Slowmade: Nourishing Conversations for Jewelry Artists and Metalsmiths

Lately, I’ve been hearing the same question come up again and again — in DMs, emails, and quiet conversations with other jewelry artists:
Should I be working with a coach right now?
In this bonus episode, I’m sharing an honest reflection from my own experience — what I’ve learned after investing in courses, coaching, and masterminds over the years, what ultimately felt supportive (and what didn’t), and how my relationship to “business advice” has shifted in this current season.
We’ll talk about:
why support isn’t one-size-fits-all

how timing and season matter more than formulas

the difference between scaling and sustaining

and why being in community with peers can sometimes offer more clarity than expert guidance

There’s no right answer here — just an invitation to listen inward, trust your own discernment, and choose what genuinely supports you right now.
If you’re feeling uncertain, tired, or overwhelmed by the noise, I hope this episode helps you feel a little less alone — and a little more grounded as you consider your next step.

Learn more about the Slowmade Collective! My favorite place for support, community, and connection.

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Without your support I couldn’t continue the Slowmade Podcast. Thank you so much!

Follow Christine and Slowmade...
Instagram: ⁠@christinemighion⁠
Jewelry Website: ⁠christinemighion.com⁠
Slowmade: ⁠slowmadepodcast.com

My guest today is Robin Wade and I think she has really mastered the art of weaving in story to each one of her pieces imbuing them with life and personality. I’ve loved her jewelry for a long time, but I’ve recently fallen head over heels in love with her ceramic rattles which you will hear us talk about today.
Robin’s journey as an artist began in high school, when her art teacher recognized she was going through a difficult time time and helped her work through her emotions with art. Influenced by the healing she received through her art practice and the memory of her supportive teacher, Robin began helping troubled and traumatized children find healing using art as therapy, an experience which has deeply impacted her artistic perspective. 
We talk about the intuitive process of creating art, balancing the business side of art with creativity, the importance of boundaries with custom work, and much more.
Bio:
Robin lives near the ocean in Southern California and has been an artist for many years working and teaching primarily in watercolor, sculpture, and jewelry. 
She grew up in Anchorage, Alaska, and has lived in Oregon and Utah. Over the years she worked with mentally ill teenagers, taught art with youth in custody teens, and taught 9th-grade art classes. She also worked for about ten years with abused, abandoned, and neglected children from birth – eighteen years of age. 
Art has always been important to Robin. It has been a way to work through personal trauma, express feelings, connect with joy, and everything in-between.
Robin continues to be moved by the human spirit. The strength and courage it can take to find one’s way through life. She wants her work to touch the heart, make someone laugh, think, and most importantly, remind them of their own inner strength. 
Robin's Instagram: ⁠@robinwadejewelry⁠
Robin on Etsy: ⁠RobinWade⁠
Stephanie Gagos Auction for Artists on Facebook

Laura Jane Bouton is one of the metalsmith’s I’ve had the pleasure of being in community with for some time now, but there was so much I really didn't know about Laura. I was simply thrilled when she agreed to share some time with me for a long overdue conversation.

Laura’s mother was a metalsmith and her son studied goldsmithing while they lived abroad in Italy, but it wasn’t until she could feel her life as she knew it heading in a different direction that she began exploring the craft. Feeling empowered by the jewelry she was creating, she took a leap to create a business and life that she could be in control of.

Laura and I talk about our shared love and emotional connection of creating one of a kind pieces and the personal fulfillment that comes from building a business in the arts. Laura shares how she navigates selling on Etsy as well as Shopify, why she loves teaching others, the unique challenges and rewards of being a self-taught artist, and of course so much more. 

Follow Laura...
Instagram: @lbouton018
Website: www.ljbjewelryshop.com
Etsy: www.ljbjewelry.etsy.com

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Allison Ford is a studio artist and educator whose work lives in the in-between — between jewelry and sculpture, storytelling and adornment, play and meaning. Based in Indianapolis, she has been part of the Harrison Center community since 2009, building a creative life shaped by curiosity, community, and a deep commitment to handmade work.
In this episode, Allison shares her winding path back to making and how her practice has evolved alongside raising her family and later earning her MFA. We talk about the importance of creative community, the role teaching now plays in her life, and why staying playful and curious continues to guide her work.
Our conversation also explores the stories behind some of her most recognizable bodies of work, including her Indiana bug series and the folklore-inspired figure Baba Pascha and her bronze spider companion, and how art can serve as a vehicle for empathy and connection.
This episode is a thoughtful reflection on building a handmade life over time — one rooted in intention, experimentation, and the freedom to create beyond defined lines.

Follow Along:
Allison on Instagram: ⁠@studioamf
Allison’s Website: studioamfdesign.com

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Consider supporting an episode! Learn more at here.
Without your support I couldn’t continue the Slowmade Podcast. Thank you so much!

Follow Christine and Slowmade...
Instagram: ⁠@christinemighion⁠
Jewelry Website: ⁠christinemighion.com⁠
Slowmade: ⁠slowmadepodcast.com

In this episode, I’m talking with artist and goldsmith Elisa McLaughlin, the creative artist behind Truly Kindred.
Elisa’s path has wound through watercolor, music, candle making, and raising five kids — all of which eventually led her to the jewelry bench. Her reflections on finding goldsmithing, navigating her first real creative dry spell, and learning to trust the natural rhythm of inspiration offer such a grounded, honest look at what it means to build a creative life in the real world.
We also dig into the realities of working in gold right now, pricing during unpredictable markets, balancing motherhood with making, and the constant negotiation between authenticity and the pressure to present a polished image online. Elisa shares openly about what nourishes her, what drains her, and how she’s learning to protect her own creative spark.
It’s a thoughtful, relatable conversation with so many small truths woven in — one I think will stay with you long after you listen.

Follow along...
Elisa on Instagram: ⁠@trulykindred
Elisa’s Website: ⁠trulykindred.com

Love the Podcast?
Support an episode: ⁠Click here to learn more!⁠
Without your support I couldn’t continue the Slowmade Podcast. Thank you so much!

Follow Christine and Slowmade...
Instagram: ⁠@christinemighion⁠
Jewelry Website: ⁠christinemighion.com⁠
Slowmade: ⁠slowmadepodcast.com