Why I’ll Never Be a Social Media Influencer
The simple answer, because I actively resist turning 30 years of learning into 15 seconds of disposable content.
I could literally be done right there, but if you’re interested, I’ll explain more.
I'm constantly told I should be posting process videos if I want my social media, and therefore my business to be seen.
Not because anyone's asking for them specifically, but because that's the currency now. Process content gets views and gets pushed in the algorithm to build an audience. It humanizes the artist, makes the work feel accessible, lets people feel close to the magic. And somewhere in that, there's a real appeal: here's what I do, here's how I do it, you're not locked out. I understand the math. I just can't live inside it. And let's be honest: while I don't think I have a shy bone in my body, I absolutely loathe being on camera. My own voice makes me cringe.
My process is not something taught in a workshop or class in school. It developed through years of actual work, which looks nothing like a 15-second reel. And honestly, these videos would give a false sense of how it all happens anyway. It's like watching Olympic figure skating -- what you see is the performance, not the thousands of hours of repetition, falling on the ice, and injuries that made it possible.
Also, my thought process isn't always (if ever) linear. I start with a concept, but my designs almost always change in the making. Sometimes I make five different components for something before I find the right combination of materials, or I change the design midway because the material leads me in a different direction. My bench is a graveyard of past possibilities. And (insert mild dramatic pause), most of the time I don't make any piece from start to finish at one fell swoop. I can't have the camera following all of this push and pull without having my subconscious know it's being documented. In some way, it’s a weird invasion to have to document it, and would absolutely break my flow.
What you see today on my website and in my jewelry cases is the result of years of experimentation...most of which didn't work. Piles of failures that pushed me to try something else. What would happen if I used this tool, or swapped out this type of glass for that other kind in the mix? Years of pulling from three completely different disciplines and figuring out how to weave them into something that works only because I've spent decades learning what won't. Tyler School of Art taught me design, structure, and jewelry making, plus a smattering of other materials knowledge as a result of its core approach. Working for other jewelers taught real technique, speed, and accuracy and how to build things that last, and fix what doesn't. The Corning Museum School taught me about glass as material, about what it can become, and gave me so much inspiration. I also had the advantage of having a husband, glass artist Pavel Novak, with a vast knowledge of glass. Pavel is not only an artist in his own right, but he comes from a teaching background, having taught cold-working at the prestigious glass school in Novy Bor, CZ. Having him as my own personal sounding board and guru, and the ability to watch Pavel work taught me things I can't even name yet. I absorbed it all, and added all the bits and pieces over the years to my knowledge bank.
That foundation had to be built slowly, with permission to fail, with the space to experiment without a camera watching to see if it was "worth" sharing. If I start performing for engagement, something real gets sacrificed. Not because the work is secret, but I'm just not willing to give it all away for the sake of views. The way I work, the patience it requires, the willingness to spend hours on something that won't make it into the final piece, the freedom to follow a dead end without justifying it to anyone else -- that only survives if it stays unfiltered. The value of what I do isn't in the steps. It's in the years. And you can't compress years into 15 seconds of content. So where would posting for views leave me? Somewhere else entirely. A content creator, not the artist I've spent 30 years becoming.
So, if you've ever wondered why my videos only show me cutting on the diamond saw, or showing my jewelers bench, this is why.
My solution to the issue is to post time lapse images (when I remember to take them)— to show you how some of my pieces evolve without sacrificing anything in the process.
The Making of the Amaranth Necklace
