The Artist: Susan Jones

I am a Cup’ik Alaskan Native born and raised in Bethel, Alaska. Mama bear to four of the cutest kids Amelia, Clyde, George and Harley.

At a young age I found a lot of peace in art, and at that time it was working with pastels and paint. As I’ve grown into adulthood and motherhood I have dabbled in fiber work and sewing. I have landed on beading and jewelry making as the medium I feel the most connected to my creative side, where I find myself with mountains of ideas, an open mind. I use beading time to create but also to listen to podcasts, audiobooks or Netflix, and fully enjoy the closest thing to therapy in my busy life.

As I’ve spent more and more time crafting I’ve had the opportunity to expand on various areas of knowledge and explore all kinds of self help to heal my complex trauma experienced in early childhood, learn more about my adult diagnosed adhd and overall share a piece of me in jewelry.

Each piece of jewelry I feel is a little extension of myself; I pour so much time into design ideas, drafting patterns, testing patterns and weaving that the expansive process leaves me so fulfilled with end products.

The listing, marketing and packaging are like their own little tasks that give me a nice little break from the hard work 😉. On that note I find it a good time to share that I work on a schedule that works for my family; as I am a stay at home parent that is raising her kids with a semi-traditional life doing subsistence activities like cutting, hanging, drying, jarring fish and picking berries as well as processing game.