My Experience With the Coop Model

 THE COOPERATIVE MODEL: My Personal Journey 14 Years Later

A major plot twist in my journey with making jewelry. After 14 years at Expressions in Scituate Harbor, MA, I'm taking my sea glass jewelry and heading off on a new adventure. I have decided that creatively I needed to move on with my work, and you'll now find me on ETSY (16 years on and off). If you've enjoyed following my sea glass journey over the years, I'd be grateful if you'd help spread the word that I am exclusively online now. 

Artist cooperatives that offer retail opportunities are built on the idea of shared space, shared responsibility, and mutual respect. Ideally, each member contributes equally to the running of the business while having a fair opportunity and space to present and sell their work. The model can be incredibly rewarding when members honor the cooperative’s bylaws, respect one another’s creative voices, and recognize the importance of maintaining individual and distinctive bodies of work.

But over time, circumstances and relationships can change. Personalities, disagreements, and long-standing resentments can gradually erode the spirit in which a cooperative was founded. What once felt like a community of artists working together can begin to feel more like a collection of competing interests. And when respect for the individuality of each artist’s work begins to disappear, the impact can be much deeper than a disagreement over shelf or display space.

I have watched several members make the difficult decision to leave, and although I understood their frustration, I never imagined that I would eventually find myself contemplating the same choice. I had always believed in staying, working through differences, respecting the voting process, and continuing to advocate for what I felt was fair for myself and others.

For me, the breaking point came after a particularly contentious meeting. Some of the comments made during that meeting were deeply personal and uncalled for. I walked away from that experience realizing that something had changed for me.

It wasn't simply about a disagreement. It was about how I felt as a person and as an artist.

One of the things that has always mattered deeply to me is maintaining the individuality of my work. My sea glass jewelry has developed over many years into a style that is mine. 

So when another jewelry artist began creating pieces that I felt were becoming too similar to my work, I spoke directly to that person and they declined to compromise. I had hoped that, within an artist cooperative, there would be an understanding that while artists may inspire one another, each member's creative identity should be respected first and foremost.

Creative overlap can naturally occur among jewelry artists, particularly when artists are working with the same metals, soldering techniques, and similar materials. If an artist was ever approached with a strong concern that the overlap was too much, artists with integrity would immediately change their tack, remove the work and honor that concern. There is no excuse not to. 

 I wasn't simply unhappy with a business decision. I felt that my work, my creativity, and ultimately a part of who I am were not being supported or respected. It felt so fundamentally wrong. 

I believe in coops. I respect the role that bylaws and democratic decision-making play in keeping a cooperative functioning fairly. Spreading out the responsibilities among members is key to keeping power struggles from occurring. Once one or a few members control multiple roles the balance is tipped and the democratic process becomes skewed. 

We see this tension all around us. In this country, we don't all agree with the decisions made through our democratic processes or with the changes those decisions bring into our lives. We also see that democratic process being tested and the balance of powers shifted. We may respect the process while still disagreeing deeply with the outcome. And ultimately, each of us has to decide which battles we are willing to continue fighting, and in some cases, when it is time to step away.

My creativity, my experiences, my perspective, and a part of who I am is wrapped up in my work. It feels personal, because the work itself is personal.

I can respect the cooperative process and at the same time recognize that the environment is no longer one that works in supporting my creative and professional integrity. Leaving does not mean that I reject the cooperative model, nor does it mean that I dismiss the people involved. It means that I have reached a point where continuing to compromise on my values and beliefs is no longer something I am willing to endure.

Sometimes protecting your creativity, your integrity, and your sense of self requires making the difficult choice to walk away.

 I've just started back with this blog after many many years and would love to hear from you.

Happy hunting—and may your pockets always be full of sea glass!

Going Retail

(This Was Posted When I First Started With the Coop Model)

 

For many artists there comes a day when one has to decide - do I sell my work wholesale or on consignment at a shop(s) or do I continue selling online, out of my studio, at festivals? One central location to sell from has a great deal of appeal, however the divide and conquer method works well especially when reaching your audience may not be practical in one location! I have done all the above and there are advantages each strategy. Wholesale is not really an option for one-of-a-kind sea glass jewelry. Another approach recently became available to me and I am thrilled!

