We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jessica Anderson. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jessica below.
Jessica , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.
I am a firm believer that learning is a journey. There is always more to learn, and therefore I always remain teachable. It’s always practice, not perfection. I began teaching myself how to make jewelry as a teenager, creating macrame necklaces & bracelets. At 19 I got a job at a local bead store. Being submersed in the bead and jewelry making world, I quickly learned the basics of stringing, wire wrapping and pearl knotting, as well as some bead weaving techniques. I also learned a lot about gemstones, findings, and tools of the trade. Doing repairs, and creating jewelry for other designers became part of my day to day activities, in addition to making my own jewelry. In college I took metalsmithing classes which gave me an edge over what I already knew. I quickly became obsessed with the torch and fabricating jewelry from silver, copper and brass. During that time, the jewelry department at Armstrong was very limited, with 1 part time teacher who was actually a swordsmith. There was an intro class and then independent study, which meant you sat in with the intro class and just made whatever you wanted. I must have taken it at least 3 times. I later learned more advanced techniques from taking independent classes from instructors and self teaching through trial and error. I definitely feel that owning and working in a bead store, as well as teaching, accelerated my knowledge of the craft, simply by daily exposure and practice.
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?
I began making and selling jewelry in high school, creating macrame necklaces and bracelets that I would sell to my classmates. I would get really excited about creating new pieces with new beads, and I loved that people wanted to buy them. When I was 19 I began working at a local bead store as a traveling salesperson. We would go to large bead/gem and mineral shows throughout the southeast to sell our beads and products. I was on the road every weekend, and going to college during the week. In 2012 I had the opportunity to buy the business and owned and operated it for the following 8 years. I was merely 25 years old when I became a business owner of a brick and mortar retail store. Although I was very knowledgeable in my craft, I had to quickly learn about the business end of things. What a learning curve! I again learned by being submersed into it, and jumping in with both feet. During the years we operated as a bead store, we offered a full spectrum of beads and jewelry making supplies, classes, private lessons, jewelry repair, custom design, bridal jewelry, parties, and more. In 2018 I had my daughter which changed my life in a big way. In 2020 I decided to shift my business to strictly creating my own jewelry line, which had been my passion all along. I closed the brick and mortar, which was bittersweet, and perused creating jewelry full time. I think what sets me apart as a jewelry designer today is my hand woven beaded earrings. They require a lot of patience and time. I like coming up with different and unique designs that you don’t see elsewhere. I also still teach metalsmithing classes and have a studio at Clayer & Co. in Thunderbolt. I am currently working on a line of earrings for my upcoming fall markets and festivals that combine both metal and beads. I am very excited about it!
Have you ever had to pivot?
When I had my daughter in 2018, it was definitely a turning point for me. The day to day tasks of the shop suddenly became much more demanding than when I didn’t have a baby in tow. During that time I had to reevaluate what was most important in life. With the rise of online shopping (Amazon, Etsy, etc.) our numbers were already taking a turn. When Covid hit in 2020 I was suddenly gifted with lots of time. There was no pressure to pump out jewelry because, who knew when there would be another market? I honestly never enjoyed selling anything online, so that wasn’t an option I wanted to pursue, so I started just making for the joy of creating. I delved into the art of seed beads and got so incredibly excited about creating beaded earrings! By the end of the 2 month shutdown I had made up my mind that I was going to close the store. I enjoyed the freedom and flexibility of uninterrupted time with my daughter and time to create. It was a hard decision because a part of me felt like I was letting the beading community down in a way. We were the only bead store in Savannah, and I had built meaningful connections with my customers over the years. I also loved my store. I was in the heart of the Starlad district, with a retail store up front, studio in the back, and small office. Nevertheless, I knew it was the right decision for both me and my daughter. Creating for my own jewelry line had always been my passion, and now I get to do solely that.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
The most rewarding aspect of being an artist for me is through my teaching, and the connections I make with people. I saw one of my old customers the other day and she had on probably 8 rings she had made. They were beautiful, and we talked about how she made each one. At the end of the conversation she said to someone who had started peeking over at her work, “She was my first teacher.” That melted my heart. I love seeing when people who have taken classes with me go on to pursue what I taught them and create beautiful work. Secondly, I love when I have repeat customers of my work, and when people recognize my jewelry and tell me they have bought from me before and love what they have bought.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://epiphany.indiemade.com
- Instagram: @epiphanybeads
- Facebook: Epiphany Bead and Jewelry Studio
