Monday Musings: My Metal Smithing Dreams
I could barely sit down and write this article because I’m too excited for tomorrow. What’s going on, you ask? I’m going to study metal smithing! It’s something I’ve wanted to do for years now. Ever since I started my jewelry brand Nobela during the depths of the pandemic (November 2020 to be exact), I’ve been steadily working towards being able to make something truly special with my own hands. Yes I can do a little bit of jewelry making and I’ve done a lot of jewelry design, but metal smithing has always seemed to be out of reach for me. Until tomorrow, that is.
My Entomology Collection for MaArte Fair / Photographed by Perkin Gotohio
Of course I have asked myself if this is something I absolutely need to do. We’ve always worked with smiths in Bulacan and Manila, and we curate pieces from all over the world as well. Do I really need to do this myself? Why bother? It’s a lot of expense but not only that, it will take so much time to go through the entire syllabus should I decide to continue. Is this a worthy use of my time and resources? Maybe I should invest those somewhere else? Another thing on my mind is if I’m too old to be going into a new industry. But this is less of a concern for me because I’m 36, which I feel is such a young age. (Twenty year olds who say their life is over when they’re 30 don’t know what they’re saying. Our 30s are the best!)
I have had doubts for so long. But I believe this is something I need to do - if only to explore if I have what it takes to make it as a jeweler. How else would I find out?
My Entomology Collection for MaArte Fair / Photographed by Perkin Gotohio
Behind all those fabulous dreams of success, though, is just my plain curiosity. I’m always curious about how things are made and what makes them work. That’s not surprising since I spend a lot of time working with jewelry and our clients every day. I need to know how to do this right so I can enjoy doing it even more. Does that make sense? I’m the kind of person who is happier when I understand something on a deeper level.
I’ve been in the beauty industry for close to 17 years now. It’s been my identity for so long. I have no regrets; in fact I plan to stay in this industry for as long as it will have me. But I know I can do more. I can become more. Wish me the best of luck!
