Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Vanessa Barcus. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Vanessa with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?
I suppose my work ethic comes from both lines of my family really. There’s my mom, who tirelessly ran a nonprofit in Boulder most of my life. She came from a brilliant and very accomplished family, including Jews who fled the holocaust to become internationally recognized scientists, and a line of highly-educated women who attended university from as early as the turn of the 20th century on. Then there’s my dad’s side, who arrived to America and traversed the plains in covered wagons in the 1800s. Some intensely determined, resilient, and smart folks there. No pressure, right?
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
After about 19 or so years of working in fashion and branding, my career has evolved into goldsmithing and jewelry design. It’s such a different experience to work with my own hands, using predominantly old world, analog techniques. I find that it really takes me out of my head, and into my body – a meditation, in a way. That was something I think I needed. My collection Talisman Fine Jewelry is really a means for me to not only express myself artistically, but is also something through which I can combine my spiritual practice and professional worlds. That was challenging to achieve consistently in fashion. Now I create tiny talismans for the wearer, in the truest sense of the word – gold pieces that are imbued with real energy and intention. Yet, at the same time, I think the designs also stand up on their own, from a purely aesthetic standpoint. You don’t have to be woo-woo to wear them. They’re sculptural heirlooms, blurring the lines between simple, everyday jewelry, art, and sacred adornment.
As far as upcoming news and events: Mid-summer is the time I take to develop new designs for fall, so be on the lookout for some sneak peeks into what those are! I’ll be unveiling these new things along with the full collection at the Found Collective market in Boulder on Saturday, September 9th. It’s an incredibly well-curated group of Colorado makers – I recommend not missing it!
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?
Some people are surprised to learn that my educational background is in finance (economics, to be exact, along with an MBA). I had to teach myself the creative and technical skills I needed along the way, in order to produce my line Talisman. Prior to starting my jewelry line, I naturally gravitated to styling people and spaces for photoshoots and runway shows – that was my biggest creative outlet. I think I still utilize that sense of balance, color, proportion and aesthetics when I design now too. But that skillset is something that was probably inherently in me from the get-go.
These three things have all been essential to what I do now, in very different ways – I know how to run a business, I know how to solder gold and literally hand-produce my work, and I have a sense of aesthetics and proportion that helps me in designing the collection.
My advice to others is to find what you’re naturally drawn to – what brings you pure joy – and expound upon that. Explore it. Take some classes if you need to, and learn along the way. But, especially for creative folks, it’s also important to understand at least a little bit about how to run a business. That’s unfortunately just the society we live in. I do recommend taking a business class or two. If that’s really not your strong suit, though, it’s good to recognize that, and seek professional help to supplement the things that you are good at. Also, it’s never too late to try a new direction or start again. Curiosity is the most important thing. That and perseverance.
Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?
Daily meditation has been a huge part of my life for about 11 or 12 years now. Time in nature is critical too. In my previous career, when I owned a boutique, I found that meditation was the only thing that could really help me deal with my anxiety and stress levels. I think in today’s chaotic, overwhelming world, it’s pretty essential for everyone to just get quiet, tune in, and become present before proceeding with your day. The world would be a better place if we all could do that.
I know some people think they’re ‘not good’ at meditation, or just ‘can’t do it.’ There are so many forms of meditation out there though – find one that works for you. And just know that it’s never going to be perfect. Perfection is an illusion. A nice audio with a guided visualization meditation is a great place to start.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://talismanfinejewelry.co/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talismanfinejewelry/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/talismanfinejewelry
Image Credits
Sara Ford Matt Nager
