Pressure Makes Diamonds

Over the last weekend of March, I produced one of my favorite things I’ve ever made in less than 12 hours.

I was asked by the multitalented Rae to be her collaborating jewelry artist for Black Moon Tulsa’s ‘The Crown’ art show hosted at the Oklahoma Center for the Humanities, where AHHA Tulsa used to be. We struggled to meet up to work on something, so I took my original idea and ran with it. I find in situations like this, it’s best to lean into the first solid idea you have and give it your all, and in this case, I think that paid off.

Josh and I spoke about a paper he wrote while at SCAD where his argument was that creatives work best under limitations, whether that be time, materials or some other third thing. Too much possibility is actually stifling.

I ended up creating an embroidered collage using an image of a woman from an Essence magazine article and my own locs that I saved from a haircut that was about 3 years ago now. I am a little embarrassed to admit that I held onto them for so long, but I’m also glad I did.

Rae ended up making a beautiful willow tree from her locs and I was just in awe of being able to be invited into a space with such creative minds and capable hands.