I'm a Jewellery Designer, But I'm Not a Jewellery Designer

I was told in a crystal healing session this week (Lynn Jinks she is amazing) that I should visit an art gallery if I had the chance (she is also clairaudient). And that carnelian or tigers eye crystals would be really beneficial for me right now.

The next day I happened to be going to a crystal shop (birthday gift shopping) … just as I was about to leave - in between all the wands, geodes and spheres, I spotted a carved owl tiger’s eye, and immediately felt a full body YES. You may know from past posts that an owl is the sign I have for my mom- who died- it’s the sign I ask for from her and then combine that with the tigers eye. Obviously I bought the owl. Later that afternoon my sister texted me asking if I wanted to go to an art exhibition! What were the chances? When usually I would say no as it required going to London (way too exhausting for me) I was so surprised I couldn’t not say yes. At this point I’m expecting big things to happen on the trip so I promise to keep you updated!

The universe has a way of talking to me and it didn’t stop there…

While I was writing this post one of my notes went viral. THIS note here that was showing one of my very own designs off… one comment left said I should credit the artist!! Hang on, what … me!? OMG.

So I edited the note to include myself as the designer, can you believe the timing of it?

Just as I was writing all about my imposter syndrome as a designer.

It was a couple of months into starting up Soru (mine and my sister’s jewellery business) we had been buying off the shelf jewellery and re-selling it, it was working out well (this was 13 years ago, right at the start). But we had ideas, jewellery styles we wanted to bring to life. That we wanted (needed!) to wear ourselves.

I vividly remember my sister looking at me with a look of terror on her face when I suggested we do the designing.

“We can’t do that, we are not ‘designers’ we don’t know how, it won’t work, we don’t have any qualifications”. I declared I was going to give it a go…. “well I'm not, I can’t just decide to be a designer”.

Nothing like some sister rivalry to get you going as I proclaimed it would be perfectly easy, you just make what you want to!! She watched me having a go and had so many (beautiful) ideas herself that the jealousy drove her to put her imposter syndrome aside and have a go too.

Neither of us has design experience, no qualifications, no drawing skills….

So what exactly happened to enable us to (successfully) run Soru for the next 13 years and earn our living from designing jewellery!?

I mean if someone asks me what my job is today I never dream of saying jewellery designer, even though that is what I have heard other people call me.

I say Co-Founder, Brand Owner, Entrepreneur, hustler even! Anything rather than “I am a designer”. I mean, what a nerve to think of calling myself that!

Because to be a designer holds weight - you need to be worthy of such a creatively lofty claim.

I think of a St Martin’s graduate who after studying the skill for years goes on to spend more years honing skills alongside major designers before branching out on their own. Not a middle-aged woman who decided to give it a go one day.

Also, if I’m a little more truthful it feels like showing off, something my English heritage side will NOT tolerate! And I do cringe at this next sentence a little…

The reality is I have been designing jewellery for 13 years, alongside my sister, it is in fact the part of the business we love the most.

As an entrepreneur I am ALL the things. Fear of failure is less, I tend not to mind as much while at the same time minding so much I don’t give up. But there seems to be less F***s given when it comes to the possibility of failing.

That is where the audacity to just ‘give it a go’ in the first place came from.

So HOW exactly do you design if you don’t have those skills I hear you ask? The same way I do everything else in my business when I don’t have the skills…. I improvise. I learn. I figure it out.

If I can do this, you can do this. Whatever that ‘this’ is to you- the thing you want to do but don’t feel you are qualified enough for. That’s what I want to get across more than anything with this story.

My sister’s husband - who also works in the jewellery business- would often suggest designers he had come across who were looking for jobs to us. Suggesting we should hire them, baffled that we were not. It’s true there were times we doubted ourselves but it always came down to one thing, why on earth would we hire someone to do the exact part of the business we LOVE the most!? No thanks.

Below, I'm going to show you exactly how - the maker, the sketches, the whole unpolished truth of it. Let’s go….

Is there something you wanted to try yourself but have felt under qualified for? Comment below if you feel willing to share as I’d be so interested to find out.

Find me on Instagram here, my brand Soru Jewellery here and my ShopMy here