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Archives for July 2018

Thoughts on Art as Business

July 15, 2018 ·

I am slowly working my way back to regular sharing and writing, but a bit of a social media detox was needed. And so it has been a few weeks of introversion and peering into greenery.

I love to share this work with you:Β hardwood tools well-worn,Β photographs of Clover’s furry legs stretched luxuriously across my workbench, pieces beginning to take shape in my hands,Β piles of silver dust,Β inspiration flung around the studio to breathe in at every turn, silhouettes carefully sawn, all of it! But in the last month or so, I became a bit disheartened by social media.

In recent years, there has been a lot of conversation about authenticity on social media. By the very nature of it, we are choosing what parts of our lives people see, by curating images of our day in pleasing patterns and presenting it with the viewer (or perhaps our future selves) in mind. Is it possible to utilize social media without doing this to some extent? Doubtful. Some argue that that renders true authenticity impossible on social media. But I do not agree. I don’t see a difference between sharing a photo of a beautiful meal just prepared, and putting on a dinner party where you use the fine Wedgwood china. Does putting on a pretty floral print dress before going into public render you inauthentic? I don’t believe so. I don’t think we should only share our raw, unfiltered selves in the name of authenticity, because there is a pride and dignity to be gleaned from a tidy space, a beautiful portrait, a funny story, and a work of art, especially when shared.

But the question of authenticity and artistic integrity has become more murky when it comes to the art community on social media.Β  There are a smattering of artists,Β potters, painters, metalsmiths, and writers, whose work I had followed since the days before Instagram. Creative men and women who welcomed me into their lives through words written on blogs, photos shared in Flickr groups, insights revealed in interviews dotted around the Internet. Artistic output I had relished for years and had felt pride in supporting.Β But recently, I all at once saw a change in a few of these artists. I don’t know when the change happened, but I only just recognized it.

A few of these artists have gradually evolved into something that feels false to me. Big companies unrelated to their art are tagged by the artists right in the photo descriptions, who are then drawn to their large followings and see opportunities to monetize on their influence. Photos sponsored by corporations are then posted on their art pages; the sharing of art reduced in favor of outside advertising. These spaces that once felt personal and warm are now fabricated to attract or retain sponsorships. Every post feels like a commercial for something I don’t want.

A few years ago I read an article about the β€œrise of the influencer,” and I never really cared about any of it because it didn’t affect me. If young men and women were being paid to travel to Italy just to take one picture wearing a brand-name hat, or being sent piles of free merchandise in exchange for a review on their social media, all the power to them! They are lucky ducks for nabbing free trips around the world. But I never looked to those people to be anything else and no one was requiring that I follow them. I welcome sponsored posts from fashion and home decor bloggers I do follow, because sponsorships and advertising areΒ intrinsicallyΒ wrapped up in the type of work they do.

But independent artists I have always held to a different standard. I look to their spaces to purchase their art, to join their conversation, to be shown glimpses of their lives; I do not wish to be forced into viewing a commercial for a product entirely unrelated to their art. And now that some long beloved creatives have gradually submitted to that siren call of easier money and quicker notoriety, I feel disenchanted and disappointed. I find myself looking first to the hashtags before bothering to look at the photo, especially now that Instagram strongly requires influencers to disclose paid content through the hashtag # ad right in the photo description. I check to see who paid for every haiku written. I look for the paid product placement carefully integrated, likeΒ camouflage, into the landscapes of their lives and art. Lives and art that was once honestly and freely shared, now feels like it is being used to trick me into buying a bottle of perfume. Those fashion and home decor bloggers that I have long followed have always been forthright with their affiliations. If they are telling me about a product, sponsored or not, I take it for what it is and continue to look to them for honesty. But about the artists who have attempted toΒ seamlesslyΒ slide into the role of influencer for money (because let’s be honest, who would sell the landscape of their personal lives and the trust earned with their viewers for anything else…), I feel crestfallen and a little sold-out.

