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

Diane, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. The first dollar you earn is always exciting – it’s like the start of a new chapter and so we’d love to hear about the first time you sold or generated revenue from your creative work?

My first dollar earned was from who else? My mom! I had been giving my pieces to family and friends, and they were encouraging me to sell. My mom has been a great cheerleader for my jewelry and has referred me to some of her friends as well, but it felt really good that she wanted to pay actual money for a piece that I made. Every sale since then has that same special feeling of validation for me.

Diane, 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’ve been making jewelry since 2004, here in Durango, Colorado. I’ve always loved jewelry, but I had never thought about making it until a friend invited me to beading class at the local bead store. I was immediately hooked! My designs have evolved throughout the years as I honed in on what is important to me and my customers. Being an avid mountain biker and hiker myself, I wanted to make things that are comfortable and durable to wear out on the trail. I design for the active outdoorsy woman who wants to wear something pretty no matter what her day will bring. I make beaded and wire-wrapped jewelry, along with metal clay and resin pieces for custom orders. Many of my designs can be worn for a morning hike, straight to the office and out to dinner afterwards.. I’m most proud of my Durango Trails and Selkirk collections, which are stones I’ve found on the trails and the eastern shore of Lake Ontario and wire-wrapped into unique and striking pendants. Usually I use them in their natural state, but I’ve tumbled some in order to bring out the shine and soften the edges. I love that someone can buy one of these pieces and wear a piece of our beautiful trails around their neck!

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

I feel like people in Durango are very supportive of the arts, and we’re lucky that many in the private sector have opened doors to help local artists with exposure. The former junior high school building where I’ve been sharing a studio for 11 years has just opened a wonderful space for working artists in the refurbished theatre space. It’s open and has a fantastic creative vibe that’s very inspiring! We’ve all come together as a collective to host events and market our work on our collective website. As an artist, it’s so inspiring to be part of a diverse group of folks who are open to sharing ideas. The people who come in to explore our spaces seem to love it too. I would love to see more of this in other communities.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

I would say this is a lesson that I have to keep unlearning. I’ve always found it hard to separate myself from my work, and not take a “no” as a rejection of me personally. Especially with art, I put myself into each piece, so I tend to be more sensitive to those “no’s”. What’s helped me with this is narrowing down my ideal customer and embracing the fact that not everyone is going to like my jewelry. In fact, it’s better that way! I have a group of true fans who love what I do and tell their friends and family about me. I still have a hard time with “no’s”, but I remind myself of all the “yesses” that keep me going!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.dktjewelry.com
• Instagram: @diane_k_thornton
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Dktdesignsjewelry
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/diane-thornton-0a78081b/