Featured Etsyian - Flylikehermes

New shop on Etsy, flylikehermes, is a peaceful, poetic place where you can find simple, sophisticated jewelry to make a statement, or stunning photography of faraway places. I really liked what I saw, and contacted the creative force behind flylikehermes, Adria - to bring this interview and exposure to yet another talented Etsyian.

Your profile states that you are a graduate of the Art Institute of California. What was your major?
I majored in Media Arts and Animation, which means I learned quite a lot about computer animation, and graphic design. It's very interesting to go into a film like Pixar's latest, Wall-E, and know what went into that film, from the character design to the lighting and modeling. It broadened my horizons and made me more well rounded as an artist. It also made me realize that 3D-Animation is not what I want to do as a career. I'm much more satisfied on the front end of creating something, rather than doing the time consuming task of animation.

How/when did you become interested in making jewelry?
I've always loved jewelry ever since I was a little girl. I still have the necklace my Mother gave me when I was a bridesmaid in her 2nd wedding (I was 9!). I started creating jewelry when a relative gave me a bead set when I was about 7. Ever since then it's just been one trend after the next, new supplies, new forms and ways of creating wearable art!

Aside from creating jewelry and photography, what do you enjoy doing in life?
I really love to travel. Photography and traveling go hand in hand, and I want to see as much of the world as I can in this life. Taking photos of far off places makes for wonderful memories, and amazing art. Something else I love is being outdoors. I really love hiking, and almost always take my camera with me to capture things outside. I also love to comb the beach for new items to make into jewelry (I have to be careful though, I once accidentally brought home a hermit crab still in it's shell! My family and I drove around for hours until we found a salt water aquarium that would take him! Now I'm extra careful).

Where do you find inspiration for your designs?
Everywhere. I draw inspiration from people I see daily, to nature, to adopting ideas I saw in a magazine into something I would personally wear. I don't make jewelry that I wouldn't be proud wearing myself; it's my philosophy that everything I make be made with the same care and precision in design and execution that I would want for my own jewelry.

Describe your creative process:
There's a process? Only kidding! Really, I just feel an over whelming need to have my hands wrist deep in something fun; whether that's crocheting, photography, painting, drawing, sculpting, or jewelry making depends on my mood. Once I have an idea that I want to create, it just flows from there. I pick pieces out of my 'collection' of supplies and experiment with things until the piece looks just right. Even then, I sometimes do things over because a bead just isn't working to me, or the wire didn't curl just right. I'm somewhat of a perfectionist when it comes to making things with my hands.

It's been about a month since you've had your shop on Etsy, how is your experience so far?
Wow, it's been a whole month? Obviously it's been going by fast! I'm really enjoying Etsy so far, and while sales aren't what I hoped they'd be (really, are they ever?), I'm just pleased to be making new friends, getting advice on the look of my shop, and getting my art out there. I'm so glad that I'm finally taking what makes me happy out into the world, to hopefully make others happy as well.