Designer Spotlight: Johanna Wood
A brief story of what you do and why you do it.
It's a compulsion? I just feel like this is what I should be doing and I can't/don't want to stop
HOW DID YOU GET INTO JEWELRY DESIGN?
When I was 12 or 13, I realized that I wanted things to wear that I couldn't find. So I had to learn to start making them myself. And that included jewelry.
What makes your collection unique?
My ideal collection (which is what I'm currently working on OF COURSE) is a little edgy, a little dark. Not for everyone. But for women who are like me, who like things that are special and reflect a different aesthetic. An appreciation for a less obvious form of beauty.
What are your inspirations?
INSECTS!!!!
How are you making a difference in your life?
I feel like now is the time for me to do this, which is why I signed up for this intensive 6-week course. I have a full time job, but it has a shelf life that will eventually expire. I don't want to wait for that to happen.
What's something unusual about you that makes you “you”?
I'm not really sure what to put here. I'm kind of an oddball, so it could be any number of things. One thing is that I have a threshold for the amount of cuteness my brain can process. If something breaches the threshold, I will actually start crying uncontrollably. It's a very positive thing — it's like laughing so hard that you cry. But, it's really embarrassing when it happens — and super-difficult to explain to people…
What's the biggest struggle in running your jewelry business like a business? OR What is your biggest success in running your business like a business?
When I actually had the opportunity to do a big wholesale order, although I'd never done anything remotely even close to that before, I rose to the occasion, I made all the deadlines, and everything went smoothly. I know I can do this. I just need to make it happen. My biggest struggle is marketing myself. Putting myself out there. Getting noticed.
