Today we will be chatting to the jewellery maker Joe Kang.
1) What initially sparked your interest in making jewellery, and why did you decide to pursue this further?
I honestly loved being creative in every which way, having a try at all the things. It was after I started selling all of my handmade things - my sewn goods, photography, paper goods, jewellery and even cupcakes (yes, I would sell all of these things on my little stall), that I realised it was very confusing for customers My partner pointed out that I was trying to be the 'Jack of all trades, but the master of none.' This made complete sense, so I decided to focus on just one trade hoping that would give me a better result at the markets. After just a few summer markets selling just my quirky range of jewellery, I noticed a spark of interest and knew this is what I wanted to do!
2) Could you offer a sneak peek into a new technique or style you're excited to explore in the future?
This has been on my bucket list for so long, but I am hoping to start experimenting in lost wax. It uses carved wax set into a sand mould and molten metal poured into that mould then takes on the shape of what was carved in wax.
3) What challenges have you faced in your crafting career, and how have you overcome them?
There have been plenty of hurdles for me as a maker along the way. I think you need to have a thick skin and perseverance to pursue a career in the creative industry. You'll have a lot of people that don't understand creative practices, let alone going at them as an actual career. So, in the beginning I had to just listen to my heart and go for it, rather than listening to my loved ones telling me I was making a mistake or wasting my time.
I started my business almost 15 years ago. In the early days Etsy or pop-up shops weren't really heard of and people still looked at handmade crafts as something you'd find at a granny craft market. Fortunately Bristol back then had a tight knit creative community with some real game changers who wanted to bring us creatives together and showcase our work in shared community spaces (pop-up shops) etc. The shops would be so well curated and fitted out that the general public took a lot of interest in what was being sold. It was liberating to be able to work alongside other amazing creatives to make a bigger and such a positive impact on all of our businesses. There is beauty and so much strength in collaboration!
In these times, craft has moved on and been showcased so positively over the last 10 years that now everyone seems to be trying their hand at being a creative business, which is fantastic, but also at the same time very challenging for existing businesses like mine who now face fierce competition. Jewellery makers in Bristol alone seem to have increased 10-fold. It's a good push for my business and the challenge will always be to stay one step ahead of the game.
Need I mention the challenging times we've faced in these recent years...Brexit, Covid, general world annihilation... All these things challenge the best of us, and it feels like we need to constantly chop and change how we run our businesses to make ends meet. Moving businesses online has been a huge thing for many. I think you need to make yourself known on the web to have much reach as possible. It's trying at times to function as a one-man-band. You have to master every angle of running as business, as well and producing the goods that you are trying to sell.
4) What advice would you give to aspiring craft artists looking to turn their passion into a successful career?
I think I'd say that you will have the best success if you are truly doing something that makes you want to get up in the morning. You'll be spending a lot of your time eating, sleeping and breathing whatever your passion is, so you need to be in love with it!
Put the work in people! It is so infuriating how many people want to know how I do what I do and all the shortcuts to get there... Put the graft in, it's a massive part of the gratification of running your own business. I've spent endless hours of research, trial and error every step of the way. Try, try...try again. Be you're authentically yourself and try not to imitate other peoples businesses.
5) Share a heart warming tale of a crafting project that not only brought you joy but also created a special connection with its recipient or the audience.
I was approached by a lovely lady about a commission on some earrings. She had recently had part of one of her earlobes removed and had been keeping it hidden, usually by wearing her hair down and covering that side of her face.
She came to me as a desire she now wanted to bravely showcase that ear and wanted me to make her an earring that had a bit of pizazz to it. We got talking about her ideas and I drew up a few designs to take back to her. We went with a couple of funky ear climbers - one for her to wear everyday, and then a much fancier one. She was over-the-moon, as was I with how they came out. It was a complete joy to make someone so happy. I'd say the best thing about doing what I do I seeing the smile it puts on peoples faces when they see my work!
Now for a few fun questions...
6) What is your favourite restaurant in Bristol and why?
Wilson's in Redland. It was one of the first of it's kind in Bristol offering field to table seasonal menus supporting small scale farmers using regenerative practices. Its genius plates offering so much flavour and texture that they would leave you wanting for more!
7) Tell us about a book you've read recently that you would recommend to a friend.
Convenience Store Woman is an endearing short read about the hidden life of a nuanced 40 something year old Japanese convenience store worker and her recent personal challenges she finds herself in. The expectations of conformity in society when you already struggle to fit in.
8) Which TV series are you currently hooked on?
My real guilty pleasure is Married At First Sight. I know these shows are highly edited but I still find them so intriguing and fascinating seeing how people interact be that in relationships, friendship groups, the peer pressure, the psychology of men and women. Believe it or not, it's pretty educational if not a little trashy too - the Aussie ones always have the best couples!
9) If you could master any skill instantly, what would it be?
I loved to be given the skills of joinery. It's such as wonderfully fascinating and highly skilled craft. I'd love to be able to build my own house and everything in it!
10) And lastly, where do you shop to buy your cards and gifts? High street shops, online or elsewhere?
I always buy my cards from independent shops as well as direct from the makers either in person or on their own websites.