I’ve worked on making this business a success for the last 4 years straight &, thanks to you, I finally got some time off this October to take a break and actually feel like I can be creative again. Your support allowed me to take a breath of air and relax for a bit through all this stress and anxiety I’ve been experiencing.
I love the work I do but I tend to take on a lot without any forethought of how this will affect my health, mental and physical, going forward. I have a bad habit of turning things I love to do into work. That’s how this business was started.
And recently I’ve found myself doing it agin by taking my beloved pilates practice and deciding to take on becoming a well studied instructor. I also picked up a part time job at the studio I'm a member of so if it sounds like I’m doing a lot it’s because I am. And I’m overwhelmed. I bit off way more than I could chew this summer and it’s finally caught up with me.
So while, this business makes the bulk of its money at pop up markets, I decided this fall was a good time to take a break. After trekking across the south all summer with my jewels, I took off the whole month from events entirely to focus on myself and rest. I was burnt out to the max.
That rest quickly turned to meaningful, joyous work after taking a couple weeks to reset and I was able to get creative juices going again. I hashed it out in therapy and cried until I couldn't anymore. I sketched, I searched, I brainstormed, I met with friends and other creatives over coffee and lunch until I got my groove back.
And it worked!
Honestly, I got so tired of making the same things over and over again I just HAD TO HAVE the desire to make something new. So I rested until I felt creative and EXCITED to create again.
And it worked.
Rest is critical for creative people like me. Rest is even more critical for people with anxiety like me. Don’t ever let anyone tell you that resting is not worth while. Rest is work too.
Rest is healing. That’s how the SONDER collection was born. Out of healing! And healing takes time! Time is all we have really, when you think about it...
This collection of dainty jewels was created out of joy and play and are a labor of love with their handmade nature. My goal it that this collection can serve as a reminder to slow down when life becomes chaotic. We are all living on tiny planes of our own existence and forget to stop and smell the flowers or take in the sights and enjoy the little details of life. I made these pieces of jewelry because I wanted to - not because I felt like I had to. It was a pleasure to create things from that new perspective and without the pressure of deadlines that markets tend to bring.
I hope you consider the time it takes to carefully make each piece and let it serve as a reminder to take time for yourself, too. 💕 You can wear each handmade jewel proudly knowing they were made as a labor of love.