Among the most complicated and difficult aspects of bead craft is the notion of patterning. The human eye reflexively seeks out & identifies patterns, and our brains are designed to parse data in smallish, easily organized chunks. Thus, the reason phone numbers, social security numbers, and the like are broken into smallish chunks: 555-1212 vs. 5551212.

Sometimes, a beginner to the world of beadwork will be tempted to simply use whatever is on hand, and the results will be haphazard randomness. Now, it is true that this approach can sometimes yield attractive results. There's, however, an increasing body of proof indicating that symmetry and identifiable patterns are one of the keys to defining what we see and understand as "beauty." A student of bead craft would do well to take these lessons to heart, which brings us back 'round to the significance of patterning as it relates to your beadwork.

Beadwork patterns can be as simple or as multifaceted as you'd care to make them, though I would suggest less complicated designs for the beginner, with rising complexity as a normal extension of experience. And do not think that an easy pattern will make unattractive results! The simplest pattern of all is 1-1-1, best embodied by the classic strand of pearls. Easy. Elegant. Enduring.

Still, many people get into bead craft as a form of self expression, and among the methods that expression manifests itself in the interest is through the magic of the pattern.

Some people (both novices and veterans in the bead craft world) spend hours upon hours testing with arrangements until they hit upon something that is truly compelling. More general though, specially to those new to beadwork, is a feeling of intimidation. This is unfortunate, but the overwhelming majority of hobbyists will outgrow that fear as they gain more bead craft experience.

Still, if you've recently taken up beadwork as a hobby and find yourself struggling with the difficulty of developing your own patterns, you can find a lots of websites on the web offering bead craft pattern ideas and illustrations. Make use of these in your designs, and before very long, you'll possibly find yourself thinking, "I like this pattern, but would not it be neat if..." and almost before you know it, you'll be on your route to creating your own, wholly exclusive beadwork.

Anybody can, in a matter of minutes, learn the essential mechanics of bead craft, but the real artistry, and the portion that takes longer to master, is learning the art of patterning. My advice to learners would be simply this: Try developing bead craft patterns on your own, but do not force it. If it's something you are struggling with, seek out bead craft resource web sites on the web for pattern ideas and practice with those. Sooner or later, something will "click" inside your head, and you will find yourself branching out in your own way.

Patience and practice. They are the real keys to mastering the craft, and coming up with original, innovative beadwork.