Aspiration, Ambiguity and AI

The Very Aspirational Necklace

I have a new project in mind that I think of as the Very Aspirational Necklace, or VAN. Because who doesn’t love an acronym? Anyway, the VAN consists of multiple layers of natural beads, terminating at a hammered copper disk. It’s attached to a choker made up of little round dangles. And it was created by AI.

The VAN came to be as I was playing with the then-new AI image generator in Elementor, the site builder I use to create Tiny Oak Jewelry.  It’s surprisingly good at rendering humans, although if you look closely, they have their quirks. The model wearing the Very Aspirational Necklace has six knuckles, for instance. But what really catches the eye is her jewelry: That amazing necklace, a coordinating stack of bracelets, and a mismatched pair of earrings that appear to be shaped like an oval and a Christmas tree.

I plan to make the VAN. I’ve gathered a variety of coconut and shell beads and lots of bare copper findings. I need to make a few components that I don’t quite have the skills for yet—I need more practice! I’m still trying to work out how the whole thing goes together, which beads go where, and how many strands there are. I think it’s eleven. As with our model’s hand, sometimes these things are ambiguous.

I’ll make the bracelet stacks, too. And I’m even going to make an attempt at creating that Christmas tree earring, because it’s silly and kind of fun. The necklace and bracelets are likely to be a tedious affair, because much of the pleasure in stringing beads derives from carefully selecting which one comes next. I’ll be stringing piece after piece with little variation. But I’m looking forward to figuring out which strand goes where. Again, it’s ambiguous.

Changing Seasons

Autumn is ambiguous as well. Some days hold tenaciously to summer while others introduce a chill. It’s a time of tremendous change, when we celebrate the harvest while recognizing the somberness of the end of the growing season. We pause to remember the dead as the days plunge into darkness, and prepare for a holiday season filled with light. Falling leaves remind us of the impermanence of things, and the incredible beauty to be found in letting go.

For the moment, the leaves on my trees are still green. The days are hot and humid, but the nights are cool. High school football is in full swing, and Halloween decorations are beginning to make an appearance. Time feels scarce as the days grow shorter and activities abound.

I don’t know when I’ll find the time to learn the skills I want to learn. Work is a necessity, and family life takes precedence. The garden continues to beckon, and the house needs to be cleaned. Always. The Very Aspirational Necklace will have to remain aspirational for the time being.

And that’s okay. It’s important to have aspirations. It’s alright if progress takes longer than expected. Eventually, we’ll settle into winter and life will become more still. Introspection often leads to innovation. I’ll figure out a way to do the many things I want and need to do.

How? That’s ambiguous.

Balloon image by Collins Lesulie on Unsplash
Falling leaves image by Autumn Mott Rodeheaver on Unsplash