The idea that I am leaning into most heavily these days while I’m learning the ropes of silversmithing is that I am investing in the process of creating art regardless of the finished product that I make or the success that my little handmade business will have. Because it’s within the process of creating in which I find the most value. The process is what feeds my soul.
Making and selling a beautiful piece of jewelry that brings joy and confidence into someone’s life is incredibly meaningful to me, but that piece of jewelry is a symbol for something greater. Something deeper that can’t quite be seen. And it most definitely involves the process that takes place long before a sale is made. The process involves big dreams – which right now feel scary, exciting, awfully expensive, and unknown. It includes the ideas and inspiration swirling around my busy head. Maybe it starts with a simple shape, say a triangle. Or a design that I daydream about on a run and then draw in my notebook over and over again until I finally build it with my hands. Maybe it’s a memory of watching the sunrise as I’m climbing a trail with a good friend. Or the reel of emotions I felt when my husband ran with me through the night of my first really long race. The discomfort, the darkness, the doubt. One foot in front of the other up a mountain until the sun rose, the sky lit up, and I remembered that I was strong and that I could move through the discomfort.
To me, jewelry making is about taking those lived experiences, ideas, and feelings and wanting to bring them back to life in a tangible and beautiful way that can be shared with others. It’s making a piece of jewelry that tells a story. Stories that can be worn and admired. Stories that may start in my head and my hands, but they bloom into something else, something greater, when they are worn by whoever decides to bring that jewelry into their own life.
And right now, a very important part of the process includes both the strides and stumbles I’m making as I figure things out. While my high hopes and higher expectations are usually healthy and keep me pushing forward, sometimes they are a hindrance when I find myself wishing I could jump a few steps ahead to a higher level of craftsmanship. And I am no stranger to getting caught up in the game of comparison. Seeing other makers impeccable work and feeling that what I’m creating is falling short. Asking myself why am I even trying. But when I step back and straighten my head back onto my shoulders I remind myself why.
My value or the value I get from this craft doesn’t lie within how I stack up compared to another maker. Or how close to perfect I can make a piece of jewelry. It’s not about how successful this little business becomes. I know I’ll have more days of doubting myself and questioning why I’m here. More days of burning metal or not getting seams lined up just right. But I’ll continue to remind myself that I’m here for the process. It’s the process of creating that feeds my soul.
