Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Miller.
Hi Sarah, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I started creating jewelry as an outlet after my second child was born, and I was taking a break from my full-time job as a federal agent. I initially got hooked by wire wrapping jewelry and later became educated in metalsmithing and enameling. I was encouraged to sell my jewelry by friends, and I started slowly since I had no experience selling anything. I started with small markets and, over the years, moved into larger juried shows, galleries, and online. After learning about branding, I focused my online work on ocean-inspired jewelry, most notably my enameled wave designs, which are created to hang directly on black cotton cord without a bail or jump ring. These designs have a lot of general appeal due to their simple, clean, unisex look. For galleries and shows, I prefer to do more complex work that involves setting stones, shells, and sea glass in sterling silver… I also incorporate traditional enameling techniques such as champleve and cloisonne. I decided to leave my law enforcement career about 14 years ago and have focused on my jewelry business as well as teaching yoga, my other passion.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has been a very bumpy road, considering I was a government employee my whole career and had no experience in business. There is a wide gulf between a hobbyist and a businessperson, and you have to sacrifice a lot of your creative ideas to make a business profitable. Also, learning how to run an online business has a huge learning curve of its’ own.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am most proud of my creative work when I combine numerous techniques that show the depth of my study of jewelry and enameling. Not all enamelists are also metalsmiths, so I get excited when I can find ways to utilize multiple techniques from both areas. I also get excited about really intricate work that requires a high level of detail, such as cloisonne enameling. I am drawn to creating modern designs in this very old art. Since I am also a yogi, I love to use yogic symbology in my designs, such as mandalas. Cloisonne and champleve enameling lend themselves to highly detailed patterns, so there is an intersection there that I can channel artistically.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
For me, success is staying true to my initial intentions to do my own artistic work and be in full control of how my business is run. As a mother of two teenagers, I do not compromise my role as a mom in running my business. Family always comes first. Since my husband has a demanding full-time job, I am always available to take care of the family’s needs. I can operate in this manner because of my husband’s dedication to financially supporting our family.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://seasideharmonyjewelry.com/
- Instagram: @seasideharmonyjewelry
- Facebook: Seasideharmonyjewelry
- Youtube: Seasideharmonyjewelry
