In early 2018 I was feeling a bit frustrated with Instagram. I was putting tons of effort into gorgeous photos and thoughtfully written posts (showcasing my jewelry) but my growth and engagement sucked. Algorithm changes and the grind of posting daily on my business account (@corkieboltonjewelry) had me feeling discouraged. I had however made some amazing friends and marveled at Instagram's power to connect people. So I had an idea: what if I started a page that connected jewelers that were willing to help each other out? @metalsmithsociety was born.
My journey with jewelry making began in high school and it was an instant obsession. I enjoyed the challenge of it and improving my skills was very satisfying. I went on to receive my Bachelors in Jewelry Design at Pratt Institute in 2007. From there I worked for other jewelers, did my own thing, and did some teaching, however I missed having a teacher of my own! In recent years I found myself reaching out to an old coworker when I had a jewelry crisis (we've all been there) or trying to Google solutions. There is nothing better than troubleshooting with another jeweler if you can, Metalsmith Society is my solution.
My goal with Metalsmith Society is to create a friendly, safe place to share all ideas pertaining to jewelry making and running a jewelry business. There are no stupid questions and no "right" way to do something. I'm also not about sharing proprietary information, meaning I'm not trying to share how to copy another artists work. Every morning I post a tip, some of the content I create, some is sent to me and some I repost from other artists. Crediting those that help me with the content is very important to me. I genuinely believe in #communityovercompetition, and want to surround myself with other jewelers that support one another and share their knowledge.
Thank you for joining us, and for showing up daily with your own insights. This community would be nothing without all of you!
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Corkie
I have just now discovered you and so glad I did! First thing I did, even when I had a million questions about who and what you are, was order the stickers and the pin (can’t wait to get them!) because they make me feel part of a community of people I so admire and respect. This craft is not as easy as it looks – I still haven’t mastered soldering! – and finding a community where you can ask questions without feeling judged for your lack of expertise is huge for me! Thank you for doing this because I don’t know if you really realize how huge it is for those of us just getting started! And if you, do, that means you’re a really smart gal! 😉
Thank you for that, your blog is amazing and in my sad days where I feel hopeless with my hands and I fail everything I have a look at your Insta and It feels really good to see that everyone goes through hard times but find solutions as well and share them !!! Thank you again Corkie !!!
Corkie has already saved my craft more times than I can count now by creating metalsmithsociety! This is the community that I've longed for since high school; the creative, nerdy, hands-on, intensely dedicated silversmiths that go above and beyond to help out a fellow smith. This page has been priceless for me, and has helped foster a new love of learning that I thought I'd given up on years ago. Community over competition! Thank you a thousand times, Alli (alliallioxxenfree)
@Metalsmithsociety is EXACTLY what I wanted from Instagram! I am trying to get back into the craft after a long break and have only had YouTube or occasionally books to reference. Asking for help on Instagram usually didn’t work since I suspect most people don’t always read what I write. I have learned so much following you in the last few months! I also feel like there is a library of techniques at your page I can access when I am ready for them. Thank you, Thank you, thank you! @uponacoppervine