I am sorry you’re feeling depressed and not inspired right now. Agree with the others that age is just a number, but I also hope you’ll give yourself a big break because it’s not unusual To feel anxiety and depression with everything going on in the world right now. I agree with what others have suggested. If there is a local class you can take (right now it would have to be online unfortunately), I would sign up for something. I personally have been much more motivated when I’m enrolled in a class and learning or honing my craft alongside other jewelers. I’ve taken in-person classes at 92Y in New York in the past, and right now they have some online jewelry classes that might interest you - in the meantime, be good to yourself. 
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Thank you very much for your message Carol. you are right. these times are crazy and I am having a difficult time trying to adjust. I just purchased two Instagram courses with Jessica Cote and tey seem good. Will start working.Her IG name is Roserevolver or Rosyrevolver, I don’t remember.
All the best to you!!!
Y
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Do not give up Yuri. We are never too old to learn something new. I’m in my 60’s and I’m learning another language and plan to relearn how to granulate. Yes, joint pain and arthritis can get in the way, but find another artistic passion or look for another technique within the jewelry making world that will work for you. Can you work with PMC? What about ceramics? Just don’t give up!
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Hi Yuri!
I have felt this very pain and I have made a lifelong study of the nature of inspiration (the crux of creativity). I have written a small 26 page book about this very subject and I too am 62. If you’d like a free PDF of the book, just email me (it’s not an advertising gimmick, it’s my heartfelt response to the elusiveness of inspiration): graphiccontent at gmail dot com.
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Would love to read your book
Sharon Perdasofpy
penahpia@ yahoo.com
Thank you & God bless
Maybe you could do a post on soldering brass. I like brass too but avoid it because I cannot seem to get my pieces to solder despite dipping it, good heat, extra clean and flat, etc. I think despite the dipping and flux my piece oxidizes enough to interfere with the solder flow. Cheers and appreciate your helpful posts.
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I am working with jewelers brass (80/20) alloy. So far I have been treating it like I would silver using silver solder. The solder shows in some pieces, but not in others. It all depends on the design. I have some brass solder, but I haven’t tried it yet. All I can say that I might do differently is that I use a bit more heat as brass is mostly copper and leave it in the pickle a little longer to get rid of some of the red scale deposit.
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Earl Grey… my favourite cuppa!
I started jewelry as a hobby when i was 19. it became my career and when I was in my late 30s, health issues happened. Lost strength in my hands, nerve issues, among other things that knocked me out of my business as a bench jeweler. So now I have a hard time doing anything and the quality is less than I want.
I am 55 now.
Some days it is hard to get out of bed from the chronic pain. But you know what? I still make it to my shop and try. I spend more time making fun stuff. or experimenting with processes. I try to learn historical jewelry manufacturing processes. I blog about jewelry and the trade.
I did not make much of anything for a couple or three years. But I got back in the saddle. So just keep trying. it is the effort that is the meditation. Making something is secondary to working at the bench in my opinion. Work slower, and with a more meditative mindset.
You will find your motivation again. I know it.
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Encouraging fir where I’m at now! Thank you:sunglasses:
Hi I unexpectedly retired at 55 when l lost my voice! Not much call for silent lecturers. Jewellery making was my saviour. I had dabbled with making things as a 11hobby, but now I buried myself In it. Started my own online business and never looked back. I highs and lows and lots of tears but I love it. Most of my work is made to order and there is always an element of terror that the customer won’t like it.
Hit 65 a few weeks ago and still going strong. I develop ‘strategies’ for dealing with things that I physically can’t do.
The voice gradually came back after 4 years. Still a bit raspy at times but I can make noise and sing very badly.
Patsy
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Hi Patsy,
Yours is an inspirational story! Yes, it’s true, Universities no longer teach anything practical. So you can teach drawing, even pottery/ceramics (I wonder how they keep that in there?) at our local Uni, maybe even engraving can be part of visual arts (altho’ you wouldn’t find a professor who knew anything about it), but jewelry making would be considered a “craft.” So you could learn welding as part of sculpture, but I guess not soldering as part of jewelry. I can’t quite figure it out.
