Meet artist Katie Wood


As part of an emerging workshop series at the studio, we have invited Katie Wood, metalsmith, to offer her workshop on designing heirloom jewelry. You can learn more about the workshop and register on our website. Recently, Jai sat down with Katie to learn more about her and her work.

 

 

Jai: Tell us a little bit about yourself

Katie: Raised near Chicago, I was instilled with a spirit of curiosity from a young age, constantly encouraged by my family to explore and learn. My journey into the realm of art began with clay; a passion cultivated since childhood. In 2008, an exciting opportunity led my husband, our three children, and me to England. It was there that I embarked on a new artistic adventure, delving into the world of metalsmithing. Over four years, I honed my skills and let my creativity grow in metalsmithing. Now, settled in Greencastle with my husband and our standard poodle named Windsor, I find myself deeply rooted in both my personal and artistic endeavors. Alongside my artistic pursuits, I am also actively engaged in volunteer work within the Greencastle community, seeking to give back and make a positive impact wherever I can.

J: Working with heirloom pieces is not something everyone does. How were you drawn to this practice?

K: One day, while admiring the intricate design of a casserole dish, inspiration struck me. I envisioned those elegant patterns adorning a beautiful bracelet, transforming an unused item into a cherished piece of jewelry. The challenge was irresistible, and I couldn’t resist the opportunity to bring this vision to life. Simultaneously, my volunteer work at a local thrift store exposed me to a reality: the sight of cherished family heirlooms being donated instead of treasured saddened me. It stirred a desire within me to preserve not just the physical objects, but the memories and legacies they held. Driven by this passion, I set out to find a meaningful solution. I wanted to offer people a way to hold onto their family’s history in a tangible and wearable form. Whether it’s creating earrings, bracelets, bookmarks, or necklaces, my aim is to transform these sentimental treasures into pieces that can be cherished and worn, keeping memories alive and close to the heart.

J: It seems like there might be some intersections between your work and mine as a Grief Coach and Grief Educator. How do you encounter grief when you are working with someone who wants to create a piece from a special family artifact?

K: Often, I find myself listening to the heartfelt stories shared by individuals about their beloved family members. Some stories are filled with laughter, others steeped in history, and some tinged with sorrow. Yet a common thread emerges – the realization of the fleeting nature of memories and the profound need to preserve them before they fade away. However, the joy that fills the room when these individuals open the jewelry box and behold a stunning piece crafted from a cherished family treasure is immeasurable. In that moment, the initial grief is transformed into a beautiful celebration of love, connection, and remembrance.

J: Talk a little about this workshop. I don’t consider myself artistic and so I can’t imagine creating anything beautiful. How will I be a part of the creative process?

K: We will embark on this journey together to find the beauty within your treasured possessions. During our time together, we’ll explore the intricate surface designs of your heirloom, seeking out elements that speak to you on a personal level. Whether it’s a particular section that catches your eye or a specific motif that resonates with your style, our goal is to identify the essence of what makes your heirloom special to you. As we delve into the design process, we’ll talk about your preferences and vision for transforming your heirloom into a timeless piece of modern jewelry. Whether you envision a delicate necklace, a statement bracelet, or a pair of elegant earrings, your input will guide the creation of your unique heirloom jewelry. Following our workshop, I’ll return to my studio to bring your vision to life, crafting a one-of-a-kind piece that reflects the beauty and sentiment of your family heirloom. Please note that the pricing for the finished jewelry starts at $50, and the final cost will depend on the complexity of the design and materials used. It’s important to understand that in the process of creating your jewelry, I’ll need to deconstruct the heirloom piece. While it won’t be returned in its original form, any unused pieces can be returned to you, if desired.

J: Anything else you would like to share?

K: Thank you for entrusting me with the privilege of transforming your cherished heirloom into a modern heirloom that will be cherished for generations to come.

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Winter is not a season

“Winter is not a season, it’s a celebration. It ushers in fresh opportunities for growth.” – Pam Young

The drive back and forth to the studio allows me to mark the seasons. I watch as the leaves turn color before the trees release them to the ground and note how the darkness settles on the road a bit earlier each day. I often think of winter as a wonderful metaphor for what is to come. The barren trees and landscape suggest a blank canvas for creativity and connection, and the slower pace creates space for self-care and renewal. The plants are doing their good work underneath the soil in readiness for the spring.
This is a special winter season at the studio. As the metaphor suggests, there is much happening that is not visible. We are on the eve of the 5th anniversary of Quest for Balance Wellness, and 2024 ushers in fresh opportunities for growth.

Yes, it’s hard to believe it’s been nearly five years since I purchased our beautiful studio and launched Quest for Balance Wellness. It has been such an amazing journey, enriched by your presence and nurtured by your kindness and generosity. It isn’t always easy, but you keep hanging in there with me, and because you do, we continue to thrive and grow.

