We’re looking forward to introducing you to Lindsey Glass. Check out our conversation below.
Hi Lindsey, thank you so much for joining us today. We’re thrilled to learn more about your journey, values and what you are currently working on. Let’s start with an ice breaker: What makes you lose track of time—and find yourself again?
Nature is my reset. Finding a river or stream, a field of wildflowers, a forest with trees that reach the sky and floors covered in moss and patches of mushrooms, observing the interactions of insects, birds, and small animals- all of this brings me back to what’s really important; life. Every weekend my family and I make sure we get into nature. Whether its just for a few hours, the entire day, or camping for the whole weekend. My favorite things about it these days is being able to see everything through the eyes of my 3.5 year old daughter. Her excitement for the smallest details in the natural world really make the stresses of the weekdays and this heavy time we live in seem to disappear.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hi! I’m Lindsey! I am a Biologist turned Silversmith, Lapidary, and Rockhound. I’m also a mom of an adventurous 3.5 year old and an absolute nature lover. I created Silver and Slag as a way to turn the absolutely amazing things I observe in nature into wearable artwork. I find semi precious minerals such as agates, jaspers, fossils, chert, quartz, and the occasional opal all around southern and central California, cut them, and cab them to use in my work. I then silversmith a nature inspired piece of jewelry and adorn them with my California rockhounding finds. I try to create pieces that reflect the most amazing parts of nature I immerse myself in by recreating scenes out of sterling silver.
Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
When I was in kindergarten and my teacher asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I boldly said that I wanted to be a scientist. Specifically I said that I wanted to always be in nature and was going to become a naturalist. Throughout my childhood I remained obsessed with nature and everything about it. I would find an empty terrarium or critter keeper and make entire ecosystems with bugs I found in my yard and bring them to show and tell. I would beg to go to the tidepools most weekends to observe all of the interactions between the intertidal zone animals at low tide. I would collect tadpoles in nearby creeks and raise them until they became frogs and let them go. I was always the kid that never killed bugs and always felt the natural world had everything to teach us about who to be and not the other way around. As time went on, I graduated from high school, moved to Oahu on my own for college, and learned a lot about people from all over the world. I realized that the world had hardened some people and grounded others. I, however, stood firm that the natural world was the best version of reality. Although corporate influences and rigid social constructs tell us that should stay in line and do things the way society dictates, I never strayed from the girl who likes to play in creeks and give the frogs I find a name before I let them go back to their families. Now that I have a daughter, I get to show her that she can be whoever she wants and make sure she knows that nature is only ours to protect and love.
When did you last change your mind about something important?
I graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Biology and became a microbiologist out of college. After working for two separate companies that made decisions that I considered to be morally questionable at the time, I decided to teach myself how to silversmith while I looked for a new job. I fell in love with it immediately. Having trouble finding a position that was a good fit for me and progressing as a silversmith rapidly brought me to the huge decision to be an artist full time and no longer be a scientist. This was huge for me. I had never seen the “artist” title as professional and struggled to respect and cheer the new me. Its now been about 10 years and I could not be happier with my decision. I absolutely love what I do. It took awhile to realize that this was exactly what was right for me- I get to immerse myself in nature, let my creativity fly, make my own hours, and never need to worry about if the company I’m working for is a good representation of myself.
Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. Is the public version of you the real you?
The public version of me is, absolutely, the real me. I am not one of those people who’s social media accounts don’t match their real life. I literally can’t tell a lie; I get overly flustered with even the thought of lying that I’m unable to carry it out. Therefore, whether you’re meeting me for the first time or we’ve known each other for years, there really is only one, true, version of myself.
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. What do you understand deeply that most people don’t?
I feel that humanity as a whole has lost touch with how we fit into the grand scheme of life on this amazing little planet. Most people seem to look at this world as simply for humans; every other lifeform has less value than ours. I disagree. We are just one species in a world with millions. The world is not at our disposal but is instead is our home too, just like every other organism that lives here. Most people are excited for the progression of AI instead of putting more effort into bettering this home to millions of species.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.SilverandSlag.com
- Instagram: https://Instagram.com/Silver_and_Slag
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/silverandslag
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Silver_and_Slag
Image Credits
none
