Who Am I? By Karen McGovern

As I read Mary Jane Dodd's post from Valentine's Day, I realize it is the perfect prelude to today's post.  THANKS, MARY JANE!

I have been following a couple threads online, and found myself contributing comments to a post by an artist who was asking about finding her "artistic voice". She was worried about this, about creating a body of work that was reflective of who she is as an artist, and a body of work that would be recognized as "hers".  We've touched on this topic before here at LMAJ, but I figure any post that gets a flood of replies (over 60 in just a few hours) meant that it is a topic that many of us are very interested in.

We all have, on the tips of our tongues, artists whose work we instantly recognize on sight, whether the artist name is listed or not.  I just attended a fabulous art, jewelry and antique show over the past weekend and found myself zeroing in with laser precision on works instantly recognizable to me.  Oh, that's a Calder!  Tiffany!  Lalique! Iconic creations from famous jewelers and artists.

Calder, Tiffany and Lalique......sigh......

I'm no Lalique. But I do feel I have, after many years, found what I consider to be my "voice" artistically.  

What does that mean, and more importantly, how do we as artists get to this point? Hmmmmmm. Hard to explain, actually.

What does it mean to have a "body of work"?  Words like "cohesion" and "line" are often used when discussing jewelry of a particular artist. Artists that are well-known create works of a certain recognizable style.  You know a Susan Lenart Kazmer design on site (at least I do...).  Richard Salley is another artist I can pick out of a crowd of work. (AND, completely off topic, I just purchased my first Salley design and I am VIBRATING WITH EXCITEMENT and holding my breath continually until it arrives. EEEEP!)  

Richard Salley and it's MINE, MINE I TELL YOU!!!!! HAHAHAHA!

I read this quote from Cynthia Tinapple of Polymer Clay Daily's Studio Mojo Newsletter (thanks Ronna Sarvas Weltman for posting this). Cynthia makes a very important point here...."How would you describe your work and your intentions?  Can you say why you are obsessed with the colors, the patterns, the objects you choose to make? Thinking about the "why" of your work can be the first step toward getting your studio mojo in gear." This resonates with me, because we all, whether we know it or not, have a reason (or reasons) we create.  Initially, that reason may be as simple as creating just to see if we can. Early in my jewelry design journey, I created randomly, learning techniques and basic stuff. This is what we all do.  But, as we evolve and grow as artists, I believe that finding the "why" of your work will lead you directly to your "voice" or style.

I always called myself a schizophrenic artist. I don't like to create the same thing twice, and I am always trying new techniques.  But, this doesn't mean I have a random, unconnected body of work. Far from it.  BUT, early on, I worried about this just like you may be doing now. Was my work "cohesive" did I have what a gallery might consider a "line"? I was extremely envious of those artists I so admired that did have an obvious, recognizable style....until I wasn't.

For me, the moment I "clicked" creatively is when I really started creating according to the "why" of my work.  I create jewelry inspired by nature.  That is a simple, simple statement that a gazillion artists also give when asked what inspires them.  But, for me, it is the true reason I create.  And, I have hit on some key design elements that have become the underlying thread--the "melody" if you will--of my work.  And, without even really "realizing" it, I found that I did, in fact, have a story to tell, and a body of work that reflects this story. Figuring out why you create what you create, why a particular technique or material blows your skirt up or makes your hair stand on end will pretty much pave the way for you in your journey to find your voice.

A recent design of mine that reflects where I am at the moment, exploring
spirals and the continuous flow of nature and our world. 

To inject a bit of a giggle here...artists are often asked to create an "Artist Statement" for themselves. This is sometimes required when entering shows, etc. I find that writing an artist statement is EXTREMELY DIFFICULT and very frustrating.  How can you condense your entire journey as an artist into a few sentences? AND, many artist statements I read sound so FAKE to me and also seemed to be taken WAAAAAY too seriously. That's when I found the Artist Statement Generator. HA!!!!

This is my screensaver...for reals.

Moving on....

They say you find love when you stop looking for it. I believe the same thing applies here. Finding your style will be impossible if you over think it or try to force it. Take classes if you can afford it. Scour the Internet for videos and tutorials offered by artists you love.  READ, READ, READ.  There are SO MANY GREAT BLOGS AND WEBSITES that offer wonderful advice. Join an art/jewelry forum or groups online.  LMAJ is great, Creative Bead Chat is great, Aspiring Metalsmiths is GREAT. These are all found on Facebook and are filled with generous, wonderful artists that will answer your questions and welcome new artists with open virtual arms. AND, be aware that your style and voice will evolve and CHANGE over time. Embrace the process and the changes!  Who you are artistically today may be nothing like who you are in a few months or years.

AND, back to what Mary Jane touched on in her last post.  If you create from the heart, you cannot go wrong.  Make what YOU like, what makes YOU happy. If you can do this, without distracting yourself with outside influences or worries about "trends" or fear, you will create something that is truly reflective of who you are and the story you want to tell.  Don't rush it, don't obsess on it.  Don't take yourself too seriously. Respect yourself and your work. BE PATIENT. You will find yourself reaching for that one "thing" over and over, creating with a flow you didn't even know you had. You will find that each piece you create is another sentence or chapter in your story to tell.  You'll get there, I promise.  Now, go make something AMAZING!