As a maker and a businesswoman, I know the realities of money and am not naively perched in easy idealism. I navigate these waters daily, and am constantly holding my notion of artistic integrity up against the requirements of business to find the right path. But one of the fixed stars in this area of art as business is that honest sharing should remain sacred, and not a space to be purchased by a grocery delivery service or backpacking outfitter. I don’t want a painter to share a photo of a workspace wherein the fine print reads “Styled by Anthropologie.” I don’t want the president to try to sell me a time share. I don’t want religious leaders to sell ad space in their sermons. There are some spaces that should remain free of corporate money and the pursuit of notoriety. Unrealistic? Perhaps… But I will not believe anything else.

Rather than continue to feel sold out or manipulated by these artists, I have decided to simply exclude them from my world, because if nothing else, social media is a world that we curate for ourselves, and I no longer wish for them to take up space in mine. I want these places I look to for community and sharing to feel untainted and beautiful, and so I have unfollowed their accounts and deleted their blog bookmarks. There are so many other artists out there who believe in authentic sharing and connecting honestly with audiences. I don’t have to worry about being told a story from their day wherein the conclusion is a sales pitch for a new exercise app. If they share a scene from their lives, I know that every vase, couch, and paintbrush set is there because the artist loved them, and was not just being paid to pretend everything was placed and purchased organically while a furtive sponsorship lurks in the corner.

I thought about tucking these thoughts into my notebook and not speaking on this, but not honestly sharing about honest sharing seems a little absurd, no? I wish there was a hashtag to find more artists who refuse unrelated, outside money. Other dear souls who are not being paid to integrate products into their personal lives as though they had always been there. Creatives who feel that sharing their work and lives is enough. That community and the organic support and purchasing of artwork is enough. That connection is enough. Artists that value the trust placed in them over money and online fame. Perhaps we should start a hashtag, you and I, for those of us who wish to find other kindreds. Other #adfreeartists? Or photos ofΒ  #justmyart ?

Because I want to find all those artists and pull them into my world. I want to wrap them all up in a giant hug ofΒ camaraderieΒ and like-mindedness. Because therein is the true beauty and soul of social media and the Internet, we can find each other. We can become points in the landscapes of each other’s lives. I can become like that fruit vendor at the farmers market you see on Saturdays. And you can become like the postwoman I always offer cold water to on the hottest days in July. (Did you know that those mail trucks have zero air conditioning??) We can flit in and out of each other’s lives with words of encouragement, book recommendations, and hearty banter. You can tell me why garnet is your grandmother’s favorite gemstone. And I can marvel at your subtlety with watercolors.

And neither of us will be paid to do so.

 

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πŸ₯° Direct link to the Etsy shop in my profile! πŸ₯° Direct link to the Etsy shop in my profile!

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#uniquejewelry #artisanjewelry #bohemianjewelry #prettylittlethings #etsyhandmade #heytheremaker  #makersvillage #doitfortheprocess #madefromscratch #ardentfinds #modernmaker #justmyart #madewithlove #makermovement #handmadeaf #handcraftedjewelry #mountainmade #designerjewelry #womanmade #wildwoman #wildmagic #wildatheart #inspiredbynature #moonspinner #etsyjewelry #flashesofdelight #handmadejewelry  #womenwhocreate #daysofsmallthings
Trees made of light and stone, small enough to hol Trees made of light and stone, small enough to hold in your hand. 

I tried to make as many of these necklaces as I could, nearly every pendant sized moss agate gemstone became one of these sweet necklaces with the sterling branch and pebble border on the front, and sawn tree window on the back. 

I hope you are able to pluck yours during the release! 
β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”β€”
🌲North Woods Collection Release: Sunday, August 21st at 7:00 p.m. EST in the Etsy Shop🌲
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#agatejewelry #artisanjewelry #botanicalrings #cottagecorejewelry #daintyjewelry #femalemade #forestcore #gemstonedesign #handcraftedjewelry #handmaderings #moonspinner #mossagate #mosslove #naturejewelry #pinejewelry #necklaceoftheday #silverjewelry #silverrings #slowmade #statementjewelry #terrariumjewelry #treejewelry #womenwhocreate
✨ The Forest Calls Ring ✨ Sweet friends, I t ✨ The Forest Calls Ring ✨ 

Sweet friends, I took a few days off with visitors, and then yesterday was my birthday, but now I am back to the bench for the final stretch.

I am setting stones by the dozens and have so much to share. (There are still two designs I haven’t even shown here yet!) 

