“The Unexpected Gift of Dyslexia in My Jewelry and Artistic Journey” by Holly Gage
- Holly Gage
- Jul 23
- 10 min read
It took me a long time to write a blog about my latest achievement.
My family says I’m too humble, but I think it’s a little of that and a lot of fear. Being dyslexic means a lot of things, but in the early years of my life, I never really saw any connection to success.
What is Dyslexia? Dyslexia is a learning difference that affects reading and word decoding. It’s often misunderstood as just reversing letters like b and d, but it involves deeper challenges in how the brain processes language. It’s not linked to intelligence, hearing, or vision — just a different way of thinking.
I didn’t know I was Dyslexic for the first 48 years of my life. I knew something was up, but it didn’t have a name, not back then, and all I knew was there were areas of my life where I needed to learn how to pivot. If I couldn’t spell one word, I’d find a similar word that meant essentially the same thing. If I had to read aloud in elementary school, I got so nervous that I choked, not only because I knew I’d stumble on a word or two, but I was terrified my “secret” would be out. My pivot was suddenly needing to go to the bathroom to escape, or counting the number of students who came before me so that I could practice my paragraph. As I look back, that ability to pivot with a creative solution has helped me through so many things.
Some people call me tenacious, a friend of mine calls it chutzpah, and my husband calls me a dog with a bone (I hate that one), but when I get my teeth in an idea, I’m not one to easily give up; being Dyslexic taught me if it doesn’t work, I’ll pivot and try it another way.
Lots of people in creative careers have Dyslexia — Do you?
Dyslexia can undoubtedly be a pain in the keaster, but I’m here to tell you it is not all thorns.
When I discovered what Dyslexia was and picked up the book “The Dyslexic Advantage,” I learned about my superpowers, and these concepts truly changed my life. I learned to understand and work with my shortcomings, but I also discovered that creativity was not compensation for being Dyslexic; it is the flip side of the coin — in fact, one of the advantages. Thinking outside the box was another, and such a gift for an artist. I could always find alternative solutions to challenges or problems, and they worked! When this happened, I felt like the most intelligent person in the room — mind you, I work alone, but that’s beside the point. However, it was tough for me to give myself credit. And it was super hard for me to admit out loud that I was Dyslexic.
My husband was skeptical that I would share this with others. Damn, so was I. Would people judge me, look down upon me, and would I lose credibility as an instructor? I had already recognized that people noticed my social media typos, or a typo in a handout, even when proofread by my husband, Chris, who is a pro at understanding dyslexic-speak at this point. I wanted to curl up in a ball when anyone made comments pointing out how awful so-and-so's grammatical error drives them crazy, because I know I could easily be that person. Still, I bit the bullet and did it anyway. Shaking in my shoes all the while, but relieved in a sense that I had come out of the dark to reveal a part of my life I so desperately wanted to pretend either didn’t exist or hide so deeply — honestly, it was painful to feel so vulnerable for so long. I didn’t even tell Chris out loud until after a parent-teacher's meeting for one of my kids, and I had to confess out loud when asked, "Does anyone else in the family have a problem?" "Yes, I do," I said sheepishly. Later, Chris revealed that he knew something was going on for me, and I was the one who educated him on what it was.
In "The Dyslexic Advantage," the book discusses 4 groups of strengths that are observed in many Dyslexic individuals. They refer to these as M I N D strengths. People in creative careers excel when these traits are associated with a task. How many do you have?
Material Reasoning essentially involves 3-Dimensional spatial reasoning. It helps us to imagine how something looks from different angles — even if we can only see one side of it. For example, in Jewelry making, one must visualize how a pendant will hang or how the construction of a piece will interact when put together.
Interconnected Reasoning is the ability that enables us to integrate seemingly unrelated information into a unified understanding of the bigger picture. It’s all about seeing relationships between ideas, materials, cultures, or even emotions — and weaving them into perhaps a meaningful piece of jewelry.
Narrative Reasoning is our way of telling stories, but instead of random memories, we connect scenes like a movie to make sense of the past, understand the present, and generate new ideas for the future. Therefore, Jewelry design can incorporate a narrative embedded in the artistry we create.
