Crystal Wells.
Edited by John Bergin
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
My perfect happiness is a life where I can create freely and be able to sustain myself through my craft. We spend so much time working to live, I would rather work to build a life.
What is your motto?
I don’t know if I have ever had a motto, but one phrase that I continually return to is the french saying, savoir vivre. It means “to know how to live” or “the knowledge of life.” I interpret this as a reminder to remember that quality is greater than quantity and to expect the best for myself and others.
What is your current state of mind?
Honestly, my current state of mind is a state bewildered. Bewilderment with our political situation, race relations and our environment. This bewilderment will lead to action, I am almost there! I am searching for the best ways to get involved and support those who need to be supported most.
How would you like to die?
I don’t really even want to know how, I just want to know that I lived a great life and was able to leave the world a better place. I want to leave a legacy that fosters creativity, a search for knowledge, and an understanding of our world.
What is it that you love most about what you do?
What I love most about metalsmithing are the fundamentals of the craft. Working with metal changed the course of human development and though I am not working with iron ore, some of the processes are still the same. There is something very fulfilling about working with rough, natural elements and turning them into something beautiful.
If you could have a conversation with anybody (alive or dead), who would it be?
I think it would be with my Grandmother. She passed away very early in my childhood. She was a creative woman and I am told that I take after her in many ways. I credit her with teaching my mother.
When did you realize that you wanted to be a creative?
I realized that I couldn’t be fulfilled without being creative when I was a child. I see creativity as a necessity; it is artful problem solving! I was always making or altering toys and things in order to create what I needed as they didn’t otherwise exist.
What motivates you?
The desire to help empower people to feel like their best selves motivates me. I feel like jewelry and adornment can give people the confidence to express themselves to the fullest. Learning and seeking beauty in an an otherwise ugly and harsh world also motivate me to create.
What do you love about being a woman?
Being a woman is like having superpowers! The most brave, strong, resilient people I have known in my life are women. They are my heroes, so learning from them has given me some of those qualities, or “superpowers,’ if you will!
What is your experience of being a woman, while also being a creative?
I have been fortunate to have such a supportive network of friends and family all throughout my creative life. I have never felt hindered being a woman and a creative. If anything I think that the two help fuel each other.
“I see creativity as a necessity; it is artful problem solving! ”
