Moniker

Sunset Boulevard. Rodeo Drive. Broadway. Bourbon Street. Champs Elysees- famous street names, all. When we hear these names, our imaginations conjure up pictures of these places, perhaps a personal experience or thoughts of a dream vacation. Whenever I hear these street names, or perhaps other, more ordinary ones here at home, I wonder about the person whose job it is to name streets. Ironically, I have no idea what the name of this occupation could be. (Enlighten me, if you can!) What I do know is that this is a job that appeals to me. It takes imagination and innovation to come up with interesting names. Of course, not all streets have thought-provoking names. Some are quite unimaginative, merely informative (Airport Way) or functional (2nd Street). Even then, they serve a purpose, as all names do. Names trigger recognition, act as an identity or function as a way to categorize. Names pigeonhole people, places and things- making it easier to pinpoint someone, somewhere or something.

Humans have always possessed a strong compulsion to bestow names. I, too, enjoy this pastime in connection with my bead and jewelry business. I adore naming my art! I give each name a tremendous amount of thought before I officially christen a piece. The names are inspired by patterns that emerge from the glass, striking color combinations, or thematic elements applied to my designs. Sometimes I garner names from word association or word play. The bead featured in this post is named "Dutch Baby". Now, why in the world did I name it that way? In actuality, a Dutch Baby is a type of German pancake, sprinkled with powdered sugar. Obviously, this bead bears no resemblance to a pancake of any sort. What it does remind me of is a bulb, which makes me think of flower bulbs, which leads me to tulips, which are Dutch in origin... well, you get the idea. Thus, "Dutch Baby" was born!

So, have fun naming your works of art, writings, children and pets. Names are important and can be deal-breakers if not thoughtfully bestowed. But if a name is catchy, it will linger in the memory, a desirable end.

(Bead featured in this post is available in my Artfire shop.)

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose/ By any other name would smell as sweet."- Shakespeare

"Words have meaning and names have power."- Anonymous

"The Eskimos had fifty-two names for snow because it was important to them: there ought to be as many for love."- Margaret Atwood