99 Creative Intentions Project
Wow! Such unprecedented and uncertain times we are experiencing currently.
I’ve found myself feeling incredibly empathetic lately as I sense the anxiety and fear in the world around me. I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about my friends and people in my community who are struggling with all the changes they are facing.
Personally though when I look inward I actually feel calm in the face of all this turmoil. Decades of chronic health issues confining me to my room for months at a time have prepared me for the mental anguish that is having your world turned upside down and having your career and social identities taken from you.
I am calm as I know that what comes out the other side of such drastic change and time to assess and reflect is truly remarkable. I would never wish my personal journey upon my worst enemy but I am grateful for it all the same as it has led me to become the person I am today; strong, resilient and above all positive. I have had to train my brain to look for positives in any situation, and now with ease my mind travels quickly to positives and solutions without trudging in the murky depths of depression for more than a brief moment.
So I’ve been feeling very grateful for my past but also very appreciative that my present circumstances allow me to create whilst I self isolate. I’m appreciating the time I have to catch up. Sure the galleries I stock have had to mostly close as with my suppliers and I likely won’t be receiving jewellery orders for a while, but the positive is that I can spend time catching up on all the things that I’ve needed and wanted to do but didn’t have the time for before. One really big positive is knowing that the entire world all of a sudden shifted their attention online which gave me the push I needed to join them and finally get back online as part of the relaunch of my business since relocating to Bangalow … which happened 2 years ago now!!!
I did have plans to invite people into my Atelier to create their own intentioned sand casted jewellery but COVID-19 has made that impossible right now. However rather than get upset about that change to my plans, it has led me to open up to the contemplation of new ideas.
One idea that got me really excited happened while I was considering what I could do for those people sitting at home struggling mentally with the changes they face in their lives. I wondered, what could I offer them to help them focus on positives to get through this. What could I offer to help them look within and uncover their own strengths and desires for their lives.
In times of difficulty and lack my motto is “Use what you already have and do what you can” and so I realised that I still have the ability to invite people in to create their jewellery, I just need to do it in a virtual way. It doesn’t matter if my suppliers are closed as I don’t need to purchase silver if they can use their own. I can encourage people to engage with me and get creative from the confines of their isolation and it will only cost me time and a few sand casting supplies and overheads. Sure it isn’t the same as each person getting their hands dirty crafting their item themselves, but I choose to focus on what we CAN do right now, not on what we can’t.
So my idea is this:In exchange for your creativity, I shall gift you mine.I'm offering 99 people around the world the opportunity to come together online to share creativity and collaborate with me.
WHAT YOU NEED TO DO
First, add the 99 Creative Intentions Project item to your shopping cart (it’s free) and checkout from my online store - securing your place in the project.
I’ll then be in touch with you to chat about whether you would like to design a ring, a pendant or a talisman object together. From here we’ll figure out how much silver you will need and you can raid your jewellery collection for any broken or unworn sterling silver items you can send me to melt down and give new life to.
*If you don't have any old silver to use that's ok, I do have a stockpile of silver scraps and offcuts that you can purchase from me to use instead.
Then I'll ask you to write me a letter to send with your silver. I want to hear about you, about your life, your hopes and dreams. I want to know what positives you might be noticing or experiencing as a result of COVID19 and how you’re choosing to turn the lockdowns into a positive in your life.
And then I'll ask you to set yourself an intention. I can help guide you through this process to look inwards to your mind, your body and your spirit and find what it is that you would like or need to focus on to move forward in your life.
For example an intention might be to flow with the changes happening in life and trust that there are solutions to your problems. So I would hand stamp the words FLOW AND TRUST onto the silver before I melt it.
For more information about intention setting have a read here
In your silver parcel you’ll also need to include your creative offering. This could be a painting or a poem, a hand poured candle, a knitted beanie, an offering for graphic design work or anything else creative that you can share in exchange for the creation of your jewellery. Or if you haven’t discovered your particular form of creativity in life yet that’s ok, you can make a donation instead as that will help me pay for the supplies to keep the project going.
At the end of the project I’ll create an online exhibition. Each jewellery item we create together will be photographed and uploaded to the exhibition gallery, the intention will be used as the title and with your permission I’ll include a paragraph from your letter to publish as your artist statement.
Whilst there is no payment required to participate in this project, you will need to cover the cost of postage to receive your personalised intentioned jewellery, the rate of which will be determined by where you reside in the world.
So select 99 Creative Intentions Project in your shopping cart now to ensure you don't miss out on this opportunity to creatively engage and share with me.
Images of the process of creating a "Clarity" Intention ring for my Arts Yard brother Arterium using recycled sterling silver and rose gold set with a diamond. This ring was sand cast using sand from the Beaches of Brunswick Heads, NSW.