"On Creativity" with Su of Quercus Silver

In our blog series "On Creativity" each week we will feature one of our members and their perspectives on keeping their creativity alive. 

This week we are talking to Su of Quercus Silver


What inspires you? Often it's visual. These cufflinks developed from a lot of reading about 1950's textiles and design and a piece of vintage fabric. 

How does your design process work/How do you come up with new ideas? I'll pin images up on my workshop walls of art/textiles/jewellery/poems/words that are influencing my thinking. Then I'll start sketching, maybe painting and printing to get ideas. Eventually, all this will gel into a direct idea for a piece of jewellery.
Then again, sometimes I'll start with the material, resin, leather, metal and see how I can play with it.

How do you stay motivated? An important and direct motivation is my customers. Selling your work is a vital part of being a craftsperson, I think.
Although the downside to working for yourself can be the isolation, I've found the jewellery and craft community online to be a great support.

Do you ever find yourself in a creative rut?
If so how do you get out of it?
Not really but if feel my work isn't exciting me I will close my workshop for a day or two and go and visit old friends and new places, galleries and exhibitions. That usually works,

Do you make other things besides jewelry? I have always been a dressmaker and recently I've loved making dressing up outfits for my boys. I quilt, too.