Dynamic Reasoning involves examining what has happened in the past and rearranging or remixing those outcomes to predict the future, imagine what could happen, or even understand circumstances for which we were merely given a description of details. For example, we are good at filling in the gaps of what might’ve caused specific outcomes or problems, even if you didn’t see them firsthand.
You see, another part of being Dyslexic is being curious, so I love to understand how things work or what makes something tick. As a kid, I would take things apart, analyze how they were made, and put them back together. I enjoy researching to gain a deeper understanding of specific topics. In this case, the research project was about me, unraveling years of questions and exploring how Dyslexia has shaped me and how my mind works differently from others.
Research is something I bring to many of my endeavors; it helps motivate me and provides a comprehensive understanding of the underlying idea, especially in my jewelry projects. Typically, the subject matter is personal to me, and it serves as a means of expressing myself and communicating with the world. My narrative reasoning helps me make these slice-of-life moments meaningful to me, but it is also essential for me to give these pieces significance so that others can resonate with the jewelry as well.
Earning the Lis-el Crowley Vision Award, presented to me by AMCAW— the Alliance for Metal Clay Arts Worldwide, was a meaningful and surprising thrill, as it represents achievements throughout my career. Being Dyslexic and learning to pivot over the years plays a significant role in the twists and turns and ups and downs, such as navigating COVID, a down economy, and, oh yes, having health issues that stop me in my tracks. I’d like to walk you through how being Dyslexic worked in my favor through the activities I participated in within the Metal Clay and Jewelry community, which they say contributed to my receiving the award.
Creating the Metal Clay and Mixed Media Facebook Forum
This forum was created to bridge the gap between different jewelry mediums, such as Metal Clay, metalsmithing, beading, and polymer clay, and expose those who have never heard of Metal Clay to an opportunity to learn about it. My MO is that if it doesn’t exist, then I need to make it happen, so now there is a thriving educational community for artists to learn and share with each other. Dynamic reasoning could possibly explain how I envision Multimedia artists being invited as guest moderators of the jewelry community to help educate on the medium they have mastered, allowing members to come together on a singular topic and expand creative possibilities while educating on diverse skill sets.
Community Outreach
After an accident, Chris, my husband, and our son became burn survivors. Chris with 40% burns on his body from an explosion, and my son has 23%. I molded one of Chris’s scars and created a piece of jewelry with the texture, which resembles the metalsmith technique called reticulation. I saw beauty and strength in the scars representing a survivor’s journey. At first, I thought others would think it was a crazy idea, but once I shared my jewelry within the burn community, the positive reaction told me this was something that could be healing. I created 50 pendants for the burn unit doctors and nurses as a token of appreciation for their dedicated service.
Because Dyslexics often have a unique way of looking at the world, I knew I could develop a technique for burn survivors, even if they had physical limitations, so we designed the Healing Phoenix Arts Program and work with burn survivors to create what we call “Warrior Scar Jewelry," in a Post-traumatic Growth Experience for healing well. It’s been life-changing for them, as well as for us. This is an example of interconnected reasoning.
Holly instructing burn survivors at Camp Susquehanna Burn Camp for Children 6 - 16,
creating Warrior Scar Jewelry.
Developing Innovative Live Online Classes and Tutorials
Initially, I taught and traveled around the world with in-person workshops and retreats. I needed to pivot when I developed a health issue and got too energetically sick to travel so much. I was genuinely depressed that I’d have to stop my travel and possibly give up teaching. Another aspect of Dyslexia is looking at situations from unconventional angles. This dynamic reasoning enabled me to become one of the first artists in the Metal Clay field to teach private and group classes online, a practice that is now much more common. I keep them small and intimate, allowing me to connect live as if sitting around the table with friends. This came particularly in handy during COVID, where personal contact was limited, as I was already set up.