Just after Thanksgiving I’ll be taking a six-week medical leave. I’m grateful to each of my teachers for their commitment to sustaining the studio in my absence. We have been planning for this time but also planning for the future of the studio. And while it may seem like not much is happening, like the winter season, lots of growth is underway. We’ll begin 2024 by celebrating my fifth year of ownership and the studio’s 11th as a small business in Crawfordsville. We are planning a New Year’s Day celebration to kick off the year and will have other 5th anniversary celebrations throughout the year.

I think you’ll agree we are richly blessed by our teachers, and they too are excited by the fresh opportunities for growth. We will offer a new evening gentle yoga class beginning in February. You’ll be able to take advantage of special yoga classes like our introduction to yoga series or yoga for golfers. New workshops and classes on mindfulness, grief and loss, and self-care will complement those we currently offer. We will continue to explore ways to make the studio more visible in the community, building on ideas you have shared with us.

Five years ago, my first studio newsletter began “In immeasurable ways, the stewardship of Quest for Balance fulfills my lifetime call to support the wellness and wellbeing of others.” I am so grateful that this remains true. Even more, I am grateful for each of you. Your kindness, generosity, friendship, and care make our studio such a special place. Thank you for being part of our story. We can’t wait to see what the next five years bring!

Fondly,
Jai

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Death and Dying: how to begin the conversation

Whether or not we want to talk about it, the reality is that at some point, each of us is going to die. Like birth, death is another natural transition among the cycles of life. So why is it so hard to talk about it? We live in a culture in which we eschew the conversation. Perhaps it is because it causes us to face our own mortality. It can be frightening to think about our own death or the death of someone we love. We anticipate the feeling of loss and so it is easier to avoid it than address it. Maybe we feel unprepared, not having thought ahead to funerals or memorials, or understanding the final wishes of the dying, or question our financial stability after the loss. There could be unresolved issues in our life including relationships that need to be repaired or the anticipated grief that comes from acknowledging unfulfilled hopes and dreams. Perhaps the hardest thing is death itself and the fear of wondering what it will feel like, what happens after death, and all the things leading up to it.

But talking about death is an essential conversation that enriches living. As we reflect and talk, we start to look at all parts of our human experience differently. We may realize we are not alone in what we feel. Values and priorities may emerge with more clarity and this newfound awareness gives rise to intention and purpose. When we start the conversation, we give ourselves and others permission to feel deeply and the space to explore all of what is present. Ultimately, talking honestly opens us to the possibility that those things that might keep us from talking about death and dying might instead be embraced with ease and grace.
This is not small talk, and so starting the conversation may not be the easiest one you have ever initiated. Begin with yourself. What is important about your own mortality? What quality of life do you want at the end of life? Consider your relationships. Are there words that need to be said or actions completed before you die? Getting comfortable with the idea of your own death can be the first step in starting the conversation with others.

Consider exploring advanced directives with your loved ones. Advanced directives are documents that outline final wishes and often identify a representative to speak in proxy. This is an opportunity to plan care in advance of when it is needed. It is a perfect opportunity to explore the standard of care you want for yourself and to learn of the same requests your loved ones have for their own end of life. What are your own wishes when you are unable to speak for yourself? This is also a perfect opportunity to share how you want to be remembered. Discussing final wishes with loved ones relieves each person of the burden of making difficult choices and can open the door to fruitful and loving discussions.

If you find talking about all of this challenging at first, contemplate writing a letter to loved ones to be read after you have died. Perhaps there are stories in your life that remain untold or things held inside that need to be shared. Maybe the letter is a joyful celebration of the intersection of your life with theirs. Regardless of what flows from your pen, writing this message can be a wonderfully cathartic and inspiring way to share what you love about each person and what matters most to you.

Death is unavoidable, but talking about it is not. As we begin this new year, we also start a new cycle of life and death. With this comes the fresh opportunity to talk to those you love about what matters most. So while it can be hard, rest assured that the more we talk, the easier it gets.

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An Exercise in Curiosity

question marksIn the training program leading to my certification as a Coactive Coach, we completed numerous practical activities to build and hone our coaching skills. The other day I was reminded of one, that in the moment, seemed incredibly difficult. We were to spend thirty minutes looking under our kitchen sink. Yep. 30. Long. Interminable. Moments. And it wasn’t to be just a stream of observation and criticism, it was an exercise in curiosity. You see, we were specifically instructed to notice everything we could but without judgment. We were asked to get intentionally curious about what was under the cabinet, but not to say if it was good or bad. Thoughts of the disorder or stained cabinet flooring were steadily replaced with “I wonder why the pipes are bent that way”. Or, “what’s the story of the persona that installed this”.