Creating price tags that will make a lasting impression

Carol Dekle-Foss

 The details are not the details. They make the design-Charles Eames

I believe that creating a cohesive brand identity is the key to impressing customers and enticing them to "want" to buy a product. This though, is no easy task.  There are so many details to focus on, your amazing jewelry of course, but also your business name, company logo, cards, price tags etc etc...it can be very overwhelming. My best advise? When creating your brand identity never lose sight of what makes your jewelry unique to you, and have your marketing materials resonate with your style.

So price tags are just a tiny part of this whole process. They are just as important as say your logo, or business cards. They will help to create your OVERALL brand identity and highlight your unique style.

I'm going to share how I solved my price tag challenge and also provide a couple more suggestions

Here is some of my tagging arsenal.

Ok, the bottom sheets are rectangle barbells from Online labels. I like the larger rectangle size because it has more room for my logo, but you can also get them in round. What's nice about Online Labels is they have a label design software called Maestro.  You can use this program to design your own personalized labels by uploading your logo, unique backgrounds, and also use fonts that you have on your computer. The downside of the program is that it's a bit tricky to calibrate and line up the print option, and also the access code they give you is only good for one month. I now just use Photoshop to make and print them. They are a great price too, $22.95, for 100 sheets, for a total of 3600 tags. If you want,  you can just buy one sheet for $3.88 if you would like to try it out first.

Here are the tags I use if the barbells are too small for a piece and also for pricier items that I want to give a special touch. Also these tags are great for writing out any product details I would like to include on the back. I created the tag design using Photoshop, printed them out on textured card stock using an inkjet printer, and then cut them out with a paper cutter. The hole punch size is 1/8" in diameter. I then use chocolate brown string to tie it to the piece. 

I just love these earring card hang tags! I was inspired by the oh so talented and ever clever Erin Prais-Hintz. She talked about some earring cards she designed in this post on Earrings Everday. Check out how she used one of Vista Prints stock business cards to come up with a unique earring card holder that stands up! Clever girl. Thank you Erin for the cool idea! It was just luck that they fit perfectly in my shutter mirror display.  If you use leverbacks for your earrings, you can use this punch to cut out your holes. On the back of the card is my web address, a place for an item number and price, and plenty of room to include an item description. You can see the backside in the pic above. 

I used the same card stock for continuity and the tag designs are similar so there is cohesion with the overall look and feel of my brand. Now If I could just do the same with my jewelry designs!

There are so many ways to be unique with your tags, that it can be impossible to decide. Just remember to focus of what makes your products unique and try to create tags that resonate with your style.

Here are some more tag ideas! 

You can use punches to cut out your own tags.

 Use embossing punches to create texture.


Use punches to make pretty edges

Have a custom stamp made with your logo and use it on tags. This one is from Rubber Stamps.

There are just so many ways that you can be creative when designing your own tags. If you do a Google or Pinterest search, you will find tons of inspiration!

Also there are shops on Etsy that have ADORABLE tags that can be custom made for you, and will have a professional look. Personally for me, I like the creative freedom (and price) of doing it myself.

So how do you tag your items? Do you have a cool technique that your love? Please share what has worked for you!

guest post - susan of libellula jewelry

I’d like to talk about “style” and whether or not our work is perceived as having a “cohesive style”.  I’ve been told that in order to create a brand and have my work be recognized or known, that I must settle upon a style and make my work more centered and cohesive.

At first, I tried to decide exactly what my style is or isn’t and it quickly became obvious that I could not limit myself or box my creativity into one style.  I remember reading Lori Anderson’s blog posts about her eclectic style in both her home decoration and jewelry design.  It has not held her back.

It reminds me of an acquaintance in New Orleans.  Shamarr Allen is a trumpeter, singer, and songwriter who started out learning the Jazz standards.  He became not just good but very, very good and the old guard Jazz musicians wanted him to stick with only Jazz.  They didn’t like that he was young and wanted to branch out into Hip Hop or Rock-infused music.  That led to him recording a cd titled Box Who
In?  He went on to record and tour with Willie Nelson and Asleep At the Wheel and got some experience playing Country Swing.  He has since said that he will record any kind of music he wants and that he might even record a Country cd. He might be joking--or not.

So, I’m going to listen to my heart and follow my ideas wherever they might wander.  I may never have a body of work that is distinctly recognizable as my “style” but I will have been true to what I enjoy making.  And just in case, I’ll keep putting my little tags on my jewelry.  Maybe that will help people know it’s my
work!
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you can find susan a.k.a. libellula jewelry here:

blog

etsy shop - cicada silver

etsy shop - libellula

flickr 

how we grow

'when you're finished changing,

you're finished.'

~ ben franklin

i love the evolution of style... how some shifts/refinements/experiments flow effortlessly, some are hard earned, some are delivered by the muse and some by the post wo/man... some broaden your options and some bring you closer to expressing your truth...

a subtle but significant change for me is switching to lower case stamps... 

as is playing with open forms... 

trying new colors (red is definitely a step outside of my comfort zone - 

browns and blues are not) ... but i have a different idea for them... 

did you try anything new this week? was it planned or unplanned?