A Chance Remark

by Heather Saxon
(Queensland, Australia)

On the tragic accidental death of my husband back in 1996 whilst living on an island in the South Pacific, I returned home to Australia.

What was I going to do, I had been out of the country for five years, out of the workforce for some ten years, technology was rushing toward us at an exhilarating pace, I had never sent an email or 'googled' (could we google back then?) so not a computer skill in sight, and I was what is politically called, mature age.

Luckily for me I chose to live in Tasmania, the island state of Australia, where even today it has only a population of some 510,000 with around 200,000 in the greater Hobart (capital city) area, and this proved to be a wonderful place to heal, aided by some of the most amazing women friends - my 'gang of four' I call them!

Somehow I secured a marketing position with a government funded arts agency where I very quickly learnt some basic computer skills they assumed I had, and consequently met some extraordinary artisans working across all media.

At the end of 1998, long story short, new state government, no more funding, agency dissolved, artists devastated, who was now going to promote their work? They didn't want to...they just wanted to make their products! Every artisan's dream, mine included.

Another long story short - after a number of requests I set up my own commission based arts agency and eventually represented some sixty artisans whose work I promoted throughout the mainland states to galleries that promote hand crafted work by Australian artists.

So, back to that chance remark, by 2002 I had met my present partner and one day he came into my tiny city showroom and quite simply said "I don't understand you, with your design skills why are you selling other people's stuff?

Another long story short! Ignoring my protestations he later came back with some beautiful books, 500 Glass Objects, 1000 Glass Beads, Jewels of the Renaissance, Jewels of the Pharaohs. I was hooked!

Who could have imagined that this would result in the development of my jewelry ranges, the opening of my retail studio and workroom in early 2009, and ultimately to the recent release of my book where I share the most successful of my designs and techniques - also the result of another chance remark by a journalist friend, who said "you should write a book".

The moral of the story: listen to those friends and their chance remarks.

Back in July of this year I showed a number of spiral bead-weaving lariat necklaces at a fashion event during which I was asked if I taught this (was this yet another chance remark!) to which I responded "no, but I could".

So now I also conduct Saturday afternoon workshops on the art of beadweaving and felted jewelry, and what fun we have.

I once read that when our creativity flows into the world it feeds the creativity of others, and thus the world is made richer.

I hope so. I know it has for me.

Heather Saxon
HotwiredBeads