We recently connected with Emily Grimes and have shared our conversation below.
Emily, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
How did I find my purpose? Hmmm this is always a hard one, but my favorite question. Art has always been an outlet, or an escape from my own head sometimes. I feel my mind never stops, from ideas, to thoughts, or creative designs I’m arranging in my head. When I am creating I truly love the person I am, I feel more open and more free.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I started this “hobby” of mine almost 7 years ago. I had lost my grandfather in 2016, him and I were thick as thieves, my best friend. That was probably the hardest day of my life, adjusting to a huge loss is never easy. I always kept a jar of his memorial flowers from the funeral in my room. And of course, may mind never stops, so I researched ways to preserve the flowers in any form to keep them around me forever. That’s when I discovered flower jewelry, real flowers preserved in a clay or resin for every day wear! I then made myself and my family a set of jewelry with his flowers that we all keep to this day. They are forever so special to me. Fast forward 6 years and I have been preserving flowers into jewelry, keepsakes, and functional artwork for families all over North Georgia and the south east. 4 years ago I was asked to preserve a wedding bouquet and fell in love with the thought of that. Something so special from such an important day now saved forever. Today I work with over a dozen wedding venues in Georgia. I also have brides all over the country that mail me their bouquets, child me is screaming at this realization every day. This October was 1 full year of running this small business full time! I worked with 300+ families preserving their flowers from weddings, special events and memorial services. This was a dream coming true. When I was younger I always dreamt of my art hanging somewhere and now its all over and in the most special way.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
My best advice would be to never give up on yourself over al things. Believing In yourself can take you and your path a very long way. Yes some days are hard and some days feel too terrible to even continue your passion, but in the end you are here, with this drive for a reason. Skills in my opinion are something you have learned over time, skills take time and tons of trial and error. Finding what works best for you and your medium. What works best wit your customer base and your flow of work.
Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?
My parents have been constantly supportive with my love for art since I was tiny. They always made it possible for me to enjoy art in school and at home. My dad always drew with me and I loved seeing what he was creating from day to day. He had this red 3 ring binder with doodles, full drawings of cars, fire trucks and other really detailed things. So what did he do? He made me a 3 ring binder with all of my doodles and drawings inside. I always loved painting and sculpting from a very young age. To this day that is probably my favorite mediums! Fast forward 20 something years and they are still so incredibly supportive. My mom is always there when it comes to working a market, or a bridal expo. Everyone knows her just as well in my business which I adore. My dad is always there for mechanical or technical things or gifting me a new gadget or tool for the studio for Christmas. I truly have the best team around me.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.southernsagejewelry.com
- Instagram: @southernsagejewelry
- Facebook: @southernsagejewelry
