We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Amelia Ray a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Amelia, appreciate you joining us today. Can you take us back in time to the first dollar you earned as a creative – how did it happen? What’s the story?
As a design student in architecture, I had the space to design a flower ring and 3D print it. I had always imagined the petals peeling away with as much detail as possible and did not see any jewelry that captured what I saw in reality. My first sale was online. A little daisy ring that I have redesigned so many times since. That moment gave me confidence. That sale meant so much then and now. Each piece I send out into the world renews that feeling of confidence in my creativity and myself.
Amelia, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I have loved naturally occurring beauty since I was a little girl. My sketchbooks then and now are filled with drawings of flowers and geometric crystal formations. I had always imagined jewelry that seemed to spring out of nature. My custom work has come to be a special part of my business. These pieces are often deeply meaningful for my clients. Collaborating with them to make each one unique has become a special process. I am proud of the level of detail and quality I can make.
My focus is on doing ethical and sustainable work. I use 3D printing to minimize material waste in my manufacturing and use sustainable packaging. Any profits have been reinvested in growing the business or in donations for various charities. I love my work and clients. I like to think my pieces bring some modest joy and delight.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
My dream is to do good work, collaborate with interesting people, and make it sustainable for the planet and myself. I really love doing work for other artists and have gotten to do some minor collaborations. If that is something people find interesting please reach out on instagram.
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
I’m still learning but what works one day doesn’t work the next. It has really been a fun game of creating things that might resonate with people. The strategy that has worked so far has been to try many things and keep producing content. Flops are the only way to get to the good stuff.
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