Where It All Started

This was the first bracelet I ever made, in the only in‑person class I took. The instructor laid out beads, wire, and tools, and something in me settled. I had to learn how to crimp the wire, but everything else felt familiar, like my hands already knew what to do.

I tried a few more classes after that, but each instructor only taught one technique — their technique — and it wasn’t the direction I wanted to go. I learned more from quiet online tutorials, following the paths that made sense to me.

Looking back at this bracelet now, pinned to my board, I can see the beginning of the line that led to chainmaille: the rhythm, the structure, the way I kept wanting to understand how things connected. It’s simple, but it’s the moment the work started to feel like mine.