Marilyn Goodman

Charm Bracelet

2019

I have created a rustic “charm bracelet” with handcrafted symbols that represent some aspects of my identity. The leaf and the scallop shell affirm my passion and enduring reverence for the natural world; the glittery sun represents fun; the heart represents a range of my emotions; the helix, flattened into a spiral, is a symbol of resilience; the balanced scales indicates many planets in Libra; the female torso represents the waxing, waning, growing and aging of my corporeal presence; the book symbolizes my life-long dedication to education; the two-sided hand represents the high value I place on visual learning and the process of creating. Also, following the tradition of Inca quipus, the knots serve as metaphors for the many memories and milestones—both positive and negative—that I have collected over the years. And finally, the slender satin ribbons are a nod to those I have seen attached to milagros in Mexico and Latin America.