Bless Me, Ultima Earrings: process + inspiration

There are some books that stay with you. Their words speak on a deeper level, and you find yourself returning to them over the years, especially when you are searching for answers or comfort.

Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya is that book for me.

I first read the novel in Spanish as a way to connect not only with the language, but also with a perspective that is part of my own identity. My family has roots in Puerto Rico and Spain, while I grew up in New Mexico, a place shaped by the interweaving of Native American and Spanish histories.

These cultural intersections can feel complex, especially within a society that often tries to categorize and separate cultures rather than acknowledge how deeply intertwined they can be. Growing up, I was always aware of my multicultural background and loved that richness. Yet in public conversations, I often noticed confusion on people’s faces, as if that blending did not quite fit into a neat narrative.

This sense of division was most pronounced for me in a spiritual context. How could organized religion coexist with the supernatural instincts rooted in Indigenous New Mexican traditions and in my Puerto Rican heritage? Anaya explores these same questions in Bless Me, Ultima, and through his writing, I realized I was not alone in wrestling with them.

The Bless Me, Ultima earrings grew out of a desire to create something intuitive and spiritual, while also connecting to ideas of family, home, and tradition. I thought about the curanderas of earlier New Mexico, women healers who were deeply respected within their communities. In Anaya’s book, the curandera is not separate from the family, but an essential part of it.

Curanderas played a vital role in New Mexico, particularly before statehood, when doctors were scarce and many communities were isolated. Their practices continued in remote villages, where they relied on extensive knowledge of plant medicine paired with deep spiritual faith. They were called upon in place of Western doctors, offering care that addressed more than just physical ailments.

The curandera as a figure continues to fascinate me. She embodies the blending of organized religion, practical medicine, and Indigenous healing practices. Her work attends not only to the body, but also to the emotional, mental, and spiritual. She heals the wound, and she also confronts the unseen forces surrounding it.

Process & Symbolism

I began with a series of sketches for the earrings. On the left in the image above is where the idea started. I wanted the form to feel like a tree emerging from the earth. At first, the design leaned too closely toward a religious cross, so I began incorporating additional symbols inspired by my reading of the book.

I was drawn to the idea of the design rising from the land itself, which led me to create a cabochon using micaceous clay, shown in the left image. This type of clay is found in northern New Mexico and has long been used by Pueblo peoples and Spanish colonists to create earthenware. Today, micaceous pottery is collected and cherished. Using this clay allowed me to physically connect the piece to the land that makes New Mexico so unique.

In the image on the right, a bowl sits beneath a lightning bolt. This represents an offering bowl that gathers light, a powerful energy meant to charge the wearer with positivity and intention.

The offering bowls rest upon a corbel. In New Mexico, corbels are typically hand carved wooden supports used in traditional architecture to hold up roof structures. I often return to the corbel motif in my work as a symbol of support, something that holds us up while remaining rooted in tradition.

Finally, there is the messenger bird. Throughout the novel, Ultima is accompanied by her spirit animal, an owl that serves as a conduit between the spiritual and human realms. Ultima looks to the bird for guidance. In these earrings, I created a messenger bird rising into bright blue skies as a symbol of sending intention and prayer out into the universe.

And with that, the Bless Me, Ultima earrings were born.

Thanks so much for reading.

Take care for now,

Caitlin

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