We recently connected with Jeannie Seidel and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Jeannie thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

The wands I create have many layers of symbolism and meaning that are derived from my own life experiences growing up as a female in a patriarchal society. I explore themes related to feminism, the invisible labor of women in society, and goddess / witch archetypes. My assemblage journey began in 2009 when I inherited a box of my grandmother’s vintage jewelry. Assemblage is a type of 3d collage art where you take old, discarded items and join them together into a sculpture. In the beginning I began collecting bags of broken or unwanted costume jewelry from local thrift shops and made suncatchers to hang in the windows of my small condo. Years later I discovered these wooden bobbins at a local creative re-use center and researched their history. I discovered they were antiques of no real use or value and began using them to construct magic wands. Each wand sculpture that I assemble features an antique industrial bobbin as the handle. These bobbins were used to weave and sew the fabric of the United States in textile mills 100 years ago, invoking the ancestral energy of our collective great-grandmothers. Through this work, I invite viewers to reflect on the strength, endurance, and contributions of women whose efforts have frequently gone unrecognized.

By using very sparkly discarded vintage jewelry to adorn these wands, I’m taking items that are often dismissed as frivolous and using them to “crown” the domestic labor of women in a society that treats this work as “automatic” or necessary and therefore invisible. For centuries, the creative and domestic labor of women – like quilting, sewing, weaving and home management – was dismissed as utility. My wand sculptures challenge this assumption by putting this labor into the spotlight and honoring it as a precious piece of high art that demands attention in a world that expects women to be quiet, humble and selfless in their labor.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context?

I was a creative girl always tinkering and playing barefoot in the grass while growing up in the 80s – all with a quiet feminist rebellious streak. I really kept following my own curiosities and passion for creating, which led me into many different types of art like graphic design, journalism, poetry, radio and music. Always following my intuition, and my love of learning and discovering new art mediums from mosaics to decoupage to stained glass to pottery to painting, I’ve experienced so many versions of art-making. When I entered my 30s I began to feel a pull toward creating something unique to me, to my spirit and ultimately, something that both brings joy and meaning to a world that so desperately needs this. Having grown up in a very patriarchal family where my grandfather told me at 9 years old that I need to be in the kitchen to learn how to cook for my future husband, I looked around and decided that wasn’t going to be my life. I wanted to create a life on my own terms. So I brought that 9 year old creativity with me and now I’m bringing it to other girls and women to give them permission to celebrate their inner witch, treat themselves like a goddess and embrace whatever life they choose. For this reason, I also donate proceeds from my art sales to Girls, Inc.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I’ve had to pivot many times since I made a promise to myself as a child that I would never stay in environments that weren’t good for me. The most recent would be when I left a job I had been in for a decade with no real plan. It took me about 4 years to save money and ultimately I decided to cash out my 401-K because it didn’t amount to much and I felt that taking it and buying myself time and space to see where I should go next was a good investment in myself. I owned a small condo and my bills were all paid off, so it was a calculated risk. When I left I took a year just to bounce around and see if I was led toward anything. I wound up creating 5 income sources basically as a freelancer: I was a substitute teacher, I worked part-time for an event company serving beer, I wrote resumes for executives, I taught some art classes at local workshop venues and I also did some pet-sitting. All of which were a lot of fun and it was nice to get off the corporate hamster wheel and enjoy work again instead of it being a means to just pay bills. Sometimes you’ve got to let life lead you and leave behind the things that aren’t working. Eventually I was led to meet my amazing husband, my soulmate, who I married in Vegas at 40 years old. I think if we treat life like an adventure instead of a chore, and put aside the fear of the unknown, we can be led to some amazing people and new experiences that are more aligned with who we are.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

My mission is to remind women of their inherent value. All women are born goddesses, mermaids, witches, magical beings! We do not need to “earn” love or our place in the world by being productive. Most women are socialized to wait for external validation that often never comes, especially for domestic or emotional labor. My work encourages an internal validation, while celebrating that their labor is worthy of being “bejeweled” regardless of who notices. These wands represent ancestral healing, visual alchemy and present a call for women to reclaim their personal power, autonomy, joy, magic and creativity.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.jeannieseidel.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeannie_queenofwands
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeannie-seidel-4905b63b7

Image Credits

Witch photo credit: Carli Showmaker of Showmaker Productions