Nice Braille Jewelry Spreads LIGHT
I really, really, really appreciate my sight. I often stop to marvel at an Arizona sunset, nature, the faces of people I love, and the world around me. Creating a design line to uplift those with low vision was a labor of pure love.
A Nice World Braille designs spread light, literally and figuratively, with the word “LIGHT” in legible Braille. CLICK to VIEW. Proceeds help prevent blindness and promote Braille literacy. If you have a favorite organization working for these causes and you'd like your purchases to benefit them directly, just email me from the contact link in the footer, or drop a note with your order.
Braille Jewelry was one of my first endeavors at A Nice World, inspired by my love for hiding secret messages in my jewelry. Braille, along with Morse Code designs were the first ways I placed hidden meanings in jewelry. Working in Braille led me on a path to meet incredible people, uplift great organizations and it brought about the biggest synchronous moment in my life.
Braille Jewelry Leads to a Mermaid's Tale
Who knew that making Braille jewelry would open so many unseen doors?
Working with the low vision community and following my inspiration to create Braille jewelry opened many unseen doors and even led me to become a tiny mermaid, posing as my childhood hero and icon, whom I later met THANKS to Braille jewelry.
The following story was written for inclusion in a book on manifesting magic, written by Zehra Mahoon. You can find Zehra online and learn more about her work with the Law of Attraction.
MANIFESTING MAGIC: HOW BRAILLE JEWELRY ILLUMINATED THE PATH TO MY CHILDHOOD IDOL (Also known as, HOW I BECAME A TINY MERMAID)
What did you want to be when you grew up? As a little kid on a small midwestern farm, I’d stare at the beautiful mermaid on the tuna can as it sat on the kitchen counter above my eye-level. Mom would let me hold the can before she opened it and I’d dream of the mermaid life. I’d wear a sparkly blue sweetheart cut dress and live with my underwater friends in an adventurous life under the sea. My magic star wand would grant all the wishes and my long flowing blond hair would have a bun up top.
As it turns out, as an adult, I have the hair and the bun, plus plenty of sparkly blue mermaid outfits for fire dancing at the Tucson Mermaid Parade. I even have a jewelry company with a star as my signature, bringing magic to clients and granting wishes to the nonprofits receiving donations from my jewelry. As far as childhood dreams go, I’d say close enough! But there was even more in store.
Always happy along the way and thoroughly enjoying my journey as a jewelry designer, I created the first Braille jewelry line. I collaborated with an organization serving people with low vision and there I met Syd Berger, an artist who painted expansive, colorful canvasses. I added Braille beads to her canvasses so her fellow individuals with low vision could “feel” evocative phrases in Braille depicting the feelings, colors and emotions of her art.
Syd, who was probably 30 years my senior, once asked, “Honey, what did you want to be when you grew up?” It was a question I had NEVER answered honestly. But for some reason, this time I followed an impulse to tell the truth and I’m so glad I did.
I ignored the resistant thoughts that a smarter sounding answer would be better. I bluntly and honestly proclaimed “I wanted to be the mermaid on the tuna can.” Syd’s face dropped in shock and surprise. She didn’t say a word, but stood, turned, walked to a cabinet and pulled out a dusty old scrapbook. She sat down next to me, opened the book and turned to a full page spread with photos and news clippings of her experience POSING AS THE MODEL FOR THE MERMAID ON THE CAN.
I treasure this mermaid memory and clear reminder that following your impulses and doing nice things others pays off in spades, synchronicities and always comes right back like a boomerang.
To close this blog I'd like to add a few great tips from the experts.
The Courtesy Rules of Blindness (National Federation for the Blind)
When you meet me don’t be ill at ease. It will help both of us if you remember these simple points of courtesy:
- I’m an ordinary person, just blind. You don’t need to raise your voice or address me as if I were a child. Don’t ask my spouse what I want — “Cream in the coffee?” — ask me.
- I may use a long white cane or a guide dog to walk independently; or I may ask to take your arm. Let me decide, and please don’t grab my arm; let me take yours. I’ll keep a half-step behind to anticipate curbs and steps.
- I want to know who’s in the room with me. Speak when you enter. Introduce me to the others. Include children, and tell me if there’s a cat or dog.
- The door to a room or cabinet or to a car left partially open is a hazard to me.
- At dinner I will not have trouble with ordinary table skills.
- Don’t avoid words like “see.” I use them, too. I’m always glad to see you.
- I don’t want pity. But don’t talk about the “wonderful compensations” of blindness. My sense of smell, touch, or hearing did not improve when I became blind. I rely on them more and, therefore, may get more information through those senses – that’s all.
- If I’m your houseguest, show me the bathroom, closet, dresser, window – the light switch, too. I like to know whether the lights are on.
- I’ll discuss blindness with you if you’re curious, but it’s an old story to me. I have as many other interests as you do.
- Don’t think of me as just a blind person. I’m just a person who happens to be blind.
Nice Braille jewelry designs spark the conversations, enjoy the connections along the way.
