Anti Resolutions and Finding Creative Balance in 2024.

January. What next in the dark quiet time between Christmas and Spring? Time to reflect on the previous year or time to spring into life and start doing? Well, kind of both...

I think there's so much pressure, both personally and professionally to be perfect and do it now, its easy to discard what we already have, in favour of the 'Whole New Me'. I'm proposing something different, no unrealistic promises - lets build on what is already here.

Last year we did a successful event, had great reviews, we made some jewellery to be proud of  - and hopefully made a few people happy too. I began to form a clearer picture of what the best possible customer experience might look like for our customers now, and in future, by looking at faster order processing times, more delivery options, and more beautiful, robust and recyclable packaging.

One aim this year, is to better understand and harness the whole creative approach, to work with more intention - and ultimately get more jewellery out there!

Oddly enough, the influences for initial ideas are normally nothing to do with jewellery. For example; I might find a section of rope washed up on the beach or a spot a beautiful dented door handle in an old house, randomly sparking a tangled raft of ideas and images to sift through in my mind and somehow apply to a new piece or collection.

Our ethos is that our jewellery has a delicate rustic beauty, and that it functions well - visually balanced, well proportioned and effortless to wear. Part of the challenge is retaining the purity and 'wildness' of that initial inspiration within the final piece. 

In design, function and beauty are a fine balance. Additionally, Jewellery design isn't only about these two things. There's an intersect with culture, history and the human experience. Past design fails I can definitely put my hands up to: Killing all visual and textural joy dead with practicality. Making something soulful and amazing, but unwearable. And one I'm working on currently: Being overwhelmed with ideas fighting for attention and then nothing happens, because I cant decide which one to run with.

So, how to refresh your creative process to grow stronger and stay in harmony with your commercial ambitions? Answer: You put your customer front and centre of the process. I never questioned whether the way I developed designs was setting me free creatively and meeting the brief - until I made something for somebody else.

This year, I'm trying a different starting point for the design process to bring a new sense of order to the colour and texture in my mind with a ‘make’ list. This is a wish list of everyday, heroes, classic varieties of necklace, bracelet, earrings, rings to apply all that visual and textural magic to. It will serve as the anchor point for a new core collection. I cant wait to untangle the best concepts strand by strand, piece by piece to bring their delicate rustic beauty into real life.