Simply Free Spirited Artistic Design, Branson, MO
Before I founded SFS Artistic Design, I was in a continuous search for the all elusive “purpose of life”. Working a lot of different jobs some good, some not, but hey, they paid the bills. I guess you could say I was trying to find my “niche” in life.
It was during this time that I found myself in a pretty tough place mentally & financially ( I find they go hand and hand most of the time). Then I had an aha moment. Okay, actually; it was more like a “I feel trapped in my life, so let's work my mental **** off for half a year in a personal development program because I was still at a loss as to what I wanted to do with my life,” kind of moment. But hey, who wants all the gory details?
Suffice it to say, the mental *** kicking of that program reminded me that I had a creative side that had been lying dormant for too long and I wasn't living my life with intention. Then, during a walk in nature on a serendipitous day, I stumbled onto something that while it sounds like something out of a fantasy novel, proved to be life changing. A single amethyst crystal laying on a rock, near a spring in the sun with water dripping on it. I told you it sounded like it came out of a fantasy novel. All that was missing was the crazy old wizard magically appearing to teach me how to use the powers of the crystal so that I could win the epic battle between good and evil. Okay, okay that might be going a little far, what can I say, I love fantasy novels, but I digress.
The thing is, it would have made more sense if I lived in an area where amethysts are found, but I lived in upstate NY at the time where they are not. So finding it, to me, was like a sign. It helped me gain focus, add some balance and bring me a little peace in a time that I needed it. It all sounds kind of “out there” unless you do some research into the healing properties of crystals, then it all starts to make sense.
So with the goal of living my life with intention and creativity but also with this desire to help others as I had been helped, my journey into the world of healing crystals and how they can help people focus their intention to achieve what they desire began. I also ventured into Reiki energy healing but that's a story for another time ;-)
I was concerned that people wouldn't “get it” that they would not believe that crystals could help them much less see the value of handcrafted jewelry and art in a world full of mass produced products.
But then I realized that God gave me this creative talent and pointed me to this knowledge for a reason. So, I started wearing my creations and telling people my story. I started sharing different pieces on social media and I even opened a small gallery and orders started flowing in. The conversations I had with people who would tell me how a specific piece of jewelry they got from me helped them feel more balanced, peaceful or more focused throughout their day. Or how a piece of art added just the right energy to a room or work space gave me the confirmation I needed.
I decided I would set out to create the most intuitive crystal healing jewelry and art collection for the most unique and free spirited believers of the world.
As it turns out, the journey in handmade crystal healing jewelry and art is more difficult than I imagined. Some of the challenges I faced were in figuring out what my free spirited tribe would expect from a healing crystal jewelry and art collection along with the designing process. How does a designer create an inspiring line that is intuitive and unique and meet the demands of the public?
I decided to keep it natural and keep it simple. By keeping it natural, the pieces were always unique as the crystals themselves are unique. By keeping it simple, I didn't have to overthink the details of complicated designs and things flowed a lot easier.
Although there have been many challenges along the way, I have to admit that one of the most difficult was the closing of my gallery and having to start from scratch online. (Still in the works) lol. The world wide web is a huge place and changes daily. Keeping up with those changes and trying to stand out in a saturated market takes a lot of time and energy so I just take the proverbial “baby step” and never give up. Oh and I don't forget the coffee, vitamins, sleep and prayers. Oh and did I mention I had a massive move from NY to Missouri? I'll save that story for another time.
Through it all, I still believe that everything happens for a reason and the law of attraction is always at work. So, with faith, intention, my crystals and hard work, I believe that Simply Free Spirited Artistic Design will continue to flourish and the free spirited souls that are meant to find me, will.
