Making the most of 2020

2020 has been one heck of a year for all of us. As an self employed artist and jeweler I have been forced to adapt and go with the flow the best that I can. at the beginning of the year I had a great studio in the city of Santa Cruz with my best friend and amazing Sculptor Courtney Renee Scruggs of Whatknot Studios.

We had worked together, long and hard, building up the perfect space where we could work, have shows, host classes and meet with clients.

When the pandemic hit everything changed. Shows and classes were cancelled, we couldn't meet with clients and staying at the studio didn't seem to be feasible anymore. We made the hard decision to move our work spaces to our homes and said goodbye to all we had planned for the year of 2020. 

As a self-employed artist the downside of working from home is that you have very little social time to speak of. And with a pandemic looming around every corner of our lives I was forced to dive deep into my work. Scared of what the future might hold and no known opportunities on the horizon I wasn't sure what I was going todo. 

I was forced to shift my gears focusing on my social media outreach, and pushed my online presence and produce as much as possible. What this year has shown is how important our community is, and if it wasn't for mine I wouldn't have been able to keep Darci Shea Studios going.

Despite 2020 I was able to teach an online class with Merry Lee Rae, connect with other jewelers and learn new skills especially from Lucy Walker Jewellery, had an enormous boost in sales, launched my Cloisonné For a Cause page which raised money for fire relief after the CZU Lightning Complex Fire, Surf Rider Santa Cruz Chapter, Cabrillo College Nursing program, Monterey Bay Aquarium, and Second Harvest Food Bank.

Though I am ready for 2020 to be over, I am so very thankful for the year that I have had. I am thankful for my family, my friends, my clients my peers, and my business and my ability to give back to my community and my loved ones.

I am not sure if anyone will ready this, but if you do Thank you. Be safe, be thankful to those you love and we will all get through this together.