We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Laurel Stachon Mills a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Laurel, appreciate you joining us today. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?
My life & studio space have, in the last two months, made a dramatic shift in place & circumstance. My father is dying of cancer, our family/loved ones have come together to surround him in as much comfort & love as we can all provide. As our lives morph according to treatment schedule & hospice visits, my art is a balm & outlet for the heart break.
Going from my fully equip home studio in lower MI, to dads trapping shed work bench has been a challenge. It has also been a joy to rediscover the spaces of my childhood. Growing up in the northern woods of the upper peninsula with two resourceful, creative parents gives spark to much of my work today.
On the cupboard doors of my makeshift work space are cutout ideas from Sundance & Cold Water Creek along with a few other inspiring magazines. My dad’s “idea board”. He also loves adornment, often making jewelry as gifts for “his girls”.
He has made earrings from fish scales, a necklace of shells & a number of silky smooth wood carved broaches, each a treasure spun from hard working hands.
My mom is equally as responsible for instilling the creativity within me. She originally went to school for costume design, eventually deciding teaching young minds was her path. As one of her students we were given ample opportunity to explore different materials for countless art projects.
I love my parents, the freedom & encouragement given to me to pursue my dream as an artist. Their ever present interest in my latest project or endeavor has made me trust myself as an artist. As we move into the next chapter of life with my fathers slow departure from us, it feels very fitting to ask myself “what did my parents do right?”. What stands out most is that they let me be me. I will be forever grateful for this gift.
Laurel, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
Art has fed my soul since before I can remember. From the time I could pick up a crayon or hurl a ball of clay, I’ve found it exceptionally satisfying & necessary to MAKE.
My foray into higher education saw me following in the footsteps of two family friends whom I greatly admire. Both strong independent self-employed female potters. I went to school at Northern Michigan University with a concentration in ceramics for three years, taking a variety of classes, both theory based & hands on.
Listening to my fellow students talk so highly of the metals program at NMU & more specifically how inspiring its instructor Dale Wedig was, I became intrigued enough to introduce myself & beg to be let into the class last minute. I then proceeded to fall in love with the fascinating world of metal work. With Dale’s guidance my interest along with skill set grew.
Deciding what direction to go within the world of metal smithing was yet another milestone. Over the four years as a metals major I had the pleasure of experiencing many branches within the medium. This included but was not limited to blacksmithing with a traditional forge, welding classes, bronze & aluminum casting, multiple levels of jewelry making/small scale fabrication. I loved it all, however with graduation fast approaching, I needed to realize my path. I made the decision based partly on portability to focus on jewelry making as a career.
Post graduation I was given the opportunity to work for a local jewelry artist on her growing business. More than just a job this was further education into a side of artistry which was sadly not covered well during my time at university. Business!! Having the skill set to not only make a product but also market & sell that product is essential. My time there not only honed the muscle memory techniques for production work but also acquainted me with proper methods for promotion & advertising, photographing work, ordering materials & the ever mind numbing hustle of pricing & inventory! These skill sets all take time & patience to develop. With each year that goes by, I can see the progress, small & large that has been made.
Working as a bench jeweler/shop assistant for another artist challenged & prepared me to uproot my little home studio, move to Northern California & start L.A.M. Jewelry.
Ups, downs & all the in between circumstances have brought me to where I am today, in Michigan, slowly making my way back to my Upper Peninsula home.
I am a self employed metalsmith working from my home studio for almost 12 years. My work is primarily made using sterling silver, copper, gold & brass. I incorporate a wide range of rocks & minerals, set in semi precious metals using traditional hand forging methods & techniques.
Another integral aspect, ever evolving within my studio & work is environmental impact associated with my metal smithing practices. I will be the first to say it is not a very clean industry to go into. However, along with conscientious retailers, dedicated to providing recycled metal stock options, a slew of smart choices in products used in my studio & practical methods I feel the goal of being an eco conscious business is being met. With that said there is always room for improvement.
Jewelry should not only be beautiful & eye catching, it also must be durable & comfortable. It is important for me to know that in purchasing a piece of my work the buyer will be able to fully LIVE while wearing it! Earrings, necklace, bracelet, ring, pin ; all should move with you through life not be cumbersome or a burden. Jewelry comes to life on the wearer if it is made with attention to these details.
Have you ever had to pivot?
My life as an artist involves a lot of unknowns, therefore, pivoting/flexibility is constant in small business ownership. Each year I apply for a variety of art fairs & music festivals which take place in the summer & fall. There are years that I have not gotten into shows I was sure I would be invited to. Other years I have received acceptance letters from all of my applications. Weighing the options, trying out a new show when it could be a potential bust, choosing the show closer to home to prevent added costs, these are all pivot points associated with running a successful business.
The most recent instance came with “heavy boots”. My 2023 show season originally was to end with a favorite music festival. Not only a historically profitable show but also a celebration at the end of a good, long summer run.
My dads failing health required us to pivot quickly just before packing for the show. Being able to be here for our family unquestionably the right decision. Making the call to cancel the last show of the circuit was on one hand easy for me & on the other hand not without complications.
Even though all I wanted was to jump in the car & drive north, I am not the only party involved when it comes to L.A.M. Jewelry as an entity. Taking a deep breath in order to think more clearly, making a list of phone calls to make & loose ends to be tied.
It is often hard to think practically in stressful circumstances, when it comes to loved ones, damn near impossible. However a little forethought & planning can save you in the end.
By calling the necessary parties, letting them know the circumstances, communication makes better relationships not only in personal life but especially as a small business owner. Pivoting most often involves compromise, compromise is essential for growth.
Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?
I primarily source my materials & tools from Rio Grande a jewelry supply company based out of New Mexico. Their website has video resources for nearly every new tool I have purchased. This means I’ve been able to have confidence & understanding with each of my purchases. Along with the video tutorials the company has a fantastic team of representatives ready to answer questions or direct to a third party who can. Having a source consistently at hand to answer important questions, provide incite & build understanding allows my creativity to flow which in turn fuels the growth of my business.
Contact Info:
- Website: lamhandmadearts.com
- Instagram: @l.a.m.handmadearts
- Facebook: facebook.com/l.a.m.handmadearts
Image Credits
Laurel Stachon Mills