Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristi Alder.
Hi Kristi, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I have always enjoyed the outdoors and was raised in it. When I moved to Austin in ‘92 it consumed me. I got a job at a bead shop (I did small seed bead work for a long time as well as wire work), I spent most of my time at the rivers and lakes or traveling the country in my Honda. I spent my 20’s in hot springs, on mountains and at music venues. I worked seasonal and random jobs. Mostly coffee shops and gardening. I would make jewelry in my tent or at a picnic table by a lake. I would trade, sell or sometimes have a friend with an art gallery I could use for showing.
I met my wife in ‘08 and we continued this lifestyle for a while at a slower pace. When we bought our home in Blanco, the summer of ‘18, I was able to really lean into my jewelry again. I finally picked up a torch and just went for it. Here I am.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I could deep dive on this question for some time but my short answer is…
I have been my own worst enemy. I think that is a pretty common reality. I spend a lot of time in my own head and I tend to judge myself harshly. The periods of time when there is a lack of creative flow have been the most difficult to navigate and the slowest lesson to understand. I tend to be impatient and self critical if I am not “producing”. Accepting that my ideas aren’t always on fire and that my creativity is cyclical has been a huge lesson. Creative ideas need fuel and rest and space to be born just like everything else. I am often reassuring myself to slow down, be present, trust yourself, be yourself. Good luck to us all.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a self-taught metalsmith jeweler and a botanical perfumer.
I do a lot of shadow box style jewelry. I use semi-precious gemstones set against heavily oxidized silver arrangements. This juxtaposition really speaks to me. If I had to choose something I am trying to say with my jewelry style it would be the reflection of “light because of dark” and “bright because of the shadows”. For me, the simplicity of a dualistic view offers a place of balance and grace without denying either of the two. It feels like delicate cosmic strength to me. It feels like intentional energy. A woman once described my jewelry as feeling celestial. I liked that.
The botanical perfume scent experiences are a heart project. They are olfactory interpretations of life experiences and my deep reverence for nature. They are meant to be explored and enjoyed. I love it when fellow humans spend long periods of time in front of the perfume table just getting lost in the olfactory experience.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
Courage and Compassion.
Authenticity takes courage and everything could stand to be tempered with compassion.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.heartwoodbotanica.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heartwoodbotanica/
