We recently connected with Anne Nichelson and have shared our conversation below.

Anne, appreciate you joining us today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

At the time, I didn’t see it as a risk…I saw it as an adventure. I was 25 and decided to move from New York City to Peru to take a job and improve my Spanish skills. However, I was leaving friends, roommates, coworkers, my current job, family, my apartment, and the familiarity of everyday life. I didn’t know anyone there, and even though I had lived abroad before I had never been to Peru. But I wanted to pursue things that mattered to me, and living in another country was an ideal way to improve my language skills and better understand another culture. I like to seize opportunities, and that was definitely an opportunity! It’s always good to get out of one’s comfort zone, build resiliency. and learn more about yourself and others. Eventually, taking that risk/adventure is what led me to starting my first business in the fashion/footwear industry- I imported naturally dyed felted wool slippers and vibrant handwoven bags and sold them to US boutiques.

Anne, 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’m a jewelry designer and artist and my business name is fortenna. I create many of my designs (rings, necklaces, and earrings) by hand-carving and shaping them from wax before the casting process. When I incorporate stones I use the cast in place method which allows for a beautifully imperfect look. I think this way of creating jewelry encourages experimentation and uniqueness. I enjoy the freedom to take designs in bold, raw, and unexpected directions.

I’ve loved jewelry for as long as I can remember – creating clay brooches as a child for my mother and making her jewelry boxes. I also have loved to bring home special pieces for inspiration when traveling.

What I’m most proud of is having the gumption to pursue a creative path after many years of working in other industries – a path that is both artistic and entrepreneurial- and believing in myself. The pandemic provided the opportunity for me to truly think through what matters to me. I decided to start my own jewelry design business during that time, and I have never looked back.

What does fortenna mean? fortenna is a combination of the words “forte” (meaning strong, loud, and also specialty) + “enna” (anne spelled backwards). forte is a nod to my love of music, and I believe music evokes emotions almost like how we emotionally connect with jewelry as well.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding part is having an idea or vision and then physically creating/making it…seeing it through and potentially adapting/problem-solving during the creative process. I love working with my hands, and the feeling of making something from nothing is invigorating! When I’m in the flow of the creative process, it feels good to be very focused.

I also love determining how I spend my time and where I put my energies.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.fortenna.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fortenna_jewelry/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fortennajewelry/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annenichelson/

Image Credits
I took these myself.