We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jeni Stratton a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Jeni , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you take us back in time to the first dollar you earned as a creative – how did it happen? What’s the story?
The first dollar generated to any passionately handcrafted piece of jewelry is exhilarating! Can you imagine having someone like a piece of work so much then make an offer on something that’s not even for sale? I mean how flattering? The client was a regular at a common small hometown restaurant. I had gone in to have lunch with my husband and the restaurant was packed so we had to squeeze in next to tight table. I went about looking at the menu when an acquaintance waved to us, I waved back to say hello. At the time I didn’t notice that my wave created a sparkle from the rings I was wearing. The sparkle had caused the lady to come over to our table to say hello and she said she noticed my rings immediately. These weren’t your typical rings; they were square, bold and gold. I told her how I made them with my own two hands. One was sterling silver and the other was 14K gold. I took off the rings to show her, as I was proud of my handcrafted work. She tried them on and before I could say another word, she said how much? I couldn’t believe my ears. She was elated about the rings. I quick looked at my husband and whispered with a smile “she wants to buy my rings right off my hands.” I turned back to her and said with a warm beam in my eye “sold!”. I wore the rings everyday so it felt weird leaving the restaurant without my rings on but I was glad to have such a great compliment that a person wanted to buy my handcrafted jewelry right off me. I knew right then and there I had to get back to the bench and start creating more handcrafted pieces! That’s how @jenimariecompany was born.
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 back background and context?
A few things that set me apart from others is that my jewelry is genuinely handcrafted and not mass produced. I’m most proud of my pieces with stones made with either 14K gold or sterling silver. JeniMarie represents quality pieces that are made to last. To have a stone in your hand and to make a piece of wearable art with that stone and quality metal is such a authentic feeling. Also, since the pieces are made to last this helps the product to be sustainable, the silver and gold used is recycled. Every follower and customer helps to generate more sustainable handcrafted pieces made in the USA and helps to support a small business and my passion. You can find me on Instagram or Facebook @jenimariecompany or on my new website jenimarie.com. I love to meet new people at shows in which I do across the country; you can find out where by following me on social media or visiting my site. Another thing that sets me apart is I strive my best to make the jewelry comfortable. I think many of us can relate to having a pair of super cute but too heavy earrings just sitting in the closet. I strive to make sure you can wear my earrings, rings, necklaces and bracelets all day with comfort! No heavy earrings here!
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
The best way in my opinion to support artists is to follow their social media pages. Buying, following and sharing online helps to make the product that much more sustainable. By following me on Instagram @jenimairecompany or Facebook at JeniMarie Company helps artist grow and flourish. Having a supportive audience helps with confidence, creativity, and sustainability by bringing the product online versus in person shows. That’s why I launched jenimarie.com, with the help of my husband of course! By having people follow you, visit your site or share your story online can reach a broader audience. We all have a purpose and by shopping small helps to bring the focus on sustainability and quality versus the big box competitors; as small business owners will bend over backwards with their passion and personal attention to detail. It’s about having that connection on quality, creativity, and uniqueness with one another. Each jewelry piece is unique and handcrafted so you never have to worry about running into someone wearing a replica.
Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?
Something I really want to bring more awareness to is the handmade quality of the jewelry I make. These are pieces that should last a lifetime. How many times have you or a friend bought a cheap piece of jewelry to have it break within a few weeks? Or had the item cause an allergic reaction? When you buy quality jewelry you are buying an item for life. All my jewelry is also nickel free which means it’s naturally hypoallergenic. I know when I buy something of quality say a purse, a pair of jeans or handmade jewelry I find those pieces last! I’m happier to spend my money on more quality pieces as they are my go to items; I love having that reliability. I also want people to be more aware of true artists and ask questions, don’t be shy to ask who made the pieces. I’m finding some artist are saying some things are handmade but it’s not by them, but they aren’t advertising the latter. The only way you can educate yourself about knowing whether or not it’s truly handmade is by asking them directly. Ask is it handmade by them, if not then who is making the piece; someone over seas that they’ve never met? Another way to find out is to ask the artist to walk you through how they made that piece. You should have an easy time finding out who is fumbling through their response. A third way to find out if it’s truly handmade by the artist is to look them up on social media. Artists love to show you the behind the scenes pictures of creating a piece. If you don’t see an artist showcasing their process this should be a red flag. Don’t be shy and ask more questions to find out if the artist is truly making their own pieces or if they are contributing to the mass production phenomenon.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://jenimarie.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenimariecompany/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JeniMarieCompany/
- Other: @jenimariecompany is my handle for Insta JeniMarie Company is my Facebook page jenimarie.com is my website
Image Credits
Jeni Stratton Matt Stratton