you - it's a question of when your personal beading confidence has reached a level at which you feel you know what you're doing (at least some of the time!) and can move away from needing step-by-step instructions for every bead and start creating your own designs and making your own experiments. I've been beading for well over 30 years now and still feel like a beginner sometimes - there's still so much to learn!

Re: When do you stop calling yourself "Beginner?"

Kokopelli Design — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 06:57:25 GMT

That's a really interesting question, Leslie, and I thought about that, because so many new people joined BD and say hello on the forums, who consider themselves beginners. I'd consider myself an intermediate to advanced beader, as I'm beading for many years now. But to some techniques I am a beginner, because I never tried them before, e.g. spiral rope in which I finished my first necklace yesterday. But I think there is no special technique that bridges into intermediate.

But no matter if beginner or advanced beader, there is always something new to learn on the forums and that's what's really exciting. You never stop learning!

I like Stan's comparison with a butterfly in beading. Seen like that I am a butterfly in crafting!

Re: When do you stop calling yourself "Beginner?"

Leslie — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 19:51:14 GMT

Thanks, Stan. "Comfort" is an interesting way to approach it.

BTW, my next Doodlebeads may be on herringbone, so stay tuned.

Being a bead butterfly...what a fun concept! I may just have to write about it...

Leslie

ed. Step by Step Beads

Re: When do you stop calling yourself "Beginner?"

CrystalCubeBead. — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 19:40:55 GMT

Starting at the other end, an 'expert' not only makes the difficult seem simple, but also makes the impossible only look difficult.

I am still a beginner at loomwork, quite advanced with squarestitch, almost that far with brickstitch. I haven't matched Apache Girl at peyote/gourd tubes but I'm not a beginner, still a rank beginner at herringbone, adequate at flat gourd/peyote, . . .

I believe you move out of the beginner stage when you feel comfortable in that area. It doesn't happen all at once in all areas. How's that for stirring up muddy waters?

If I decide to go on with saraguro, I could easily leave beginner status behind fairly rapidly, but I'm a butterfly of beading.

Stan B.