Inspiration

Where does inspiration come from and how does it work?!

I have read about/seen jewelry inspired by strong women, culture, nature, religion..and more. It is really amazing to see the product of inspiration. To see something...the essence of something...be transformed through beading, soldering, knotting, stringing, setting, hammering, etc. ...amazing Then, you can wear the new form of the essence of something or some idea. Something so large as a culture can be worn around your neck or on your finger. Better yet...it is the result of someone being moved by that thing and you are wearing something they really care about.

Because jewelry can be full of so much meaning, I really have a hard time with places like Claires, Aldo and other stores that sell cheap mass produced jewelry. Often the styles are cheap adaptations of jewelry celebrities wear....and people buy it so they can kind of pull off the same look as someone else. It is watered down jewelry. It's sad to me. The pieces that sit in my jewelry case and go the most unworn are the pieces that are the cheapest and least inspired. They are often always been the biggest waste of money.

My Inspiration. Inspiration is often transient for me. It rarely lasts long enough to develop anything more than one or two pieces...I get bored. The only reliable source of inspiration for me is interior decorating magazines. Elle Decor and Architectural Digest are my favorites.

Color is difficult for me. I don't think outside the box enough...and when I try I often fail. I turn to interior decorating magazines for lessons on color combos. The texture and patterns of fabric also provide a source of inspiration. Elle usually has eclectic designs with lots of color while Architectural Digest has more crisp and distinct styles but with interesting styling in the rooms. The combination of elements provides a texture for the room.

Morgan Jean

Serene. I can't remember where I first saw Morgan Jean jewelry but I k now it was the gold tear drop hoops (below) that lead me to look up the site. All of her designs are so peaceful feeling. Very natural.

Morgan Soule, the designer, has a bio on her website that offers a lot of hope for me! She was in finance and creating jewelry as a hobby. She eventually left her job on Wall Street to design full time. When I graduated college with a degree in economics, a minor in math and an almost certain future working somehow in finance I was slightly deflated. I was disappointed in myself for having not explored my creative side while I had an excellent art department available to me. As I mentioned in an earlier post I let fear of failure keep me away. I also felt that I had to somehow qualify to be in take art classes...everyone would know I was a faker...what that even means I don't know..but there it is. I was comfortable in numbers because math had always come so naturally. Trying to find success in anything else felt like I would be fighting fate somehow...as if you are only allowed to be successful in one thing. Slowly I am realizing that does not have to be the case. Slowly.

I have taken a few risks/steps that I can be proud of...a drawing class...networking with jewelers while I was between jobs...taken a job I was over qualified for just to get a glimpse in the world of architecture (which I also love and was more open to exploring in college by taking classes...but architecture needs numbers people so I felt like I had a right to be there...less of a faker...?) I need some better follow through!

Back to the real thing: The description of Morgan Soule's jewelry is so on point. It is described by adjectives such as confident, feminine, natural. That all comes across clearly in her pieces. Each piece is strong but would never dominate your outfit. Enhance and complement...but never dominate.

She has four style themes on her website. I like that her products fall neatly into 1 of four categories. I would love to be able to label my designs similarly...right now I would have 365 style themes and every one would be titled.."How I felt on (fill in the date)".

The hoops are so uncomplicated and beautiful. They could be worn with almost anything and hold their own. Not to mention that they could be paired with so many styles of necklaces.

The right balance between earring choice and necklace choice is the most difficult for me. I shamefully admit that I usually opt out of earrings all together when wearing a necklace that is anything but gold or silver. A new found interest in earrings, however, has motivated me to incorporate them more and more.

I made a pair of temporary tear drop earrings to test my abilities after having seen these...they weren't as easy to make as I expected...I wore them one day and got complimented multiple times. I didn't expect that because they are so simple.

While exploring the Morgan Jean site this necklace caught my eye. It is under the Swami section. All of the stone pendants are semi-precious with a bezel set gem stone. I have to admit that the bezel set gem stone, upon first glance and without any thought, really didn't resonate with me...until I saw this necklace. It was then that I began to think about why this design might be worth it. The stone in the center felt wrong and over thought at first but now I see how it makes a simple stone many times more interesting in a very simple way. Not so simple that you would see it anywhere. So now I find the Swami collection very intriguing and emanating some amount of intelligence.

The mix of stones and color is what attracted me at first. I am really interested to see what this looks like while being worn. Laid out like this, it is easy to see each stone...but hanging on a neck you won't see each stone as clearly and there will be overlap. I wonder how much it will change the look of it.

Style

Here are a few pieces that have caught my eye recently.

Dirty Elegance.  This is from Calico Juno Designs.  It is described as Bohemian.  I love the hammered gold and bright colors.  The stones pop inside the hammered frame.  Also, they are a new take on "hoops".  Square.  I haven't seen many squared hoop earrings.

Calico Juno Designs have lots of interesting hoops earrings.  

WOW.  I found this bracelet on Artful Home.  It is by Samantha Freeman and it is beautiful.  I would love to see this in person.  It looks like it could almost radiate its own light.  I adore the texture and color combo of white and silver.  Love.  It is stunning yet peaceful.  

Romantic.  This necklace is from the Etsy store of redheart13.  I love the mixture of the pearl rope/twist and gold chains.  The pendant is appropriately huge and the design, overall, is so romantic.  

You can call me Em.

I decided this week to start a blog about jewelry.  I make jewelry.  I wear jewelry.  I look at jewelry.  I want to have a place to record my thoughts and hopefully initiate some conversation regarding jewelry.  

Jewelry is great because it can completely transform an outfit.  I love how even a small piece can enhance or, in some cases, be the outfit.  Personally, I prefer strong, interesting, and textural pieces worn with simple clothes....showcasing the jewelry.  It really irks me when a necklace, for instance, is worn just to be worn.  When it doesn't say anything and isn't interesting.  An opportunity wasted.  That's not to say that I don't waste many opportunities...but it is easier to see them wasted on someone else's outfits rather than my own.  

My dream is to one day sell my jewelry.  I have to admit that it scares me to move from giving it away to selling it because it will become more obvious if my jewelry is interesting or not, worth it or not, good or not.  Petrified.  I am getting there, though.  I hope to use this space to work out my thoughts on jewelry and develop a more distinct style...or to come to accept that I love options and will wear whatever, whenever my mood calls for it.  I don't know how that transfers into a business though...we will see.  

Sites like Etsy and Artful Home have not only given me some hope of selling my jewelry in the (near) future...but they have reinvigorated the world of jewelry for me.  They have opened my eyes to some really talented jewelry makers that I would never have heard of.  Also, Etsy offers a great community where you can communicate with the sellers.  The Artful Home contains more high end items..everything I hope to have the skill to create one day.  The next skill I WILL develop is metal working.  I WILL.