I hope this last comment is not intrusive. My late singing teacher, Oren Brown, spent 25 years as an adjunct faculty member in the med school as a pioneering voice therapist. He developed procedures for treating hoarseness and vocal nodes as well as various forms of aphonia. This was back in the 50’s and I heard him talk about treating a woman (a singer and singing teacher) for nodes without surgery back in the 70’s). Most, if not all, of that therapy was done over the phone. The field of voice therapy and speech pathology has come a long way since then. I would encourage you to have a good exam with a good ENT and see if you could be helped by a good speech pathologist or voice therapist. Since the voice went away and then partially came back, I would expect that it could be treated with voice therapy procedures. Just sayin’…now returning you to our regular (jewelry) programming. Wanted to put this out there because you are probably not the only one so affected. -royjohn
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I started jewelry making when I was 50. I’m almost 68 now. My hands are better when I am making jewelry. They hurt when I’m not. I have to be careful about my back, which means stretching and exercising (ha!) and not staying at the bench for hours without moving.
Aside from that, I am having the time of my life. I’m learning all the time, stretching my skils with new custom work and selling my work (which is a huge motivator for me).
Starting so late in life is an advantage for me, as I’m constantly learning new things, which also helps my brain, and I’m not tired of it! I am now feeling like I am mastering part of my craft.
I am also having a hard time emotionally, due to the pandemic and our country’s state of affairs. I have a hard time going into the studio sometimes, but I find putting on music or great podcasts help when I’m working. I think they alter my brain, maybe move the processing to the right side, I don’t know. But that, and sometimes just playing around with stuff, or making the simple stuff moves me out of my funk.
I agree, that being around other artists (don’t even have to be jewelers) is great for motivation, too. Difficult to do right now. But reaching out, as you have, helps remind us we’re not alone in this mess. Keep it up!
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I have been a jeweller for over 35 years. I did start a bit late in life having been an electronic engineer. I was made redundant and took the cash and went to collage. I officially retired when I was 65 but couldnt stop so I now teach traditional skills that Uni’s dont seem to. I still make but now sell via galleries commissions etc. I cant and wont stop. Now the sales pressure is off I do so much enjoy my profession, i learn something new each and every day. I feel its important to pass on what I can by direct face to face training, social media, mentoring and demonstration. It keeps my mind fit and my hands busy. I listen to light electronic music most of my time at the bench. I love antique tools and have found I have several direct ancestors who were jewellers and silversmiths in the mid 1700s to the late 1800s. The original one trained at least 24 apprentices and I’ve now visited what was his shop and workshop and even purchased some of his work from 1790. His makers mark was RK and mine is RAK and coincidentally we are registered at the same UK assay office Life as “retired” jeweller is good. Keep safe all and regards from Scotland.
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Hi Robin, what a cool life you have!!! I listen to Foo Fighters when I am at the studio. So, you are from Scotland!!! I lived in the UK for 16 years and miss it badly… Now I am in Atlanta where the architecture is modern and there are no good gardens. I miss the little cottage in Little Hadham,Hertfordshire and my cottage garden. I miss the british wildlife as well.
It is great hearing from someone from the UK. Best of luck with your passion!!! you are a big inspiration!!!
hugs
Anna (Yuri)
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I was really touched by you comments and thankyou for your suggestions. I was fully investigated at the time and the conclusion was stress. I had lots of speech therapy and time has been a great healer. Now I sound a big like a fog horn!
I even had to teach the dog sign language!
Ive always loved history & have ancestors from Scotland. This was interesting. Thank you 
I’ve been making masks and finally bought a new sewing machine. Mine was 49 years old. to my delight, the new ones have a needle threader so my lousy eyesight doesn’t matter and I can thread the needle and get on with it. My mom,103 years old, has macular degeneration too and gave up sewing because she couldn’t thread the machine. I’m lucky!
Mom spends most of her time reading on her Kindle - with reading glasses, a magnifier and the largest print available.
Look at the cool coloring books for adults - everything from psychedelic designs to math constructs.
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I have wet macular degeneration in one eye and have had a cataract removed in the other I am lucky but it has taken quite a while to get back to full working again. I have modified how I work as its difficult to aim correctly. Sawing tends to wander ro the right so I’ve made a metal bench pin so it guides me. Soldering - I now watch where the flame is glowing on my soldering surface and can then move it to the target. I can still see stones down to about 1.5mm after looking at what magnification I now need for a spacific job and better white lighting. Initially I went back over my collage notes and worked my way through all the exercises with one working eye that I did originally with two. I’m back enjoying my work again.
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