We recently connected with Rachel Notini and have shared our conversation below.
Rachel, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?
The craft: Silversmithing
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I was lucky enough to grow up in a house where crafts were abundant. There was always a flurry of activities, friends, cousins, commotion, and the next hot craft. I started with tie-dye, spin art, pot holders, beaded lizards, the little things where you melted plastic beads together with an iron, and Sculpey (polymer clay), we LOVED Sculpey. Though I truly embraced all the mediums, beads were my favorite. I amassed quite the collection which I enjoyed hoarding and eventually using them as accents on some very attractive hemp chokers. I continued to love creating throughout middle school, high school, and college, but it was not until I graduated that I really fell in love with making jewelry. In the summer of 2012, I packed up my Honda Fit and moved from New Hampshire to Driggs, Idaho to meet up with a friend. I bar tended at a beautiful golf course below the Teton mountains, and without the hustle and bustle of college life, I started to bead. I became hooked! The great thing about beading is, it’s very easy to cart around. My stash moved with me from Idaho, to Utah, to North Carolina where I took my first official metal smithing class. It was an 8-week course that set me up to successfully purchase and set up a little studio in my parents basement. That’s right, I had moved again! While beginning my journey as a metalsmith, I was also pursuing a path towards nursing school. I split my time living and working in Boston as a nursing assistant and taking classes in New Hampshire near my parent house. When I was home, more often than not, you could find me in the basement tinkering with my new torch.
From the time I picked up the torch in 2013 to now, I am mostly proud that I always found space in my life to continue creating. Though my life was unsettled (by my choosing) with frequent moves, and more jobs than I can count; jewelry remained a constant.
My husband and I bought a house in 2018 back down in Asheville, NC. It was here that I really started to progress as a silversmith. I had a studio space that didn’t move, and I had a nursing job that I actually wanted to keep. My life stabilized, and I had more time than ever to focus on making jewelry. I registered my business with the city and got to work building up my inventory. Asheville is incredibly art-centric, with markets almost every weekend. I have found these markets to be my favorite way to sell my work. It has been an amazing way to connect with the art community and feel encouraged that I am making something special.
What started out as a fun hobby has become a necessary part of my life. It turns out that nursing can be an emotionally draining and stressful job. Crazy right?! Sitting quietly in my shed, sawing out tiny silver shapes takes all of my focus and helps me disconnect. Creating has become a way for me to mentally recover from hard weeks at work and positively focus my energy. I want people to know that supporting my jewelry business is supporting my ability to maintain balance in my life.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
The most rewarding part for me the connection with others. I love that something so special and personal to me can be special and personal to others. Now that I have lived in Asheville for 6 years, I get to see return customers at various markets. Whenever I see someone wearing something they purchased years ago, I get a little flutter of pride.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?
In short, I think time is the biggest disconnect. People often ask me, “how long does this take you?” This is such a hard question to answer! Maybe a piece takes me 2 hours from start to finish, but that does not account for the time to promote, take photos, write descriptions, set up for markets, and keep up with the ever-changing trends on the gram. It doesn’t account for the years it took me to figure it all out. Generally, I say, “It took 2 hours,” but then I feel the need to justify my pricing. I wonder if they are doing silent calculation in their heads. Little feelings of self-doubt tend to creep in. I imagine I am not alone in feeling this way as I believe it is incredibly difficult express how much time goes into creating. I never feel quite as appreciative as when someone understands the efforts it takes to reach a final product. So, thank you!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.etsy.com/shop/RachelMaeDesigns
- Instagram: @rachelmaedesign
Image Credits
Kendall Jutrus (2 of the images me smelling flower and close up ring)