[ Artist Story - 12] Linda Hansen - From Lockdown Hobby to Creative Outlet

While I had done beading projects before, I didn't start sharing my work until 2020.

When the Covid lockdown hit, I tried to think of something I could do to cheer people up and maybe make them smile. The answer for me was beading. 

At the time, I had never made a post on Instagram and I didn't even know how to edit a photo on my phone.

This process has been an education for me and has given me the creative outlet I needed at the time. I've tried to use mostly my own designs and patterns, and have tried to be original and unique most of the time.

Finding the right backdrop or setting for my projects has been enjoyable and has taken me to many types of places, including a local prison, the DMV, and driving 60 miles to the nearest forest, etc. 

To me, the background or setting is just as important as the bead project itself.

At the end of 2022, I was starting to run out of ideas for projects. So in 2023 I did a project called "100 Years in Beads." I learned so much history during that project and it helped me come up with new ideas for each decade.

This year I'm doing a Mashup every Monday, and next year I plan to do the ABC's of beading. Beading is a very relaxing hobby, and I enjoy watching my projects come to life on the pegboards.