We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Holly Aubart & Steven Jones. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Holly & Steven below.
Alright, Holly & Steven thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Are you able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen?
MergingMetals was born in 2016, first as a hobby and once it took off, we were able to make it our full time focus. After many happy accidents, practice, and determination, we were able to establish a successful business and discovered a creative outlet which incorporates both natural treasure hunting and patient dexterity.
The scientific process we use to create our wearable art is called electroforming. Like nature and life, electroforming is mysterious and unpredictable. Each piece, beautiful and unique, cannot be replicated and represents nature both physically and symbolically.
We have learned so much since its inception, not just jewelry techniques but also about making and maintaining personal/business connections, social media and our least favorite; taxes. Making art is all about trial and error, learning from our mistakes. We still have a few of our first pieces to remind us of how far we have come. We like to think of ourselves as modern-day alchemists.
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.
Urban vs Arcadia
Steven and I had diverse childhoods but two things we had in common; a deep appreciation and affection for nature and art.
Steven had quite the knack for drawing, his illustration books exploding with life. Drawing whatever came to mind at that moment. Always a comic book collector.
Some of my (Holly) earliest memories involved coming home filthy with my pockets packed full of my finds from the day; rocks, leaves, flowers, you name it. I grew up in a rural area, some would say ‘raised by wolves’ with a mind of my own. Steven grew up in a more urban setting, always having a neighbor within arm’s reach.
We never thought that someday we would get the opportunity to blend nature and art. But here we are 8 years later after founding MergingMetals.
We create mixed metal wearables crafted from ethically and sustainably sourced materials through the scientific process of ‘electroforming’. We take everyday items people usually don’t think about such as leaves, tree bark, feathers and stones; turning them into wearable pieces of art such as rings, earrings, bracelets and necklaces.
We create uncommon goods for the common good. Incorporating copper in our creations is very rewarding. As our oldest ore, copper is highly recyclable. Nearly all of the copper that has been mined throughout history is still in circulation today.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
Steven left his full-time job as a truck driver to create jewelry and market our products 2 years before I left my job. The journey began with vending our goods at local markets then expanding to art shows around the US. We traveled nearly every weekend for 2 years with our dog (Puppa Stew) by our side. I left my full-time job as a Clinical Researcher at the end of 2019 to pursue my dream of being my own boss and doing what I loved. That’s when life threw a curve ball, COVID.
We had to come up with a Plan B, C and D. All events were cancelled for the foreseeable future. How does one make a living when a majority of their revenue came from in-person sales? I had asked for my job back at the hospital but they had already filled my position and our department was slowly being dissolved. So how could we stay afloat when our future was so unknown? Through social media and turning to online wholesale. We were able to sell our jewelry thanks to our supportive community coming to the aid of small businesses and the artists when we all needed it most. While wholesale was not ideal, it was and is what we needed at the time. Now we are able to work from home and see our jewelry traveling all around the world to shops big and small.
Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
Early in our journey I wish I had registered for social media courses, photography workshops, and took advantage of our community college’s small business center where they offer free guidance for entrepreneurship and economic development. I also could have benefited from being less of an introvert to become more comfortable with networking and socializing.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://mergingmetals.com/
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/mergingmetals.com
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/mergingmetals.com
Image Credits
Allison Anderson Kristen Marie Greene Jess Hopkins