Today we’d like to introduce you to Christine Kilmer.
Hi Christine, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start, maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers.
Remember how the government told us that aliens were, in fact, among us, and absolutely no one cared (in this economy)?
While my own reaction leaned nihilistic (and a bit Agent Mulder), these aliens are, in a way, how I forayed into jewelry making.
As a photographer—and, of course, to pay my respects to our new extraterrestrial friends—I had decided to create a metal costume piece for an alien-inspired photoshoot.
Having never undertaken such an endeavor, I sought how-to advice from YouTube University, which guided me down the soldering rabbit hole. Curiouser and curiouser, but still too intimidated to casually experiment with what called for bringing butane and fire together (and oh, so close to my face), I decided it would be a wise choice to invest my bartending money, not on Doordash, but a two-day metal fabrication intensive at the Brewery, downtown.
A few months later, vowing to never shake a cocktail tin for anyone again, I quit my bar job. Reclaiming my time and my mental health, I’m now living out of my suitcase in Scotland—traveling soldering kit in tow—making jewelry and meeting incredibly kind and genuine people and artists across the pond.
I do look forward to returning to sunny California; however, life’s not the same when you’re not spending $7 on a latte.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I feel like the biggest obstacle has been fear. I’m constantly trying to comfort and quell that incessant and very loud “what if you fail” voice.
That part of the ego—while its good intentions may be that of self-preservation
—is death to any kind of adventure beyond one’s comfort zone. Every day, I have to give that voice the middle finger respectfully.
For that personal rebellion to be successful, it’s imperative that I believe in every piece I create. This way, while it’d be amazing, it doesn’t shake my confidence if I haven’t sold every item—my heart is within it, and each adornment has been borne out of an authentic experience. Being able to share that with my clients is incredibly rewarding. I hope it invokes in them their bravest and most creative selves.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I hand-make one-of-a-kind adornments created for those who choose to live boldly.
My pieces feature hand-picked stones and gems or even historical artifacts (most recently, 3,000-year-old Roman glass), all uniquely cradled in recycled brass or silver. As I’m currently exploring Scotland, I’m aiming to draw as much inspiration as possible from the stones, history, and lore of this magical land as possible.
I’m currently collaborating with a local oceanographer turned ceramicist from the Isle of Skye, whose melancholy but beautiful work is motivated by his time measuring the ever-rapidly melting ice caps in the Arctic.
We love surprises, fun facts, and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
People tend to be surprised when I tell them I just started making jewelry last summer. I think I was so hell-bent on escaping the bar life that I felt I had no choice but to learn as much as I could, as fast as I could.
It’s immensely helpful that I also love doing it. Every piece is a puzzle. I see the idea in my mind—how am I going to put it in front of me? Sometimes, this process is a peaceful drive up the 1. Sometimes, the piece is a contrarian—rush hour in the heat of the summer with no A/C, refusing to comply with my vision. These are the battles that force me to, eventually, let go and work with whatever it does want to be.
As The Rolling Stones say, you can’t always get what you want…
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/analog.metal
Image Credits
Christine Kilmer
Zak Scherbak
