Bargainista interviews MeghanT

I’ve never met MeghanT in person. I follow her on Twitter and I’ve been impressed by her jewellery design and the way her love of life comes through in her both her craft and her tweets. I wanted to learn more and thought you might too, so I asked her a little about her business. Handmade artisan jewellery creations for the discriminating collector.

As a special gift to you...
MeghanT is offering you a 10% discount until the end of August. All you need to do go to www.MeghanT.etsy.com and click on ”contact” and send her a note quoting the “Barganista” code and the item you’d like to buy. Meghan will adjust the price on her site and create a reserved listing for you so you can make your purchase.

What inspires you?
Designs [are] inspired by the Caribbean and my inner musings, Featuring gold, silver, gemstones, crystals and original organic material found in my travels around the globe.

When did you start designing jewellery?
I experimented with jewellery design when I was a little girl, but I was more into drawing and painting growing up. Everyone thought for sure that I’d be going to college to study the arts and were shocked when I did an about face and pursued a career in Psychology. I didn’t start designing jewellery until a few years after I graduated from university with a B.A. I felt like I had neglected a very important part of myself during my studies, and was yearning for a creative outlet once again. I started by training at a school in Toronto for makeup artistry. I got certified, but it wasn’t the right niche for me. It opened up my eyes to the world of photography and fashion though, so I was grateful for the experience. Shortly afterwards I began sketching jewellery designs. As I learned new techniques I was able to tackle more complicated projects and my passion and enthusiasm for design just grew and grew.

Tell us about your experience on Etsy.
Etsy gave me a chance to show my creativity to the world for the first time ever. I have always supported handmade artists and was looking for a way to make online purchases and not wait for the yearly art shows I was so fond off. Initially I was content to purchase other artists work in lieu of going to the mall, but slowly I began working on my own shop, and listing some of my favorite creations to get feedback from the public. Etsy gave me a way of showing my work to people all over the world – an audience I would not have had initially were I to try this all on my own.

What inspires you?
All my creations are motivated by something powerful moving through me. I am a lover of life and I’m constantly compelled by the things I see and feel on a daily basis. I spent many years of my life as a teen on the island of Grenada and go back yearly for extended vacations. The island is chocked full of bright, vibrant, compelling imagery and instead of painting what I see – I create jewellery. It’s hard not to develop an eye for rich bold color after living in the Caribbean.

What would you like people to know about your approach?
I look at my handmade jewellery designs as opportunities to create wearable art. My canvas is the human body and I am creating “paintings” to adorn it. I believe that there is a certain energy that goes into handmade work and it calls to one specific person for whom that item was intended. When my creation meets with a person who is in sync with my artistic vision, magic happens. A lot of my jewellery designs have individual stories paired with them because I want people to know what I was thinking and feeling during the items conception. I think this really helps customers with their selection process.

Art really is what sustains me and feeds my soul. If I don’t get the opportunity to create for several days I can feel a nervous sort of energy build. When I work in my studio I am motivated by a certain theme, feeling, or image held in my minds eye. I have my gems, crystals, and metals sorted out by color, so I am able to work just as if I were working off a palette on an oil painting. Sometimes I start off with a quick sketch, and then I begin experimenting by bringing certain colors, forms, and materials together. Often times, I get saturated by ideas and it’s hard to reign in my enthusiasm and not have several different projects going at once. I pour a lot of myself into whatever I am making, and when the fervor to create is over, I know that the jewellery design is perfect.

Why Twitter? Blog?
In this day and age taking advantage of social media is very important. It helps you connect with a targeted audience, meet other people in your industry, and forge new friendships. I love that I am able to chat with my customers online and I thoroughly enjoy connecting with other creative souls who offer ideas, feedback, and educated opinions.

Check out MeghanT’s Facebook fan page and her new shop on ArtFire.