Encourage the Young

Our grandson, Colton, has spent this weekend with us. We enjoy his visits very much. He sits here at the bench and plays with my desktop computer, and looks at the tools and gemstones. The other update is that I bought a new standing desk this week, since the last one was too rickety. You can also use this standing desk for your home office.

Colton actually helps me with some tasks when I am working at the bench making jewelry. He constantly expresses the desire to learn how to do it. This weekend, he wanted to learn how to cut stones (put that off to next visit as the lapidary machine is under a pile), and then he asked about the anvil. He told me it was heavy, then asked how to use it. So I told him about shaping metal with a hammer. He wanted to try, so I gave him a copper link for a future necklace, that needs some forming. He proceeded to work with hammer and anvil to flatten the round link.

If you can’t tell from the picture, he is five years old. Never stifle the desires and ambitions of the young. By letting him hit a piece of copper, he may just become one of his generations great designers or engineers. We as artists, jewelers, artisans, lapidaries, etc. must pass on our skills to the young.

Posted by Rasmussen Gems and Jewelry LLC

Tags: Handmade, Handmade Artists, inspiring the young, teach your kids, teaching

Posted in Handmade