I have joined an artist cooperative that is made up of about 15 talented artists - and it makes me so happy. I get to collaborate with artists from a broad range of disciplines and now have a storefront outside my home where I get to meet customers, display my work and sell my work at a fair price! How wonderful is that! There are fees and a monthly commitment to "man" the shop but it is all worth it for the tremendous return. This is not wholesale!  Each artist pays a monthly fee and a small percentage of the sale of their work to pay rent, utilities, maintenance, etc. It is a not for profit so any money left over goes into advertising, improving the shop, supplies, special events, etc. A wonderful working model.

If you are in the neighborhood please do stop in and say hello!!

South Shore Living Magazine Sea Glass Feature

This morning I walked into our talented local sign maker's shop in Scituate Harbor, "Kukstis Woodcarving" to ask for some advise from Paul Kukstis the shop's gracious owner. During our conversation he asked what I did for a living. I told him I made sea glass jewelry and he said, "Are you the same jewelry designer as the one I just read about in South Shore Living Magazine?" He had just received the magazine through his subscription before any of the news stands had it available. He flipped through the pages and landed on the picture of me in a generous half page article of me and my jewelry business Liliana Designs!

What a terrific way to start the day!  I was surprised to say the least and just scanned the article while we were standing there. I could see through the pictures that the article highlighted my "Sandcastle" line which features drilled genuine hand collected sea glass and sterling silver. I do remember when South Shore Living Magazine staff asked to come to my studio. I thought they were interested in my instructional video about drilling sea glass.  To see other jewelry designs including bezel set, drilled and wire wrapped pieces go to my website at http://lilianadesigns.com

Thank you South Shore Living!

Rock n' Roll Beach Stones

Many months back I made several attempts at drilling sea stones and lining the hole with a silver rivet. It's a beautiful finished look and I have been collecting sea stones in the hopes that one day I would succeed at this method. It turns out that I was simply missing a step in the process. Some people have rivet machines that work beautifully, but they take the wonderful handwork out of the method and in my view should really be considered "machine made" and not "hand made." But that's just my opinion.

I'll be back to show the process, but in the meantime here is a piece that I created and it's in my ETSY shop! SOLD

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Things Are Not Always What They Seem

... photos are accurate.  None of them is the truth.  ~Richard Avedon
  Photography deals exquisitely with appearances, but nothing is what it appears to be.  ~Duane Michals

Here are photos I took of sea glass with the illusions they created for me: 

 

Sea Glass Drilling

As a passionate collector of sea glass, it took me a long time to feel that it was acceptable to drill sea glass to fabricate jewelry designs without destroying it's original beauty.  I felt that sea glass should not be altered in any way in order to preserve it's original shape and quality. But over time I have come to appreciate the beauty and flexibility drilled sea glass beads can bring to a design appraoch. I still feel though that some sea glass should not be drilled. Rare, well worn pieces and unique finds that are not likely to be matched with another piece may be best set in another way. I guess it is the collector in me. These pieces I hold sacred and will sometimes wrap in sterling but more often set in a fine silver bezel to offset the beauty and unique quality of the sea glass. This setting will also last for generations. I relish the idea that just as the sea glass went on a journey to become the beautiful object it is that it will continue on its journey though the generations as an object of beauty in the form of jewelry.

Here is the video "How to Drill Sea Glass" but I am including a link to a video that shows the method for drilling sea glass with an electric drill and diamond drill bit on YouTube if you prefer. All glass must be drill under water to reduce the possibility of the shattering and avoid having glass dust fly up.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAAbeVs0ITI

Zen and the Art of Sea Glass Hunting

There are few activities that fulfill my desire for adventure more than kayaking along the New England shores and going sea glass hunting where few are able to travel. But there is something about the lapping tides and the abandoned shores that helps to quiet the mind and center the soul. Something in the idea that I may be one of the very few that  have traveled this particular route or landed on just this spot of shore that makes me pause. And then I'm off on the hunt for what has been left behind by those traveling on water or up on the bluff.

Sea glass carries with it a story that in most cases alludes us revealing only hints to their origins through the color of the glass or the subtle markings worn illegible over the years of tumbling in rock, sand and surf. I love it all. It is my "practice" if I have such a thing. The wonder and the pleasure of finding a piece - the pondering and subsequent research into its possible origins. And now taking these pieces of sea glass and creating jewelry designs - wearable art - it completes something for me  - adventure - living full - wonder - excitement  - satisfaction - gratification - expression - beauty - it's all in the getting there!