This necklace just sold at the gallery today. That makes me happy, of course. But maybe not in the exact way one might think.
First of all, any and all sales are good. Selling my work lets me continue doing my work, something I thoroughly enjoy (and it keeps me out of trouble). But my first reaction when that piece sold was happiness that "someone understood what I'm saying".
I'm not a great communicator. You'd know this easily if you knew me in person. I often stumble on words and spend time reaching for the elusive way to tell you how I feel. then the next person comes along and speaks so eloquently and I'm like, "Yeah, what she said."
So when I make a piece of jewelry that really speaks to me, something that has a subject or a technique that is special for some reason, I feel like the buyer and I "communicated" in some way.
Kind of like they're saying, "I get you, Laura." And that's a nice feeling.
My jewelry is not speaking in any literal sense of the word. While there can occasionally be an actual "story" behind the inspiration for making a piece, that's not a given. The communication I am talking about having with the customer is a bit more ethereal.
One of the reasons I tend to make jewelry that I like is because it makes me happy. I've had jobs where I have to do what others want. But in my studio, I can mostly make what I want. I say "mostly" because I do take on the occasional custom order and while I still like doing custom orders, it's more stressful than me just experimenting and creating without a finite plan.
But I digress. This blog post is my round about way of saying that I appreciate all y'all who look at my jewelry and feel something, whether it's thumbs up for a job well done or a passionate "I have to have that" because I'm telling a story you want to hear. I appreciate each and every one of you.
So thanks! When you buy (or even comment on) my pieces that are maybe a bit off the beaten path, it makes me feel closer to being in communication with you.
First of all, any and all sales are good. Selling my work lets me continue doing my work, something I thoroughly enjoy (and it keeps me out of trouble). But my first reaction when that piece sold was happiness that "someone understood what I'm saying".
I'm not a great communicator. You'd know this easily if you knew me in person. I often stumble on words and spend time reaching for the elusive way to tell you how I feel. then the next person comes along and speaks so eloquently and I'm like, "Yeah, what she said."
So when I make a piece of jewelry that really speaks to me, something that has a subject or a technique that is special for some reason, I feel like the buyer and I "communicated" in some way.
Kind of like they're saying, "I get you, Laura." And that's a nice feeling.
My jewelry is not speaking in any literal sense of the word. While there can occasionally be an actual "story" behind the inspiration for making a piece, that's not a given. The communication I am talking about having with the customer is a bit more ethereal.
One of the reasons I tend to make jewelry that I like is because it makes me happy. I've had jobs where I have to do what others want. But in my studio, I can mostly make what I want. I say "mostly" because I do take on the occasional custom order and while I still like doing custom orders, it's more stressful than me just experimenting and creating without a finite plan.
But I digress. This blog post is my round about way of saying that I appreciate all y'all who look at my jewelry and feel something, whether it's thumbs up for a job well done or a passionate "I have to have that" because I'm telling a story you want to hear. I appreciate each and every one of you.
So thanks! When you buy (or even comment on) my pieces that are maybe a bit off the beaten path, it makes me feel closer to being in communication with you.
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