SPREADING MY WINGS!

In the past few years I've taken several steps in order to expose my jewelry designs to new audiences abroad. The journey has been exciting and rewarding, making new contacts and clients world wide, and recently having Vogue Gioiello contact me for an interview for their magazine [click here or here to read more].

One of the ways for introducing myself and my work internationally was the creation of this blog, which you are now reading... The search for new content every other week makes me face new challenges: Verbalizing ideas which have always been abstract and intuitive in my mind, and thinking about creating content which is compatible with my products and enriches them. The best thing about the blog, though, is having a direct channel to communicate with my clients.

In addition to the blog, I have also opened an international facebook page where I upload photos of new jewels, update about special events and sales, etc. On it I receive immediate feedback on each post from all corners of the world [If you haven't checked it out yet, you can do it here and join by liking it!].

Another way of presenting my designs internationally is by participating in jewelry exhibitions abroad. It is a great way to meet people who enjoy my work in person - I get explain my creation process face to face,  and experience the visitors reaction as they touch, feel and wear my jewelry (an experience which is obviously absent in the online world). These exhibitions showcase my jewelry pieces as works of art to audiences which are new to me - and these experiences are always unique and very exciting.

These days I'm preparing for my participation, for the second time, in one of the largest jewelry shows in the world -INHORGENTA Munich. It is a grand celebration of fine jewelry in all shapes and forms from all over the globe, with over 1200 exhibitors taking part every year. This is definitely THE place to be if you want to find out the latest innovations in the world of fine jewelry. So, if you happen to be in Munich, Germany during February 14-17, 2014 - I would highly recommend visiting and would love to offer you a glass of sparkling wine at my exhibition.

For more information visit the Inhorgenta website, or conact me.

INSPIRATIONAL TALK

Inspiration is a subject that preoccupies me a great deal, as it does for all artists. Much has been written on this issue, and it's well known that sources of inspiration are endless and widely varied.

Looking at my "Inspirations" board on Pinterest the other day made me think about this elusive term, and I wanted to share my thoughts about it here: what is inspiration for me, and where does it come from?

Bench Between Pillars by Ryuji Nakamura Architects

When you look at my Pinterest board "Inspiration" you immediately notice that it consists of pictures only (obviously -- that's how this medium works). I selected all of those images because all of them had an element which has functioned as a source of inspiration for me at a certain time.

Given that "inspiration" is represented in this case by a set of photographed objects, one may think that my own inspiration is located inside of those objects themselves: their shape, color, aesthetics, composition, and so on.
But if that were so, then we could easily identify the common denominators of all those objects, and each person would be able to anticipate what will inspire him/her to be creative.
The good news is that this is not the case. Inspiration is an undefined formula, a code that can't be cracked. Therefore many times we get inspired from directions we did not expect.

The reason for this enigmatic process lies in the fact that inspiration is not only dependent on an external object but also on an internal "secret" component that lies in each of us.
A certain aspect of the inspiring object communicates subconsciously with a thought / emotion / desire inherent inside us, and the integration of the two sparks inspiration in our minds.
That is why my continuous search for inspiration is always an external and internal search simultaneously. It is a journey with ups and downs. There is no way to anticipate when or what might light that match called creativity.

Anish Kapoor

Here is a small example of how inspiration can come from unexpected directions: last week I watched an interview with Moshik Roth, a successful Israeli chef whose Amsterdam restaurant has two Michelin stars. The interview moved me to tears, and inspired me into a burst of creativity in many ways: designing, cooking, and generally being motivated by a strong urge "to do" and to move forward. I was overwhelmed with admiration to this man who art runs in his veins and comes to life through his cooking: taste, smell, texture and presentation.

I did not know this man, and his work field is very different to mine. However many parts of his story related to me - I was overwhelmed with admiration to this man who art, clearly, runs in his veins and manages to bring it to life through his cooking: taste, smell, texture and presentation.

The ability to express your own thoughts and feelings - by any language or method you may choose - is a tremendous gift. The feeling of having your creation move someone - either to tears or elation - is tremendously satisfying and assures you that you have done something right and made ​​someone else happy at a given moment. For me this is one of the sheer pleasures of being an artist and jewelry designer, and I am excited to start 2014 full of inspiration. 

Yohji Yamamoto, Straw Hat With Clear Plastic Overlay / Vogue 2004

Hope this post inspired you a little, too :)

Please tell me in the comments what gets you inspired...

To view my boards on pinterest, click here.