We were lucky to catch up with Taylor Saleem recently and have shared our conversation below.

Taylor, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

As a woman of mixed ancestry (54% European and 48% African), I often struggle to know where I fit n this world. Working through silver, stone, and beads, I’m able to embrace who I am in a tangible way. My beadwork is influened by the multistrand jewelry of the Yoruba tribe. I make a point of purchasing the vintage beads used in my work directly from African suppliers so my work will come from as close to the source as possible. But I also integrate my European ancestry into my pieces by drawing on Victorian floriography – it’s also known as “the language of flowers”. Floriography uses what a flower symbolizes (think: roses for romance, daffodils for spring) to convey deep emotions that I may not be to express through words.

A lot of my work is centered around pieces I call “but also”. They combine African trade beads with florals, either cast or sawed out from sterling silver sheet. Yes, I’m a businesswoman, but also, I’m a mom. I’m a Black American, but also have European ancestry. I love hip-hop, but also 1940s Big Bands. I want people to know they don’t have just a single story. Our “but also” stories create a better understanding of who we are, as a community as well as individuals.

Taylor, 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?

When I found a part-time job in college at a local bead store, I didn’t realize that small position would hugely impact my career path. I was drawn in by the prospect of sitting among the strands of stones and silver, but I had little experience with either.

The owner of the store asked me if I could tie off and crimp during the interview. I said, “Of course”, and she hired me. Truthfully, I had ZERO idea what she was talking about, and rushed to the library (there was no YouTube then!) to find books and magazines to learn the techniques I claimed to know.

I worked at the store from 2001-2005, and in 2006, I launched The Rare Bird, a line of beaded jewelry. Later, I met a group of women metalsmiths at a bead-making class and they ignited my desire to work with metals.

As I grew in my skill set and my online audience, I realized there were quite a few jewelrymakers using a name similar to “Rare Bird”. The irony of that discovery inspired me to change my business name to Taylor Saleem Jewelry – a truly unique name.

As a budding metalsmith, I watched YouTube tutorials, read articles, experimented and discovered not-so-happy accidents in the process. I like to say “If I don’t know the rules, I don’t have to follow them”. Initially, most of my tools came from the hardware store. I took my dad’s mallet from his garage (I still have and use it – sorry, Dad!). For hand finishing, I’ve used sanding sponges and abrasives I’ve found at The Home Depot. I still don’t use standard metalsmiting jargon for some things, so when I teach I warn my students ahead of time that if a term seems unfamiliar, I probably made it up. I’m ok with that – having taught myself, I found what worked best for me.

After my daughter Naomi was born, and with the help of my husband and partner, Joshua, I set up a studio in a spare bedroom of our home in St. Louis, Missouri. Joshua tore apart an old writing desk from CraigsList, raised it up and modified it for use as my workbench. We call it “franken-bench”. It’s my sanctuary and my place of creative calm. My path to that workbench and this career is a result of some risk-taking, and a lot of making things up as I go.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I’ve had to unlearn comparison. Comparing our work to that of another person we look up to can give artists and creatives a feeling of “imposter syndrome” and inadequacy. As a new artist, I often looked to the work of more seasoned metalsmiths – and learned from many of them. Sometimes, though, it morphed from adoration and inspiration to out-right copying. I had to identify that line, and take care not to cross it. And the distinction of my own work becomes more clear as I become more comfortable with my own artistic voice. Still, it’s a tempting trap many artists still fall into. There is a reason for the saying “comparison is the thief of joy”.

How did you build your audience on social media?

I was fortunate to establish a social media presence during Instagram’s earliest days. Photos were still chronological, and tastes weren’t determined by an algorithm. Lack of audience engagement can make any creative feel underappreciated and unseen, and I have to remind myself that my work is no less beautiful if only 10% of my social media audience sees it. Despite these changes, I’ve maintained the idea that honesty and forthrightness is more appealing than a beautifully yet inauthentically curated profile page. Rather than singing and shouting in a reel that I want someone to “buy this thing”, I share anecdotes about struggles, and ask silly questions to draw my audience out (“What’s your favorite kind of cheese?” How can you not answer that?!) Many people I’ve connected with in this way are my most engaging and frequent customers. My stories, my “but alsos”, resonate and connect with them.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.taylorsaleem.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/taylorsaleem
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/TaylorSaleemJewelry

Image Credits
Taylor Saleem