I go to Southwestern College in Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA studying for a master's degree in art therapy and counseling. Right now I'm taking a class in Archetypal Psychology, which has been a very inspirational class for me. We do a regular dream journal and artwork as well as artwork around the mandala books we are reading. Today we had a discussion about feedback giving when sharing our artwork and how some people really like/need to get feedback or interpretations of their work and how for some it is not helpful. This got me thinking about my jewelry. I have always wondered why I make jewelry when I rarely ever wear it, and when I do its usually not my own work. Thinking about our conversation in class I realized I create jewelry because it is a way for me to connect with others. I make beautiful and meaningful jewelry because I like to hear what it means to others, even more than deciding on my own interpretation. Its very heartwarming to me when I create something that another person likes enough to wear on their bodies, especially when it has meaning to both of us. Its a way for two hearts and souls to align.
I've been thinking a lot about branding lately as well, and I see that this idea of meaningful, touching jewelry is what I want Erika with a K Designs to be about. And coincidentally I created, in response to my mandala book for class, a series of necklaces (an in the future bracelets, earrings, etc) I call "Soul Verbs." They are made with Swarovski Elements, glass vials filled with Swarovski beads and other things, as well as hand stamped metal tags with inspirational verbs like "Explore", "Love", and "Dig Deep".
When I showed these today in class, one of my classmates pointed out that each one has 3 different elements, 3 being a very powerful number meaning synthesis and "2 becoming something greater than the sum of their parts." I feel this is the perfect explanation of these pieces!
The first one I made was "Explore" (below) in response to my thoughts on mandala making (circular pieces of artwork representing wholeness). I chose the Earth element because the Earth itself is like a mandala, circular and whole. I chose the word explore because making a mandala is like exploring the unconscious or the soul. And then I added the vial filled with beads to represent what one finds when exploring.
These necklaces are all on sale in my
Etsy shop in the
Soul Verbs Collection section, and there are more to come. Also, I encourage custom orders!
I love these! They make perfect gifts for graduation.
ReplyDeleteThanks again! That is a great idea offering these for graduation! What a positive gift for someone who is just moving out into the world.
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