Crafting with glass has always been fun for me. I started playing with it over a decade ago in Montreat at the Currie Craft Center. I made earrings, pendants, spoon rests and sun catchers. It was just a summer thing but the art of taking shards of broken glass spoke volumes to me. I was taking something that had been a part of something bigger, a vital part of making something whole, and repurposing it for something new and beautiful. Glass changes with light and I have always loved how people can see something totally different depending on the light cast on it. Glass becomes alive! I began dabbling in stained glass right after Mom died, taking on bigger projects, and suddenly glass became a constant source of healing.

After Mom died I started signing up for any art class I could find. It gave me a reason to get up, get dressed and get out of the house. Sometimes I took them with a friend, but most often I went alone. I’m fine going solo anywhere, even a restaurant (which some people despise) just like my Mom. The more classes I took the wider my lens stretched to ALL the many things we can see and do with glass. Because of my job I have continued learning about glass, the possibilities and the sheer fun. It does still provide immense therapy in a good way, when I’m not suddenly sobbing because I can’t call Mom to tell her about the latest success or absolute failure. Art therapy is so real! It takes all of your senses and zeroes in on one thing. For me, it’s an escape from the whirling world around me or the circus that’s my own head.

Last month I took the first leap into what may become a bigger deep dive and I bought a small glass kiln. A good friend and fellow glass artist taught me about it and strongly encouraged me to go for it. Since then I have spent a little time almost everyday creating and firing fused glass. The kiln is small and transportable, so of course I even took it to the mountains and made things everyday while we were there. Some things are utter failures and some are massive and surprising successes. I’ve stretched myself by trying new techniques and each one helps me learn. My log book is full of facts, firing times and my own thoughts, such as “epic failure” or “I love it”.

It wasn’t long before I realized I would need to start selling my work in order to keep creating it. What am I going to do with 50 pairs of earrings or 50 sun-catchers? Although I have my favorites that I admire but glass is to be seen and shared. So… here’s the BIG news! I’ve launched G8rmade!!! Yes, it’s a play on my name. It’s pronounced G-eight-er-made. Get it? G8rmade! So stinking cute and it makes me smile. My Mom called me Gater for short. We just don’t do normal names in my family, obviously, and I love the clear nod to my Mom. I have opened a Facebook page, G8rmade, where you can follow me and purchase from my collection. At some point I’ll figure out a website, but making stuff is time consuming and of course, I have a job that I LOVE! It grows me everyday and the joy I have in teaching classes fills my cup!

A couple of years ago I found a post on my Mom’s Facebook page. She had written “Creativity is a gift that must be shared”. I found this odd because Mom wasn’t a crafty person, at all. In fact when she had to make a costume for me for a church play she traced my body onto a piece of burlap, doubled it over and iron tape fused it together. Childhood trauma is real. Mom wasn’t someone I would quickly say was creative or crafty. I don’t remember her originally posting this comment but I saw it as a sign from her for me, here, in my present space.

So here’s to you Mom, I’m doing the thing! I’m taking a risk, which is NOT my norm and seeing where it leads me. I’m having fun, stretching myself, putting myself out there and loving every minute of it. So here’s my advice, try new things, no matter where your head is. Give yourself the gift of creativity and share it too! It’s contagious! Oh and be sure to follow G8rmade on Facebook!! #braveinallthings #gjm

© Gatewood Campbell, February 2025