Today we’d like to introduce you to Corina Brown.
Hi Corina, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I started Wild and Free Jewelry as an Etsy shop back in 2011. At the time, it was just a creative outlet and something I did for fun, without any real expectations of it becoming a business. I’ve always loved making things and capturing them through photography, whether it was modeling the jewelry myself or designing a beautiful backdrop.
I opened the shop on a whim, and within four days, I had my first sale. That moment of packaging up my design and sending it out into the world was so exciting and motivating for me. From that point on, I couldn’t stop. I continued running the shop throughout college, and after graduating, I decided to pursue it full-time. It’s been my career ever since, and I feel incredibly fortunate that it’s been able to support me. I still love every part of the process, from creating to sharing my work online, and I’m grateful that what started as a happy accident turned into something truly amazing.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Not at all! It’s definitely been a winding, unpredictable journey. In the beginning, I didn’t really know what I was doing—I was just following what felt fun and meaningful. I had to teach myself everything: photography, marketing, taxes, how to pack orders, how to manage customers, all of it. There were a lot of late nights, trial and error, burnout, and moments of doubt.
One of the hardest lessons has been learning how to price my work. When I first started, I was just so excited that people wanted to buy what I made—I didn’t even think about things like paying myself a livable wage or honoring the time it took to create something. It wasn’t until the past few years that I started timing myself, factoring in my labor, and intentionally building in rest and sustainability. Learning to value my own time changed everything. It’s allowed me to actually take care of myself and stay inspired creatively. But it’s also been one of the scariest parts—especially when so much of what I make is deeply personal and labor-intensive. Learning to ask for what’s fair has been a big part of learning how to honor myself and my art.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I hand-make pieces that feel like stepping back into childhood dress-up—things like butterfly crowns, mermaid crowns, mermaid tops, and more recently, upcycled denim jackets and lace clothing. Upcycling and thrifting have always been a huge part of my life, so a lot of what I create now also uses secondhand denim, vintage tablecloths, curtains, and doilies. Over the years, Wild and Free Jewelry has evolved a lot. In the beginning, I sold feather necklaces and upcycled cowboy boots, and now my work leans more into butterflies and whimsical, magical designs.
The pieces I’m most proud of are definitely my jackets. Each one can take anywhere from fifty to one hundred hours to create. There’s so much that goes into them—from sourcing and preparing the thrifted denim, to dyeing or bleaching it, to embellishing it by hand with hours and hours of meticulous beading. They’re a true labor of love, and every time I finish one, it feels like a huge accomplishment. I think the jackets are probably what people recognize me for the most too, just because they’re so unique and personal.
What sets me apart is that I always create from a place of personal joy. I don’t follow trends or try to predict what will sell. I focus on making things that I love and that feel meaningful to me. It’s really just a bonus when someone else connects with what I make. Staying grounded in my own creative truth is the most important thing to me as an artist.
Alright, so to wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with us?
Overall, I just want to be able to inspire people to be creative!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://wildandfreejewelry.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/wildandfreejewelry
Image Credits
All photos were taken by me with my tripod 🙂
