Being an art craftsman in the digital age: how to balance studio time with the pace of social media

While my profession as a goldsmith has remained unchanged for over a decade, and the tools used to create and shape my designs are the same as those my father and his mentors used, the representation and presentation of my work to the public have radically changed !

Back in 2008, no social media platform showcased my work. What I needed was time to share, talk, and demonstrate with those who stepped into my studio. Discussions would ensue about aesthetics, comfort, and often the emotions evoked by the jewelry.

During those interactions, I could feel how my creations were received , leading me to questions my work and convictions. I would consciously adjust my research and inevitably influence my perspective.

Today, thanks to the digital world, I maintain contact with an unprecedented number of people. I exchange ideas and projects at the speed of light. However, I am also obligated to exist digitally, with a rhythm and a regularity that my artisanal work, can't accommodate!

How can one spend hours filing, stretching, turning, and polishing, or even drawing, casting, pinching, and sawing, while simultaneously, like a certified communicator, maintaining a presence on platforms that voraciously consume both energy and time?

While the digital world brings opportunities and freedom I could'nt decline, it also pushes constraints that I'd rather not see in my studio.

Similar to goldsmithing, isn't the digital world constantly teetering on a delicate balance? It perpetually seeks equilibrium between strength and finesse, connection and solitude, lightness and power—always negotiating a path between desire and constraints.

Creating and producing may be choices and pleasures, but selling becomes a necessity. Unfortunately, in the digital age, self-promotion is an obligation thrust upon us.