Experimenting with Change

Beading, blogging, and the future of Broadway

So much has happened in the past 3 months. This pandemic has really forced a lot of change upon us.. Changes in how we socialize, how we learn, how we shop, and how we do business. I wonder how many of these changes will become permanent..

I feel incredibly lucky that I have beadwork and my Etsy shop to work on during this time. I don’t usually write about this very much, but I used to have a day job before the entire world changed. I worked backstage in the theatres in downtown Boston, setting up rock concerts and touring Broadway musicals. Its a union job - the only job I have ever had for the past 25+ years. This was going to be a busy summer complete with 5 weeks of shows booked at Fenway Park. But all of that has vanished before our eyes. And now, everyday, I find myself reading updates on when the next stimulus bill might be passed.. I can stay afloat for a little while, but the fact of the matter is the entertainment business will not be ‘reopening’ anytime soon. Perhaps not until there is a vaccine..

Thinking about that which cannot be controlled seems like a waste of energy, but it is only human nature. I try to distract myself by doing bead embroidery. Thankfully, I have received a fairly steady number of orders recently, one from a customer who messaged to say that it is “always good to support artists, but now especially”. I am so grateful. Here is the Bichon I made for her - with his tail curled upwards!

I have also created a cream colored Labradoodle pin, as well as my first product video for Etsy. I have opened up a new shop on Gumroad, and now I am working on writing a new beading pattern!

So I have plenty of things to keep me busy. One thing I have learned is that when everything changes, all you can do is continue to change and (hopefully) grow. A couple more changes in the works: first, I have moved my blog to Substack (hence this new format). Its an experiment of sorts. It seems that my blogs and newsletters have stated a lot of the same information. And second, I would ultimately like to redesign my entire website which will most likely not feature a blog. So I thought Substack might be an effective way to continue blogging while still reaching anyone who has previously signed up for my newsletter.. We’ll see how it goes! Until then, have a wonderful 4th of July weekend. Shop local, support small businesses whenever possible, and most importantly, please stay healthy and safe!

♥ Diana