Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Christina Paluszek-McClure. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Christina, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

Becoming a full-time jewelry artist was a life-changing risk. I had been working for various companies in the music and entertainment industry for about a decade in marketing, public relations, and promotions. Making jewelry was something I taught myself how to do with a some trial and error. I did it on the side for fun and because I wanted to wear jewelry that was different and not being worn by everyone else. In my last year of working in the music and entertainment industry, I was beginning to feel burnt out and started looking at other options.

There were times where I would be wearing one of my jewelry designs while I was at some industry function and someone would like it so much they wanted to buy it. This got me thinking that maybe I could design and make jewelry for a living. So, I started researching it a bit while I began designing a number of pieces I knew I could recreate if they sold. One day, a friend of mine offered to take some of the pieces to work with her to see if anyone was interested in buying them. I gave them to her, waited a few days, and heard nothing. I called her to find out what the response was, expecting to hear that no one liked them. Instead, she was excited because she was getting orders on the pieces from her co-workers and wanted to know if I could handle all the orders she was receiving.

This gave me the confidence to really jump in and start making a plan. I realized that one way to get exposure was to exhibit in art shows, which weren’t all that prevalent in New York City. I decided to take a chance and move to the Tampa Bay area, where my family had moved to a few years beforehand, because Florida seemed to have art shows taking place throughout the year. So, I made the move in the spring of 1999 and have been here ever since.

It took a few months to get myself established with everything you needed to do these types of art shows, and the whole process was one big learning curve. But, I was determined to make it work. And happily I can say I did.

Over the years, my techniques and style has changed a bit and become more refined. I no longer do the outdoor art exhibits, but still do some indoor ones, and made a big transition to selling mostly online. It’s a joy to still be doing this!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Ever since I was a child I was always creating and doing things with my hands, but my love for jewelry, and the craftsmanship that is involved in making it, started with my grandmother’s jewelry box. She had a jewelry collection filled with beautiful Art Nouveau jewelry which completely fascinated me because each piece was so ornate and looked like it came straight out of a fairy tale. Fast forward to my teenage years when I was visiting a historical restoration village on Long Island and saw a blacksmith forming and shaping metal. I knew I wanted to learn how to do that.

I think it’s pretty amazing that you can take something so cold and hard as metal and bend and shape it to create beautiful fluid pieces. I taught myself basic metalsmithing and wirework from books I found in the library and bookstores. This led me where I am today. My skills and techniques have definitely grown over the years, but I’m still inspired by my grandmother’s jewelry collection and the skills demonstrated by that blacksmith.

I create contemporary artisan jewelry inspired by the beauty and enchantments of nature and the romantic style of a bygone era. In each piece I make, I aim to capture the beauty and delicacy of these two elements and entice the wearer to really investigate each piece, and discover its texture, personality, beauty, and unique story.

Each piece of jewelry is individually handcrafted by myself using traditional metalsmith techniques using eco-friendly recycled precious metals in gold and silver, ethically sourced gemstones, and conflict-free or lab-created diamonds. My jewelry is not trendy. My goal is to make the pieces look timeless, and I make jewelry for the person who appreciates thoughtfully made jewelry, created with care, passion, and love, that holds a deeper meaning.

I truly believe that your jewelry should celebrate you and tell your own unique story. It is not only an extension of your personal style, but it should reflect who you are, make you smile when you wear it, empower or inspire you in some way, and sometimes remind you of those special people and moments in your life. It’s a personal talisman that should feel effortless to wear and hold special significance.

Over the past few years, I’ve been called upon to make many non-traditional engagement rings and wedding bands. Although many of the couples who come to me usually want a style I already create, it’s fun to collaborate with them and create something custom made just for them. These rings signify something special, so why not make it something that reflects you and the love you share? I think it’s really important that your jewelry, and especially your engagement and wedding rings, showcase you and your personality.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

When you purchase something from an artist, you are not only supporting a small business, but you are purchasing something that is handmade, unique, and actually contains a small part of the artist. You are purchasing the hundreds of hours they put in to learn their craft. You are purchasing the care they put into it, and the frustrations and joys they went through to get to this point. Any piece created by an artist will never be identical to another – no matter how hard we try to make it so. You are a one-of-a-kind, so why not buy one-of-a-kind. We should all support artists and creatives because they bring a lot of joy into our lives.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Sharing my passion with others and seeing the joy on their faces, or receiving an email telling me how much they love their jewelry and what it means to them. One of the best conversations I had recently was from a person who purchased a necklace from me over 15 years ago. They told me that they wore the necklace all the time, and to every special event that took place in their life. And later this summer they were giving it to their daughter to wear on her wedding day as “something borrowed.” This makes it all worthwhile!      

Contact Info:

• Website: https://kryziakreationsstudio.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kryziakreations
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Kryziakreations
• Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/kryziakreations

Image Credits
All images by Christina Paluszek-McClure