INPUT ARTICLE: Article: There are many different routes you can take to becoming a professional and skilled jewelry designer. One way you can help pick your own path is by deciding what you may want to specialize in. Decide if you want to only design, or design and create your jewelry. If you want to stick with just the design aspect, you may consider focusing on your illustration skills, as well as getting an education in fashion and jewelry design. If you want to create your designs, you will then have to gain practice, knowledge, and expertise in working with medals, jewels, and various raw materials used to create jewelry. Try attending a reputable trade school for jewelers. Many jewelry designers skip school and learn through apprenticeships and on-the-job training they find by applying for work at reputable jewelers. New jewelry designers usually just start out by learning how to adjust, re-shape, and resize jewelry. From there, you can learn more difficult elements such as cutting and setting stones, mold-making, metalworking and engraving. Once you have these basic skills learned, you can focus on your personal style in areas of shape and texture that you can practice mastering. Jewelers suggest learning about gemology, sales and jewelry fabrication in order to understand the process of jewelry production from beginning to end. While you do not need a formal education, there are certain skills you may want to consider taking classes on. You will need manual dexterity, artistic skills, steady hands, experience with CAD software to design, the ability to visual design ideas to actual jewelry, and a knowledge of popular fashion. Depending on the specific route you take, you may benefit from going to school. Jewelry makers who become specialized or independent tend to be more successful with a formal education. Also, employers find jewelers with a degree more appealing because they do not require as much on-the-job training as a person without a formal education. This will help you stand out against competition. You can take your education as far as a Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Fine Arts or Masters of Fine Arts in Metalwork and Jewelry Design. There are many accredited universities and art institutes that can give you the opportunity to cut and shape gems and pieces of metal first-hand. A few of the best jewelry design schools are Rochester Institute of Technology in New York, Istituto Lorenzo De Medici The LdM School of Design in Italy, and Birmingham City University in England. Advanced credentials and experience can help you one day if you decide to start your own business. Once you decide that you want to become a jewelry designer, you can begin practicing right away by signing and creating you ideas. However, if you are looking at finding a job, it may be helpful to know how many years you will have to put in before that may happen. If you decide to receive a formal education, you can be in school anywhere from two to six years. You will need about one to two years of experience and on-the-job training to become a skilled designer. Keep in mind, you can receive this experience while you are still in school. When a jewelry designer has an idea for a piece of jewelry, or is presented with an idea from someone else, there are several steps that need to happen before that jewelry comes to life. Depending on the situation, the design phase usually takes about seven days, and the production can take about two weeks. Here is the typical process of design to final product: The designer will start by drawing their ideas on paper with pencils. It has become common to design jewelry with special computer software that can give a better idea of what the piece will look like in 3D. The next step is to make a 2D design into a 3D prototype. This can be done in various ways such as 3D printing, CAD, or clay or wax molds that can be filled with melted metal. Once the prototype is worked out, the jeweler can start casting the metal. A jeweler can then cut, polish, and set precious or semi-precious gemstones into the jewelry.

SUMMARY: Pick your path to becoming a jewelry designer. Learn the basics. Give yourself a competitive edge with a degree. Plan a timeline. Learn the process of creation.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: If you have a friend or family member who has just become blind, the person may be struggling and frightened. They are probably spending a lot of time with doctors and therapists to make different life transitions. It's difficult to know what to say, but many blind people lead full, wonderful lives, with a rich school or work life and normal relationships. If the person shares that they would like to talk about being blind, be an empathetic listener. Learn about the best ways to assist a loved one who's blind, from helping the person develop a new organizational system to arranging the house in a way that's more accessible. Joining organizations for blind people is an essential way to make the transition from sighted to blind. It helps to talk with other people who have been through the same thing and who have a lot to teach what changes to make. Here are a few organizations devoted to helping blind people lead full and active lives: The National Federation for the Blind American Council of the Blind State-based organizations, which can be found here: http://www.blind.net/resources/organizations/organizations-for-the-blind.html Living life as a blind person has been made much easier due to modern inventions, policies and laws geared toward facilitating blind people's needs. If you know someone who is newly blind, help them find resources that will give him or her access to everything from equipment designed to help people read online to Social Security benefits to counseling, and so on. Help the person you know look into the following: Workplace rehabilitation Social Security benefits Laws (for example, only the blind may walk with a white cane) Products and aids for reading and navigation Acquiring a guide dog

SUMMARY: Share with the person that blindness is not a tragedy. Provide the person with information on organizations for the blind. Discuss rights and resources.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: A towel that's warmed to 37-40 C (100-105F) may be applied 3-4 times a day for no more than 10-30 minutes. This dilates the blood vessels and the warm sensation diminishes the pain by acting as a counter-irritant that masks the pain brought about by the inflammation. Sebaceous cysts may be covered if not causing the patient distress; most are non-dangerous and are only bothersome aesthetically. However, if it's infected, seeking medical treatment is wise. Be sure to routinely and thoroughly wash the skin with non-irritating antimicrobial soap in running water. Pat dry the skin using a clean cloth or towel and cover with a sterile gauze keep the gauze dry at all times. Avoid putting cosmetics and skin care products on the site of the cyst. This may cause further irritation and infection. This type of cyst dries up naturally; trying to pop it would put you at risk for further infection and may cause permanent scarring. Resist the temptation -- if it bothers you, get it removed by a doctor. If a cyst burst due to healing or accidental popping causing a break in the skin; wash the area thoroughly in running water using a non-irritating antimicrobial soap. If signs of infection occur -- pain, swelling, redness, and warmth sensation -- notify your doctor immediately for appropriate medical intervention. It's a very routine procedure and nothing to worry about; however, if left alone, you can become septic, which is a very, very serious condition. Even if your cyst doesn't seem infected, you may wish to visit a doctor. A very simple incision will be made, and the cyst can be gone in a matter of minutes. You may need to get 1 or 2 stitches once the cyst is removed.

SUMMARY:
Use a warm compress over the cyst. Keep the cyst clean. Never pop the cyst on your own. Seek medical intervention if there's a noticeable infection.