We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Sarah Kuehn a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Sarah, 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?

I actually taught myself how to make jewelry and continue to do so to this day! It all started when I wanted to make myself some statement pieces using my favorite raw gemstones. So I got a few books and started there. Every day after work and every weekend, I would experiment and try things until I eventually got good at it. It just evolved into a full fledged business and I fell in love with it. I don’t think I’d want to speed up the learning process. Skills take time and constant repetition to develop. It’s definitely part of the process to mastering a craft.

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

I’ve been an artist my entire life, I just always struggled to find my true path. I’ve been to many art schools and have a BFA. It wasn’t until 30’s that I discovered jewelry design. I initially got into it for myself, but absolutely fell in love with the craft. Here I am 10 years later and I’m still in love with it! My main focus is on high quality and unique gemstones. They’re the whole reason I got into jewelry making and almost all of my pieces are designed around the stone. I love to work organically and utilize botanical elements. I’m also heavily influenced by ancient cultures and antique design . I try to create pieces that feel handmade and natural, but also modern with antique touches.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

To be honest, it was a lot easier 10 years ago when I started! Social media is such an insanely powerful tool and I wouldn’t be successful today without. It can also be extremely soul crushing and frustrating. My best advice is to not get discouraged. To build a strong following organically, you have to treat social media as part of your job. Every day, I would plan out posts, spend extra time taking good images and creating videos that’ll resonate with people. It is so much work but it is all worth it. It also important to take a step back every few months and evaluate whether what you are doing is still working or if you need to pivot. Things are constantly changing with the algorithms and what people want to see. So adapting and changing course is all part of the game.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

Just being able to create things for a living has always been my dream, and I’m still in awe that I’m actually making it work! It feels like I am living my purpose and doing what I am meant to do. I especially love getting to create custom sentimental pieces for people. Whether it’s a memorial piece for someone to feel closer to their loved one, or a special ring to symbolize their love/commitment for someone… all of those special custom pieces bring me so much joy! I love getting to hear people’s stories and add a little beauty to their lives.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Www.alloydstudio.com
• Instagram: https://Instagram.com/alloydstudio