Bumblesea - Artist Interview

Today I have an artist interview for you! Bumblesea is a jewelry company and a bit of a fashion blog as well! The pieces are simple yet elegant, and can obviously be used to dress up or dress down easily. Now, let's find out from Jennifer some tidbits about the jewelry, her goals, and some advice for new designers!

What is Bumblesea, and what is the communication behind the line?
Bumblesea is an indie jewelry studio, and it's my main creative outlet. As for communication, there's no ultimate message I'm trying to get across through my work. It's just about creating beautiful, transient objects. The design for my next jewelry tag has the words "You can't take this where you're going" on the back. I'm not going to change your life, but I'd love to inspire you.

What inspires you to create your pieces?

I've never been good at answering this question. Dreams, plants, fashion editorials, songs in C# minor, whatever ideas the collective consciousness happens to be bombarding me with at the moment.

What was it like in the beginning to be a new jewelry designer and blogger? How has that changed from how it is now?

I started five years ago making shirts after school in a friend's basement. After making shirts for a year on my own I grew to despise the process. I am probably the most inept silkscreener on earth- I ruined so many shirts. So I started thinking about trying something else out. I have no idea why I picked jewelry, maybe I liked the idea of it being a kind of mini-sculpture. Over the years I've become more interested in the business side of Bumblesea. Now I try to make more intricate business plans, and I've shifted some energy toward maintaining the bumblesea DIY and design blog. The products are different, the style is different, but when I'm feeling uninspired I try to think about what my goals were when I first started all of this.

What do you do when you are not making jewelry?

I make lists, lists of lists, I keep myself up at night with my lists- usually about Bumblesea but sometimes I'll throw in a few chores. My boyfriend constantly asks me what I'm writing down, I yell "IDEAS!" and continue violently scribbling my chicken scratch down. I have tons of notebooks filled with to do lists I've never gotten through entirely. I wake up with ink on my face and sheets from me writing on my arms in bed the night before. There are sixteen lists on my desk right now. I'm never bored, my brain works faster than my body can keep up with.

What are the goals for Bumblesea?
Right now I need to release the more moderately priced acrylic jewelry line I've been promising everyone for months. I want to update my blog more often. In the future I hope to open a second boutique to carry other indie designers' products, and possibly start up an independent publication. It'll happen eventually, but I'm a perfectionist and these are massive projects.

What is one piece of advice you would give to someone just starting out?

Only take advice from people who are successful in your industry. Seek these people out and form meaningful, long term relationships with them, everything else should turn into white noise. On the other hand, try to keep your head out of your ass. Let me know how it works out for you. Seriously, email me.

Check out her website, her designs and more! I know we will see a lot more from Bumblesea, so watch out for her!