What I’ve learned from making jewellery.

I've been on my little side quest of making jewellery for just over 6 months now, and I've been thinking a lot about what it's taught me that might be different from the world of graphic design, and just creativity in general. I post it a lot more on my Instagram if you want to see some of the pieces I've made and where you can buy it ( it's not available online anywhere, just in a couple local stores here in British Columbia).

Here's 6 things I've learned...

1. Unlike in the world of design, the tools really matter.

Graphic designers love to circle jerk about what creative apps are the best—Canva vs Adobe vs whatever-the-fuck. But honestly, it doesn’t matter. You can make good stuff on anything if you know what you’re doing. With jewellery, if your tools suck, your piece literally falls apart.

2. Low-stakes, low-mess crafts are where it’s at for burnt-out brains.

This is what got me when I first started. If you don’t like how it’s turning out, just tip all the beads off and start over. No big deal. When you're done, it all goes back in a box in five minutes. No mess, no cleanup spiral. Unlike the clay phase I went through during the pandy LOL, which was fun but chaotic, and not ideal when your nervous system’s already fried.

3. Creativity doesn’t always need a container.

I took a couple jewellery workshops last year and it unlocked a whole new part of my brain. I just followed the nudges—no new brand, no plan, no scale. I just made stuff I liked and wanted to wear (and give to friends & fam). Then people started asking to buy it, and I said yes. But that doesn’t mean I need a content strategy or a five-year vision. Maybe one day it becomes something bigger. Maybe not. Right now I’m letting it breathe and still be fun—because that’s the whole fucking point.

4. The craft still matters. It always has.

You can’t fake quality. You can’t hide behind a sick stock photo or a solid font choice. If a piece is made badly, it will literally fall apart. And I kind of love that. It keeps me honest, and connected to why I care about making good shit in the first place.

5. The process is the whole point. (And beading is low-key meditative as hell.)

When I’m beading I’ll often go into a trance with it LOL, especially when I’m doing stuff with seed beads (the super tiny ones). Putting them on the wire one-by-one is so satisfying and meditative. There’s tools you can buy to speed up this process, but I don’t want them, because the process itself is a big reason why I love it so much.

6. Make the shit you wish existed.

This isn’t just a cute lil phrase, it’s the creative hill I will die on. Every time I’ve followed that, something good has come from it. Not because I planned it out, but because I actually gave a shit about what I was making. That’s how this whole jewellery thing started… I wanted pieces I couldn’t find, so I made them. Simple as that. It doesn’t really matter what comes of it, if you love doing something, that’s what real creative fulfillment actually is.

(Bonus) 7. Your creativity doesn’t owe you shit.

Creativity isn’t a guarantee. It’s not here to reward you for effort. It exists because you give a shit, because something in you wants to make the thing, even if you have no clue where it’s going. No outcome, no strategy, just that gut-level pull. And sometimes, that’s all you need. (And honestly, if that’s not enough, you’re probably doing it for the wrong reason.)