In all the years that have followed, I return again and again to this exercise, both as a practical activity and a metaphor. It leads to the potent understanding of curiosity and how it suspends judgment. My role as a coach is to get curious and ask powerful questions that deepen each client’s understanding of themselves. The benefits are transformational.

  • Curiosity leads to an openness to what is present rather than the closure of judgment
  •  It inspires a willingness to learn rather than assume what is happening
  • Most of all, it suspends judgment, which stifles creativity and growth and puts us at odds with potential learning

Developing the skill of curiosity is a beautiful way to stretch and grow, often with surprising results. As you do, you may find the scope of your questions expanding and deepening into what moves and motivates you. So, try this: open your cabinet, find a spot in nature that captures your attention, notice a meaningful object on your shelf, or anything else that can gain your focus for 30 minutes. If you notice judgment creeping in, simply acknowledge it and return to asking questions.

When you are finished take time to reflect on the experience. What did you learn about the experience? How might you apply this learning to other parts of your life? Drop us a note to let us know!

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A mindful approach to grief

words related to mindfulness under a magnifying glass

Tara Haelle’s interesting post introduces some important ideas about the intersections of grief and loss with the crises of the Covid-19 pandemic. Ambiguous grief is central to our current experience and she offers some good strategies for managing it, including acceptance, setting reasonable expectations, and finding fulfillment in familiar activities.

Another challenge of the pandemic is our need for the “long view” or life after the pandemic. So much of our attention can be directed to the point in time when the pandemic ends, but as Haelle correctly notes, we are nowhere near the end. So how can focusing on the present moment by adopting a mindful approach to grieving be helpful?

  • Mindfulness engages us in the present moment. Cultivating mindful awareness gives us a sense of time and place and amplifies our sense of control over our circumstance
  • Focusing on the present reduces the stress of looking ahead and the “what-if’s” that come along with it
  • Mindful awareness, when coupled with attention to the breath, stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system or the part of our wiring that is responsible for rest and relaxation

Mindfulness as a practice of self-care was pioneered by Jon Kabat-Zinn who defines it as awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgmentally. As I share this concept with my clients, I emphasize the non-judgmental nature of this focus. When we simply notice, rather than appraise what is happening and what we are feeling, we are better able to quiet the nervous chatter of the mind. Free from this distraction, we can then invest our energy in what is available in the present moment. 

Want to learn more? Join us for our Conversation Café on Monday September 21 at 7pm for a lively discussion about mindfulness and learn some practical applications for your daily life.

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Learn more about us and our coaching services: academic coaching, career coaching, life coaching, transitions coaching.

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Why do today what you can do tomorrow?

a bulletin board with notes that say do itI am likely one of the world’s foremost experts in procrastination. Ok, maybe that is an exaggeration, but my office is never cleaner than when I am putting off a major task. Believe me, I would much rather vacuum, dust, straighten, and do all the other parts of organizing than put my effort behind something I need to finish that I just don’t want to do.

The distance and lack of in-person engagement that is now a part of my work has somehow amplified this, too. Dealing with procrastination is a key piece of self-management. Poor time management, falling behind in tasks or projects, and working without a plan all contribute to procrastination. 

I regularly coach my clients through these hurdles. Fortunately, with a little bit of positive self-talk and the strategies that follow, each of us can successfully combat procrastination:

  1. Give it five minutes. Get your stuff together, decide your goal and set the timer for five minutes. You only have to work on the task for these few minutes, five earnest minutes in which you really make the effort to get started. If after that time, you still aren’t making progress, turn your attention to something else. Chances are that once you get going, five minutes will become fifty and you will be on your way to completing your bigger goal.
  2. Do the big task first. Put it on the calendar first thing in the morning or at a time when your energy is best and most focused. Get it out of the way so that you can get on to doing other things you enjoy more.
  3. Figure out why you don’t want to do it. Does the task at hand align with your skills and interests? Do you have the resources to complete it? If not, what will it take to get what you need? There might be times when you have the chance to delegate, ask for help, or find others who can help you kick-start your efforts. Knowing why you don’t want to do it is part of identifying what you need to overcome your procrastination. If you are a student, academic resource centers, tutors, and others can provide essential resources to help you get started.
  4. Break it into smaller chunks. Procrastination and the sense of overwhelm are best buddies and they want to keep you in a static place. What one or two sub-goals can you accomplish that will move you towards the big goal? Breaking the big task into smaller ones makes the final work seem less daunting.
  5. Celebrate, celebrate, celebrate!! Research shows that when we acknowledge our forward progress, we build patterns that support long-term success. I ask my clients to reflect on and journal about the small things. Whether the five minute investment, the paragraph written, or the business proposal completed; all of them are small steps toward building self confidence in a way that supports long term success.

Perhaps the best piece of advice, and the one that I try to remember most, is just do it. Do today what you can do today!

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Learn more about us and our coaching services: academic coaching, career coaching, life coaching, transitions coaching.

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