finding out who i am as a designer

I have made things all my life, well ever since i could remember i was making jewelry, crafts, and other things moms put on the refrigerator. So going to art school was the next natural progression, however when i got there is was all about who you are as an artist. What was your niche or your style, who influenced you or your work. For me this was really hard because i didn't know who i was or what influenced me. the truth is in my heart I always knew I just needed time to get there. Painters and sculptures never influenced me ever, but makeup, fashion, and jewelry always did.  This made me realize that i was more in love with fashion and designing than making 2D art work, that is when i decided that i needed to switch to jewelry/ metal smithing. I knew this when all i thought about was making jewelry. From the time i woke up to the time i went to bed that is ALL i thought about. 

fast forward to the second semester of jewelry when I let my professors use my pieces as part of a display, when my professor said to me "i put your ring with your sisters stuff because your stuff is way to similar." then she continued to say " its almost like they were done by the same person." Ouch that was rough to hear because I wasn't making things like my sister at all. My other thought was well were twins, we spend a lot of time together and are influenced by the same things.  At first i was upset, but then i took this opportunity to gather inspiration, Thank you pinrtest!, and to search what i love doing with my pieces that sets me apart from my sister.  I realized if they still look the same, well it's because our style is similar, and when I say this I mean they way we make things are similar. I know that I'm coming from a different place creatively and  I look forward to growing into who I am. 

pictures I'm sharing are things i have pinned on my jewelry vibe board.  images via pintrest.

xo

jes