The short version:
July 31st will be the last day to purchase any made to order rings (or other custom/made to order items). All custom and made to order listings will be removed by Aug 1st.
The longer version:
This maybe was a long time coming, but also happened very suddenly. I'd taken some breaks from making rings while traveling a few times over the last year. I couldn't tell if I was interesting in stopping making jewelry or what exactly the feeling was. Every time I finished a piece though I thought "I can't stop doing this, I love it".
I recently got back from my big 2 month road trip and I knew there would be some kind of shift, but I wasn't sure what it would be. I'd thought maybe while on the trip I'd have some kind of breakthrough, but nothing seemed like that big Aha! moment I've gotten used to having. Upon returning, I allowed myself time to acclimate to being stationary, in a new home and at my studio. I kept waiting for that thing to become clear and for awhile nothing seemed to happen. And then it came in a quiet moment of meditation. I needed to stop doing custom and made to order items.
This had been the bulk of my business and income for most of the last 15+ years. It felt like quitting a job, even though I still have my business and will still be making things and selling them on my website. For a brief moment it felt scary, then the kind of exciting scary like jumping out of a plane when skydiving, and then it just felt exciting and like a relief.
Almost immediately I could feel the decision sink in to my body and release so much weight I'd been holding. There was no question it was the right decision for right now. I know I can always come back to it if I want and if it feels right. The same day I made that decision I finally finished a piece I'd had sitting on my workbench for years. It felt so easy. Being in my studio felt different. Energy was coming back to me and all I it seemed like I had done was make a decision.
It was so much more than that though. Years of ruminating and many hours of meditation, months of travel and endless conversations, therapy and coaching and running and journaling and processing of endless thoughts and emotions helped me to get here.
I'm really excited to see where this leads.
I have inclinations that I'll still be offering some opportunities for some custom things, but we'll see. One thing I've learned is that nothing really is for certain.
