– My experience setting up this new Blog

I had a blog and started it but I can’t remember what I called it or anything about it, so now I’m trying again to start a blog. I first went to word press and that was too difficult for me and I was told that blogger would be easier. Well I’m not too sure about that because it asked for a title and I called it first blog now I’m thinking that is not the right name for the title. Like I said I am in a learning mode and this is been my experience so far.

However, it will be easier this time blogging because I am using my Dragon 13 program which allows me to speak and it types for me. So there are fewer errors and I can stay focused on my thoughts and what the screen is doing or not doing. One of the issues is I don’t type without looking at the keyboard. So before Dragon I would be looking at the keyboard which is black with little white letters and then my eyes would have to take some time to readjust to look at the white screen of the monitor which made it difficult then to go back to the keyboard. I always had to wait for my eyes to readjust from the monitor to the keyboard. So Dragon is made my life so much easier now I can just focus on the screen and I’m not changing screens or finding that I’m typing away and the cursor is not doing anything. 

Okay now on the down side of Dragon is if I forget to turn off the  microphone it records everything that is being said on TV or on a phone and then I have to pay attention and do some deleting. Someone said I should make a book of all the things that Dragon picks up she thinks it would be funny to read.  Oh and then you need to remember to turn the mic back on before you start talking again so it will type what you’re saying. lol

I would like to use the blogger to share with others how I manage making jewelry with limited vision. I am legally blind and needed to find something to do that was creative and I found making jewelry again was my passion. I have my issues and I also have successes in making jewelry. People look at my desk and I have three of them and they wonder how I can find anything because they’re crowded with bits and pieces of jewelry components.  I explained it this way; I can only see when focusing on making jewelry the components in the jump rain units probably three inches and sell the rest of it isn’t even in my vision and doesn’t bother me and tell I walked back and look at my desk from a distance. Then I see the mess to but it is a creative mess and I seem to know where everything is for the most part.               

I have to constantly take on and off my magnifier lenses and/or magnifying glasses to find things on the table. I know there’s probably an easier way but so far this is working and the mess allows me to be more creative if you can understand. As I’m looking for one thing I find something else and go oh yeah !  I am very grateful to have the vision I have left and I can still make jewelry which is my passion.  A lot of people don’t understand how I do it when I can’t even tell if they’re in the room. People around me forget that I have vision issues because I make jewelry. But if you can think about a sewing machine and where the needle and the sewing plate is that’s what I see when I’m working making jewelry. Not a very big window of vision and some days are better than others as to what I can see because I think I have some blind spots in my center vision now. But my Dad always says “just keep on going, you’ll figure out a way.”

So this blog will be my journey sharing what I learn to make things easier with my vision issues and to encourage others to follow their artistic passions. I also want to share the things I learned about making jewelry and my polymer clay experiences. I have met some of the most wonderful people in the jewelry making industry and we have become friends and mentors to each other. I feel like I’m part of a group and that we are all trying to help each other improve our artistic skills and talents. So please join me on my journey.

Thank you Cindy Peterson with Howling Dog Jewelry