My Versatility as an Artist, Continually Innovating New Techniques and Combining Metal Clay with other Materials in New Ways, is the Unexpected Gift of Dyslexia
People with Dyslexia have a natural ability to visualize, manipulate, and mentally plan — material reasoning, so when I develop new techniques, I can visualize the steps in my head before working them out on paper to create a lesson plan. All the methods I teach are lessons I’ve developed, and they are all designed to teach a new skill. I’m inspired by the challenge of creating something unique that no one else is teaching.
Earlier this year, I received the Innovation Award from AMCAW, where I taught myself how to fire Cultured Opals in both Silver and Base Metal Clay (FIP Opals). Natural Opals can not withstand the intense heat of a Metal Clay firing. It took me several years and numerous costly trial-and-error sessions, along with multiple pivots. People with Dyslexia excel at problem-solving and identifying patterns others may miss. Dynamic reasoning was helpful for me to see what works and what does not. Once I unlocked the key, I brought in people who could test different brands of Metal Clay. I provided them with the necessary instructions and parameters for success. I didn’t want to hold onto these secrets merely for myself, so I shared the research through blogs, conference presentations, guild meetings, and articles, freely disseminating this information to jewelers who had an interest. That sharing lights a fire in me I can’t explain. Perhaps it’s using the voice I’ve hidden for so long, maybe it’s my attempt at being bold enough to share.
The Ability to be Kind and Generous, Always Cheered on Other Artists, Both Publicly and Privately.
I know what it’s like to have low self-esteem. Unfortunately, Dyslexia gave me that too, or at least before I learned how to tap into the advantages. It takes one kind person to provide you with genuine encouragement, so I strive to be that person. I naturally get a lot of students with Dyslexia and ADHD because they both have that creative component, and if they reveal those traits to me, I will educate them about the upside and celebrate who they are.
My Role as a Mentor and Advisor to Many Artists in our Community.
I’ve been in the back of the room, pulled from the “regular” classroom setting to receive assistance with my “shortcomings.” I’ve also been fortunate enough to have had a couple of people in my life who recognized something in me: an art teacher, a school counselor, an apprenticeship, my mother, and my husband, something they thought I could become if I nurtured it. These awards made me feel validated. Did I need validation? Well, I think we all do, and so I put my experience to good use and try to share with others the lessons I’ve learned through my 47 years in the jewelry industry. It’s a rewarding use of my time, and I utilize my dynamic reasoning to help students resolve problems or challenges they're facing. I love seeing the smiles on my students’ faces when I share their work on social media and they receive the accolades of their peers, or a mentee opens up their own shop, or gets an award for their artwork. That’s just icing on the cake.
There are far more roses than thorns when it comes to Dyslexia. If I could speak to my younger self, I’d share the unexpected gift of Dyslexia I’ve learned about —not just how to navigate Dyslexia, but how to celebrate all the things I can do. Back then, I focused so much on what I couldn’t do, convinced that maybe I was just stupid.
I’d tell her to laugh at the reading mistakes— some are genuinely hilarious. And I’d encourage her to seek out the people who make her feel truly comfortable in her own skin. People like her future husband, Chris, who will teach her to laugh at herself rather than cringe in embarrassment.
She’d be stunned by all the articles, tutorials, and blogs I’ve written, the speaking engagements, and the big and small achievements. And by the life she’ll share with someone who sees and celebrates her strengths. I can hear her now: “Who, me? No way! You gotta be kidding — I can’t write, and I definitely can’t imagine winning anything.” I’d smile sympathetically, give her a gentle hug, and say: “Just keep being you. Stay genuine. Don’t hide. Go easy on yourself — the best is yet to come.”
Look for more Artist Information about Holly's Published Articles, News, and Awards. Click the links highlighted.
Resources I like to use: The Dyslexic Advantage Website and Book It is a wealth of information about Dyslexia that helps you navigate various aspects. A movie is coming out shortly, too! https://www.dyslexicadvantage.org/ Grammarly https://www.grammarly.com I have a love-hate relationship with Grammarly, as it reminds me of a teacher marking up my papers. However, as a writing assistant, it helps me improve my writing by identifying and correcting errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation. It offers both free and paid versions.
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