Featured Mom - Mel of My Aphrodite & Giveaway!

Today's featured mom has stepped outside the interview format (yay!) and composed a post of her own. Mel sells her unique jewelry through her Etsy store and has embraced motherhood and creativity in her life. Enjoy her words and make sure to read the post for instructions on how to win one of her pieces!

written by Mel of My Aphrodite

I'd like to say that metal always called to me, but it didn't. I wasn't born with silver in my veins. I got into jewelry because I wanted to spend a spring semester goofing off and I was fortunate enough to attend a liberal arts college that allowed me to do just that. Like most floaty folk-chick types, during my time in college I developed an obsession with the Pre-Raphaelites. Their idealized version of what was truly beautiful was enchanting to me. Plus, I wanted everyone to know that I was a sensitive soul that cherished love and beauty. The truth is, I liked listening to "Jagged Little Pill" over and over, drinking beer, playing naked soccer at 2 in the morning and trying to make time with sensitive theatre boys who had long hair and cried easily.

Jewelry making was just another extension of that pursuit of beauty. But beauty takes time; there was rather a lot of melting in the beginning. And burns. And swearing. And saw bites. And firescale. But little by little over the years, I've got the hang of bending Sterling to my will and coming out with a nice finished product.

Like a lot of new mothers, I struggled with post-partum depression and to me, the worst aspect of it (aside from making me question whether or not I was fit to be a parent in the first place) was the loss of motivation towards any form of creative activity. I didn’t realize how important my artistic endevors were to me until I couldn’t face them anymore. I am tremendously lucky to be blessed with a hugely supportive and caring husband who urged me to take care of myself and do what I had to do in order to be happy. After starting on anti-depressants, I re-discovered my passion for silver working and have been on an unstoppable creative bender ever since. Discovering Etsy has also been the one of the best things that’s ever happened to me creatively. It not only gives me an easy way to peddle my wares, but I feel very accepted in the community and have made some lovely friends along the way.

Finding time to work with a toddler in the house isn’t always easy, but I do manage, during naps and post-bedtime. My work has changed dramatically in the last few months. Before having my daughter, I was obsessed with creating complicated pieces, but since spending time with her and the books that we read over and over, I’ve moved into less complicated but still pleasing shapes; things that she can point to gleefully and identify.My passion for jewelry work was something I never expected but I can’t now imagine being without it.

Mel has offered up this sweet little birdie, a miniature version of her best selling "Potential for Flight" pendant. It's strung on a 16 inch purple leather cord and has amethyst and citrine bead accents. To win - Go check out her shop, her work is truly inspiring! Pick your favorite item, then come back here and tell us what it is in comments. Make sure you leave your email address so we can contact you if you're the winner.


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