I’ve been thinking lately about why I do this—why I spend hours in my studio, forging metal, setting stones, getting lost in the rhythm of it all. The truth is, I make because it grounds me. There’s something deeply satisfying about working with my hands, about turning raw, messy materials into something beautiful and intentional. It’s quiet work, but never boring. Each piece is a challenge, a conversation, a tiny reflection of the day I made it. And over time, that kind of making becomes more than a habit—it becomes part of who you are.
Take this pendant, for example. 
This was a custom piece I created for a friend of mine. When she showed me this spectacular rutilated quartz she'd purchased at a gem show, it took my breath away. We agreed on a design and I set to work. The premise was simple—to accentuate the stone and focus attention on the gorgeous golden rutiles contained in the quartz. The geometric and angular lines of the piece succeeded in doing just that. But more than the design itself, it was the experience of creating it that stayed with me: the hours of forming, soldering, filing and polishing that allowed me to slow down and just be present. That’s the magic of making—it’s not just about the finished piece, but about the joy and connection we find along the way.
And perhaps that’s the real answer to “why do makers make?” We make to connect—to ourselves, to the people we create for, and to the timeless tradition of shaping materials into meaning. Each piece carries a little story, a little love, a little spark of intention. When I see someone wearing something I’ve made, it’s like watching a part of that story walk out into the world and take on a life of its own. That’s a gift I’ll never stop being grateful for.