We recently connected with Kalyn Underwood and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Kalyn, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

My son, Everett, was 9 at the time and became interested in resin. A friend of mine, Elizabeth Bran (ReBranIt), uses resin for a lot of her crafts and taught Everett how to use it. As we played with it together, I found myself really enjoying it! It was fun, allowed me to be creative, and was relaxing. I began to make things along with him, expanded into polymer clay and metals, and thought other people might enjoy what I was making, too. It’s funny to look back at my first projects because they were rough! It took time and patience to learn how to make things properly to get the best product, but I’m still growing with it. I’m curious to see what I’ll be making in a few years as I keep learning. Practice, messing up and trying again, and watching skilled people online build their creations have all helped me improve in my jewelry-making.

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

I’m a middle school science teacher at Lausanne Collegiate School, mother of 2 boys, and wife to Adam. I love creating jewelry that I like as well as for others to enjoy with my company, BeckwoodFinds. I feel like accessories can get very expensive, so I keep them at a reasonable price (between $5-$15, typically). Additionally, I’m allergic to most metals, so I have metal-free alternative hooks, posts, and clip-ons so everyone can comfortably wear pieces they love.

I loved making all kinds of jewelry as a kid, but sort of fell out of it as I got older and busier. I had a hip issue that prevented me from exercising, so I turned back to crafting as a fun way to unwind, and I really enjoyed it! I decided to ramp it up and see if I could share my projects with others, which has worked out nicely for me. I am most proud of the fact that I donate a lot of proceeds to local charities. We’ve given over $4,000 to Dorothy Day House and Room in the Inn during the last year, donated to multiple auctions for schools and homeless shelters, and spent time teaching kids how to make things for themselves and start a side project. It makes me happy to feel like what I’m making has purpose–helping others while liking what you’re wearing.

I think what sets me apart is the focus on comfort with metal-free options and clip-ons, kids’ earrings, and affordability. I don’t like to spend a lot on accessories, so I like that people can have unique pieces that don’t break the bank and ALSO know that their purchase helped someone else in the Memphis area. The regular donations to Memphis charities is something that can make my customers feel extra positive about their purchase. Their jewelry has purpose.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

I’d been making jewelry for a couple of months when I had a really awful surgery called a PAO, which also had complications in the aftermath. As a result, I was struggling to walk at all for a couple of months, was in a significant amount of pain, struggled to sleep, and was missing out on a lot of time with my kids. I got pretty down for a bit there, when a friend came to visit. Artangela Henry dropped off a couple helpful items, as I had been quite fortunate to receive from other family and friends. I told her I was feeling pretty low, and she told me that we go through hard times not for ourselves, but for others. It struck me and stuck with me and made me want to use my time in my chair as a way to help others. That was when I decided to start donating proceeds to others. I am fortunate to have a full-time job already that I love, so whatever I’m able to sell with earring-making is extra. Though valuable, it allows me to be more charitable. So now my crafting has extra purpose–I use it for stress-relief for myself, as a way to make things that others enjoy, and a means for giving back to those in need right here in Memphis. It’s been a year since that surgery, and I’m really proud of what we’ve been able to do to make a little bit of a difference for people.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

Before I started making my own crafts for sale, I didn’t really understand how the pricing was figured. I can look at an earring and think “those supplies on their own cost way less than what they’re pricing it for.” I now have a much better understanding of the time it takes to make a single piece, the cost of displaying and marketing, the price for all the time spent learning and improving. I have more respect for people who are designing as a full-time job. It is every day and all hours if you want to be even a little bit successful. I just didn’t get that before.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.beckwoodfinds.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beckwoodfinds
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kalyn.b.underwood