Yesterday I spent several hours finalising some designs for a new range of work.
I ended up with numerous sketches and wanted to get to my bench to start testing them – figuring out the best sizes to make and how best to complete them and what other materials would complement each piece.
I was feeling very enthusiastic about this work and was enjoying getting these new pieces underway so I could get the shiny new designs pinned down and evolved into a form I was happy with.
And then, only about half an hour into my work, the Hammer of Doom struck!
I was punching out some circles in sterling silver with a much larger hammer than I use for most of my work and using a fair bit of force to get a nice clean cut … and somehow entirely missed the punch I was using. The hammer came down directly onto the middle joint of my thumb, side on.
OUCH!!!!!
My thumb was resting against a steel plate and it was at that point that it was most badly damaged – the opposite side from where I hit it. The skin ruptured and there was blood everywhere … and I very nearly fainted!
I was home alone and the nearest friend who could help me was over an hour’s drive away, so I had to do my best to sort myself out and just deal with it. So I bandaged it up, wrapped it in an ice pack, decided it wasn’t broken and spent the rest of the evening lolling on the couch, feeling quite shaken up.
Now it’s the next day and it’s very painful and swollen, but it will be okay, I’m sure.
However, it means that my plans to get the new range well underway this week have been halted. I’m not going to risk going back to my bench until the injury is a lot better as I need to avoid using the joint too much – and of course don’t want to risk hitting it again!
Anyway, I just thought I’d share the fact that I’ve been suffering for my art! And not for the first time, I have to say.
