Meet Joy Fire

We were lucky to catch up with Joy Fire recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Joy, so excited to talk about all sorts of important topics with you today. The first one we want to jump into is about being the only one in the room – for some that’s being the only person of color or the only non-native English speaker or the only non-MBA, etc Can you talk to us about how you have managed to be successful even when you were the only one in the room that looked like you?

I am a woman working in the male dominated fields of blacksmithing, welding, and metal fabrication in general. Sometimes there are a few other women, sometimes none. I am also Caucasian, so I am quite aware that non while women and people of color in general would stand out in different ways in different spaces. I also know that all my experience in this field is in California, which is different than being in similar spaces in other states or countries. And last, I also am short to average height, making me less “threatening”, am cis, and appear butch, which helps people to have an easier place to categorize me. Again, in the context of the generally more socially liberal climate of California. But, with that disclaimer, what I do is simply act as if I know I belong in whatever space I am in. Even if I do feel scared and uncomfortable. I am extra friendly and outgoing, and project confidence, even when I don’t feel it. Also, I genuinely love the world of metal, and I am always excited to talk about it and be with other people who also enjoy it. I know I already have something in common with them, so I take that as a starting point and find a way to share that one thing we have in common, even if there is little to nothing else.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

My tagline on Instagram is Blacksmith, Artist, Teacher, Mom. Right now the mom part of my identity takes up by far the most amount of my time and energy! But the blacksmithing, art, and teaching all support and inform the mom part. I do have a business as an artist blacksmith where I take on commissions and (in theory) make my own forged work. But right now, I am only in the shop on average a few hours every week. I also teach a welding class once a week, which I joke is actually my one day off. Anyone who is the primary caretaker of a child will know that this is not really a joke at all! For the past decade or so of being a blacksmith, artist, and teacher those roles have often taken turns being the one that was most important, relevant, and time consuming, so I know that while mom will always be the very most important now, it too will fluctuate and weave into the pattern of who I am.

Keeping some connection to my identity as an artist and blacksmith is very important to me and helps me to be a better mom. Honoring these parts of myself help me to be able to show up with energy and enthusiasm as a mom, and I hope will show my kids how to maintain balance in their own lives.

I have kept my connection with blacksmithing over the past two years in two ways. One, I wrote a book about blacksmithing, Contemporary Blacksmithing for Beginners, which is available for preorder now and will be released on January 28th. That feels like a huge accomplishment that I am very proud of! Working on the writing and everything else that goes with publishing a book is something I can do while my kids are napping, or when I get a few hours free here and there. I also can stay connected to my community by volunteering with a very important organization, the Society of Inclusive Blacksmiths. We work to give out grants and scholarships and set up mentorships. All in the pursuit of making blacksmithing more accessible for everyone. Blacksmithing is very important to me, and I want everyone who is interested to have the opportunity to try it out.

I have had the honor of having my blacksmithing work shown in several galleries since my kids were born, and I have a few opportunities coming up. While not having time at the forge can be discouraging sometimes, I know that this is just a season of my life, and I know I am doing what is most important. And in the meantime, I find my ways to stay connected to myself and what feeds my soul.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Passion, empathy, and just a hint of overconfidence!

Passion for blacksmithing because that was my north star, my guiding light, and I feel very lucky to have had that. It provided direction for my life, because even when I didn’t know what I wanted to be when I grew up, per say, I just knew I wanted to be making things with metal.

Empathy because that is what informs my design, thinking about how what I make will be encountered and used by others.

The overconfidence is really more complicated than that, because I have a huge problem with self-doubt and not believing my work is good enough. But what I mean is believing I can do something or figure something out even when I really underestimate what it will take to get that done. That specific type of overconfidence means that I start things that maybe I have no business starting, but once I’ve started I just have to figure it out!

Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?

The man challenge for me is prioritizing my time. I have some projects in progress, some in planning, and others that are just ideas for things I want to do. So the challenge is figuring out which one to take on with the little time I have available for this work. What I am trying to do is what I usually do, get it out of my head and on to paper (or a digital list). Making lists is very useful for me and helps me to break down large tasks into smaller steps to help me get towards the goal. I use my notes app a lot for this and have a large school chalk board for when I need to work things out physically. It is chalk board time for sure!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.joyfireblacksmith.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joyfire