Over the next week I will be getting everything ready for the collection release: photographing all the individual pieces for their Etsy listings, writing down their sizes from the mandrel, drafting a full preview for the blog (be sure to sign up for the newsletter to get the preview in your email inbox!), and dipping them in deciduous sunlight to carry to their intendeds. 

Image description: A bold statement ring made of sterling silver and smooth moss agate. A textured ring band made to look like birch bark. A ruffled, notched edge around the stone to make the ring look like the cross-section of a tree stump. Inside the ring reads β€œSilva Vocat,” which is Latin for β€œThe Forest Calls.” Oxidized for accent shadows and given a matte polish. 
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🌲North Woods Collection Release: Sunday, August 21st at 7:00 p.m. EST in the Etsy Shop🌲
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#agatejewelry #artisanjewelry #botanicalrings #cottagecorejewelry #daintyjewelry #femalemade #forestcore #gemstonedesign #handcraftedjewelry #handmaderings #moonspinner #mossagate #mosslove #naturejewelry #pinejewelry #necklaceoftheday #silverjewelry #silverrings #slowmade #statementjewelry #terrariumjewelry #treejewelry #womenwhocreate
Tiny silver hemlock trees that will never fade, ne Tiny silver hemlock trees that will never fade, never wither, never fall. An eternal ephemeral to wear against the heart. 🌲✨ 
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🌲North Woods Collection Release: Sunday, August 21st at 7:00 p.m. EST in the Etsy Shop🌲
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#agatejewelry #artisanjewelry #botanicalrings #cottagecorejewelry #daintyjewelry #femalemade #forestcore #gemstonedesign #handcraftedjewelry #handmaderings #moonspinner #mossagate #mosslove #naturejewelry #pinejewelry #necklaceoftheday #silverjewelry #silverrings #slowmade #statementjewelry #terrariumjewelry #treejewelry #womenwhocreateaction
Eagerly awaiting autumn, while not wanting to let Eagerly awaiting autumn, while not wanting to let go of all this saturated, heart-filling green. πŸ’šπŸŒΏ
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#livefolk #staywild #quietinthewild #exploretocreate #countryliving #whimsicalwonderfulwild #theartofslowliving #pursuepretty #folkgood #livesimple #optoutside #foundforaged #earthspirit #natureinspired #getoutside #forestlife #wearewildness #naturelove #intothewoods #seekthesimplicity #findyourwild #wildandfree #natureisbeautiful #naturesbeauty #beautyinnature
The variations between the moss agates are endless The variations between the moss agates are endless! 

Some are light with wisps of  green swirling through, others are solidly packed with tufts of moss. 

Which do you prefer?
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🌲North Woods Collection Release: Sunday, August 21st at 7:00 p.m. EST in the Etsy Shop🌲
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#forestjewelry #forestcore #handmadejewelry #artisanjewelry #seekinspirecreate #womenwhocreate #cottagecorejewelry #jewelrywithintention #handmadewithlove #moss #mossterrarium #mossagate #agatejewelry #gemstonejewelry #terrariumjewelry #mosslove #slowmade #naturejewelry  #silverjewelry #gemstonejewelry #pinejewelry
🌟🌲 Less than two weeks!! 🌲🌟 North Woo 🌟🌲 Less than two weeks!! 🌲🌟

North Woods Collection Release: Sunday, August 21st at 7:00 p.m. EST in the Etsy Shop

