Being a jewelry designer is a formidable task. Many people will dismiss the form of creative expression out of hand. Don't get me wrong, being ANY type of artist is hard work, but jewelry is an extra notch up the difficulty level; I've never had anyone insinuate that I wasn't a "real artist" when they see my paintings. Jewelry is a saturated field, filled with equal parts genuine talent and mere opportunists.
Many everyday people think of jewelry as something that is "easy" to do. Well, yes and no. Ordering pre-wrapped amethyst points and throwing them on a plain silver chain is easy. Copying other people's ideas is easy (and in my opinion, wrong). Capitalist resale of pre-fabricated work is easy. Authentic creative self-expression is hard. Reaching inside yourself to manifest original, unique and new ideas is hard. Being the designer of my own work, which if I did not create, it would not exist, is hard.
Bringing forth your true self in an artistic form is never easy. Seeking inspiration, working out the design and then having the courage to show the world, knowing many will not be able to tell your work apart from cheap resale, is anything but easy. What I bring forth from my very soul has value in that it is my authentic and unique creative expression.
Knowing that there are always going to be those of both my family and peers who will never take my work seriously can be disheartening. It is an especially challenging path to walk, particularly when you walk it with authenticity. To be certain, I have the tenacity and resilience never to quit, but I just wanted to clear the air for anyone who may have thought this particular form of creative expression is somehow easier, or lesser than any other.
Tori Solis 2021
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