A Design Retold

An interesting thing has happened with my work this year that feels completely new to me. Until this past year, I never felt drawn to repeat a design. The magic of making a piece came from the discovery of it, and recreating that same feeling often felt impossible.

But this past year, something shifted. I have completed a piece and fallen so deeply in love with the design that I find myself wanting to explore all the possibilities hidden within it.

The Ceremonial Earrings above are an example of just that. The final piece is completely different from what I originally drew in my notebook, and throughout the process of making them, I began imagining all the ways this design could evolve. What if I created them in silver on a smaller scale? What if they were entirely brass, or made with copper and completely different combinations of gemstones?

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One of the most exciting ideas I am exploring for the future is taking a design, or even a title and its underlying concept, and allowing it to be recreated in a new way. Instead of creating collections that exist separately from one another, I am imagining my designs becoming part of a larger conversation.

The Amor Fati Earrings (below) are an example of this. While the two pairs are very different, they both explore the same idea: the heart and swords representing the Latin phrase amor fati, meaning “love your fate.” There are still so many ways this concept could continue to unfold.

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What I love most about this approach is that the work can remain one-of-a-kind while still allowing me to return to a story whenever I feel called to revisit it. A design can become like a myth or a folktale: told once, then retold years later with new details, new symbols, and a different perspective.

I think this connects to the larger idea I am becoming increasingly interested in, which is storytelling. I love the idea of telling a story, but also recognizing that stories change depending on who is telling them, when they are being told, and what discoveries have been made along the way. A year from now, after finding new motifs or materials, I may discover that the same story wants to be told in an entirely different way.

Thanks so much for reading.

Until next time,

Caitlin