We were lucky to catch up with Jarrod Napierkowski recently and have shared our conversation below.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’m Jarrod Napierkowski and I, along with my wife, Francesca Jasinski, run a handcrafted wood jewelry business called Brambles Woodwork. We live in Ada, MI with our two year-old son, Apollo, and lil snack of a dog, Tammi.

I started woodworking as a teen when I inherited some tools from my grandfather. I explored it as a hobby to pass the time, never taking any professional classes or apprenticeships. Like many woodworkers, I started out making basic things: boxes, simple tables, etc. I didn’t get into jewelry until around 2006 when a friend asked me to make her a pair of earrings. She loved them, and more friends began asking for jewelry too. I loved the process of creating small, wearable pieces of art out of material found in nature. As my craft developed, I began focusing solely on jewelry as more and more people heard about my wares through word-of-mouth. Also, I worked at a bar at the time, which was a convenient location for selling handmade goods on the side.

Over the years, I continued to hone my craft and distinguish the style of my work. I like to think of my pieces as having a Mid Century design feel with inspiration taken from the outdoor world we experience everyday in West MI. My customers are those who appreciate statement pieces of jewelry that tell a story. Much of the wood/materials I use in my work are found on hikes near our home and I never use any stains or dye. Wood is a wonderful medium to work with as it can look unassuming, even ugly, on the outside, but once you cut into it the most beautiful grain can emerge. And it’s never the exact same.

I now sell my work in weekly drops on my website (Saturdays at 12pm EST!). I feel so fortunate to do this for a living – it’s a luxury that not many artists get to realize. It has been a lot of hard work, some risk-taking, and lots of uncertainty, but I wouldn’t change a thing.

Jarrod, looking forward to hearing all of your stories 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?

I am fortunate to earn a full-time living from my creative work. Like I mentioned, I started working with wood as a teen and narrowed my focus to jewelry around 2006/2007 when a friend asked me to make her a pair of earrings. From there, more and more friends (and friends of friends) started asking for jewelry and I was happy to oblige. After all, it was the first time I was making some cash off my hobby.

It remained a hobby for years. I was managing a brewery taproom at the time and that took up a lot of my energy. In my free time, I would create jewelry and bring it down to the bar where I worked. My art spread through word-of-mouth and, shortly thereafter, I began participating in artist markets when possible. My work would sell out lightning fast and I think that’s when I realized that this could become something more of a hobby.

My wife, Francesca, and I started dreaming about that possibility, but taking the leap took a few more years. I moved positions to another brewery in Grand Rapids and found myself increasingly unhappy in my position. I was retreating to my art more and more and began doing regular shop updates on Etsy. My pieces continued to sell, driven mainly by social media and the large following in Grand Rapids. When I left my position at the brewery, I decided to go all in. I really had nothing to lose and my work had proven itself week after week.

Sure enough, the draw for my work only continued to increase. My wife left her role in marketing the following year to assist with the business/marketing side of Brambles Woodwork. Plus, we had our first child, Apollo, in March of 2020, so now we both have more time to spend with him at home.

My jewelry business only continues to grow and I’m proud to say it supports our entire family. It has taken a lot of hard work but all of it completely worth it when we head out on hikes in the middle of the day, or take an impromptu trip up north simply because we can.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

Hands down, the most rewarding aspect of being an artist is getting to do what I love for a living. It’s cliche, but it’s cliche for a reason. I spent years of my life working a job I really didn’t like, but that afforded me some free time to pursue hobbies like woodworking. I used to dream about making the leap into self-employment but it was always too scary. It just seemed like that’s something other people do. I mean, I didn’t have any schooling beyond an Associate’s degree from the local community college.

But once I made that leap, I realized it’s not that scary and now I get to make my own hours, work on things that inspire me, and, hopefully in time, inspire my son to pursue the path he feels strongest about. Not the safest one or the one that most people would “expect.” There is room in the world for all sorts of disciplines.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

My goal is to have a happy, simple life that isn’t beholden to an employer. So far, so good!

Contact Info:

• Website: brambleswoodwork.com
• Instagram: @brambleswoodwork
• Facebook: @brambleswoodwork
• Other: TikTok: @brambles_woodwork

Image Credits
All photos can be credited to Francesca Jasinski