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#forestjewelry #forestcore #handmadejewelry #artisanjewelry #seekinspirecreate #womenwhocreate #cottagecorejewelry #jewelrywithintention #handmadewithlove #moss #mossterrarium #mossagate #agatejewelry #gemstonejewelry #terrariumjewelry #mosslove #slowmade #naturejewelry  #silverjewelry #gemstonejewelry #pinejewelry
I just cant help but hold each and every one up to I just cant help but hold each and every one up to the light. So know that when you claim yours, it will undoubtedly come to you infused with sunshine that trickled through the north woods of Maine.
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🌲North Woods Collection Release: Sunday, August 21st at 7:00 p.m. EST in the Etsy Shop🌲
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#agatenecklace #bohonecklace #bohonecklaces #botanical #botanicaljewelry #cottagecore #forestjewelry #gemstone #gemstonejewelry #handmadejewelry #handmadenecklace #instajewelry #jewelrydesign #jewelrydesigner #jewelrygram #jewelrymaking #madewithlove #mainemade #moonspinner #moss #mossagatejewelry #mossagatenecklace #mossterrarium #mossy #natureinspired #natureinspiredjewelry #supportlocal #terrarium
Did I even create a collection if I didn't try to Did I even create a collection if I didn't try to put all the rings of a particular design on my fingers at once? πŸ‘‘πŸ’πŸ’Ž
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🌲North Woods Collection Release: Sunday, August 21st at 7:00 p.m. EST in the Etsy Shop🌲
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#agatejewelry #artisanjewelry #botanicalrings #cottagecorejewelry #daintyjewelry #femalemade #forestcore #gemstonedesign #handcraftedjewelry #handmaderings #moonspinner #mossagate #mosslove #naturejewelry #pinejewelry #necklaceoftheday #silverjewelry #silverrings #slowmade #statementjewelry #terrariumjewelry #treejewelry #womenwhocreate
✨ Tuft of Moss Rings ✨ Little tufts of moss a ✨ Tuft of Moss Rings ✨

Little tufts of moss all in a row! 

A few of the stones in these dainty rings are faceted. When packing up for our summer in the mountains, I found a little handful of faceted agates that I had completely forgotten about. 

And so I scooped them out of my gemstone cabinet and planted them amongst the others of similar sizes. I am so glad I brought them to the cabin, because I think the faceted ring might be my favorite of the bunch. Just wait until you see the large rings with faceted moss agates! Ooh la la! 

Which do you prefer? Faceted or smooth?

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🌲North Woods Collection Release: Sunday, August 21st at 7:00 p.m. EST in the Etsy Shop🌲
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#agatejewelry #artisanjewelry #botanicalrings #cottagecorejewelry #daintyjewelry #femalemade #forestcore #gemstonedesign #handcraftedjewelry #handmaderings #moonspinner #mossagate #mosslove #naturejewelry #pinejewelry #necklaceoftheday #silverjewelry #silverrings #slowmade #statementjewelry #terrariumjewelry #treejewelry #womenwhocreate
Could someone just shrink me down so I could make Could someone just shrink me down so I could make my home on this tuft of moss??? 🌿✨

When I was little, my favorite stories were ones about tiny creatures living in a giant world. They still are, perhaps. 

I was endlessly enamored with the idea of acorn cups and thimble hats, homes made in birds nests and inside mantle clocks. 

I adored The Borrowers, Ralph S. Mouse, The Indian in the Cupboard, Mossflower, etc.

I made innumerable fairy houses with my sister, some quite elaborate, which we would leave along a small brook which trickled into the cove behind our house. I did this for much longer than most children do, I am sure. 

Later, as a children’s librarian, I was constantly lugging home all the newest middle grade books featuring toads fishing from lily pads and Lilliputian communities. 

Still, even in my thirties, I will stop dead in my tracks when I see a magical looking book about little mice warriors. (Actually, the most recent book I added to my Goodreads β€œWant To Read” list was β€œMice of the Round Table: A Tail of Camelot.” Mice knights!?!) 

All of this to say, is that to this day, I cannot see a comfy looking tuft of moss without wishing I were small enough to take a nap on it. 

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#livefolk #staywild #quietinthewild #exploretocreate #countryliving #whimsicalwonderfulwild #theartofslowliving #pursuepretty #folkgood #livesimple #optoutside #foundforaged #earthspirit #natureinspired #getoutside #forestlife #wearewildness #naturelove #intothewoods #seekthesimplicity #findyourwild #wildandfree #natureisbeautiful #naturesbeauty #beautyinnature
✨ Furtive Hemlock Necklace ✨ Moss and trees m ✨ Furtive Hemlock Necklace ✨

Moss and trees made of stone and silver, and quiet calls from within. 

This is the moss agate necklace design with the secret inscription under the gemstone. On the back is a tree silhouette set against shadows. A solitary tree standing in a misty forest. 

Can you spot the hidden message under the stone? 

There will only be six necklaces in this style in the collection release!
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🌲North Woods Collection Release: Sunday, August 21st at 7:00 p.m. EST in the Etsy Shop🌲
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#forestjewelry #forestcore #mossagatejewelry #artisanjewelry
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