The Magical World of Whims of Wanderlust
/One of my favourite things in life are Crystals, I was lucky to grow up knowing that Crystals are purposeful tools in life that can be used for Healing, and the amplification of intentions. It is my love for crystals, which led me to meet, this creative duo of dreamers, makers, and keepers of the Earth!
One perfect Saturday morning, I was wandering through a street fair, when out of the blue I felt myself being magically drawn towards one of the vendors...
It was an enchanted necklace that had lured me over, with a Tanzan-Aura crystal pendant. I remember, the exact feeling when I touched the jewel…. An immense flash of Light moved through my body, opening my third eye and throat. Immediately, I was mesmerized and curious by the piece.
The Vendor, Roger was an incredibly welcoming Soul, we chatted about the Tanzan-Aura, and the other Crystals that were on display. Roger and I decided to meet again where we would do a “crystal swop”. Well, one thing led to another at our little “crystal swop” rendezvous, which led me to meet Roger’s incredibly talented with Cecilia.
“Believe in your power, embrace your magic, and change the world.”
The day I met Cecilia, was the day I fell in love with Whims of Wanderlust. She had the most beautiful collection of crystal jewels on display, that day I purchased my first piece of handcrafted jewelry from Whims of Wanderlust, which was a large Flourite-point set in copper.
Ever since that first encounter, I have continued to be amazed by the beautiful jewels that Whims of Wanderlust creates. I am so delighted to illuminate Cecilia and Roger as, a Crystal Guardians, as well as talented artists! I hope you too, will be inspired to browse Whims of Wanderlust and find a special handcrafted crystalline jewel.
Please enjoy this sweet interview with Whims of Wanderlust!
Q. Share a little bit about what got you into designing jewelry.
A. Roger and I both have been longtime fanatics of the arts. We were both actually going to school as painters and studying design before we found jewelry making. It just took a small trip to our local gem shop, Lady of the Lake, and seeing a quartz crystal for the first time that we realized it was something we wanted to know more about. How the structures of the stones form and the beautiful aliveness of the paint like colors was just something we couldn’t let go of. After investing in a torch and tinkering with designs for jewelry, we felt we found something special and have been exploring this art ever since.
Q. What inspires you in your designs?
A. I think besides the physical nature of our work which borrows a lot of elements from the natural world, a lot of our work is deeply rooted in ideas and philosophies that we are in love with. I read a lot of The Tao Te Ching and ancient philosophies in general and am always interested in finding the connection and timeless essence of what brings them all together.
In design, I’m deeply focused on how to translate these ideas into physical form and into something that creates an intimate feeling. Some of the ideas that we return to over an over again are emptiness, wholeness, peace, and impermanence. It’s really interesting looking at them written down because the ideas can be so juxtaposed and appear so opposite but they help each other. I even feel that our most treasured pieces are the ones that incorporate the opposites into something that forms together in harmony.
Q. What are your favourite metals and gems to work with, and why?
A. How to choose?! hahaha well garnets and quartz crystals are just ones that have stuck with us through the years maybe because Roger and I have our minds in the air a lot of the time and that helps us stay connected to the now. Currently, though I’ve been collecting a variety of mini stones. Not sure what for yet. It’s always a surprise with stones!
Q. In my opinion, you are one of these Mindful Creatives - what is your vision for creating your jewelry line? ie. How do you think that you can positively impact humanity with your work?
A. That is so kind and thank you so much. When I first started, I felt the vision was simple. It was make something that could make me happy and be sharing that happiness with others. Over the years, it has evolved into many forms of this message and I guess at the core of it, it’s always focusing on creating something with feeling and when we start from this place it has the capacity to reach people in a place that counts.
A lot of the things I’m thinking about nowadays is how to express something without having to say it, and working more with the subtleties. I love that through the shapes of the stones, and the forms of the metal, we can suggest an idea which has more possibility to the viewer than just carving out a heart for instance or an animal. I think having it more undefined lets the viewer ask their own questions and I think that can bring more self-awareness that can help humanity as a whole.
Q. Is there someone (alive or passed through) that inspires you in life (in general)?
A. One of the catalysts of our work, before even jewelry making, was this book I was given as a gift The Journey Is The Destination. It’s a memoir of a young journalist Dan Eldon who made a huge impact in journalism shining the light and using his talent to showcase the tragedies of the world.
Although he died in his early 20’s , his work touched and improved the lives of many because he wanted to go into the places that no one would and devoted his time to documenting refugee camps, raids, and upheavals in 3rd world countries which eventually took his life. His devotion to his work and the use of his talents to benefit others is deeply inspiring.
Although he was one of the youngest to reach successes and recognition in his career, his true mark was the efforts he made to improve the lives of the people he documented often contributing to charities and goodwill. I thought about that and it made me ask questions of my own mortality and the kind of impact I want to leave on this world with the work I do. I was so touched by the message of the book and I made a promise to myself that I will use my passions to the best of my abilities to create good work that improves the quality of life for others.
Q. What message do you wish to leave the World?
A. I always hope that the work we do reminds people that no matter what they are going through that they are valuable and that they have the ability to always move forward. I think with all the noise and busyness that has become the norm for this era, we forget the simple power of slowness and checking in. I think the simple practice of stopping holds something very sacred that positions us to reflect and center ourselves to our values and when we build from that, life just gets better. If the work we do with jewelry can just remind people to remember nature and to hold onto the quiet moments, that would be enough for me.
Q. What is your favourite or most inspiring quote?
A. The Journey Is The Destination. When we drop the weird notion of “arriving” and adopt instead the idea that the reward is something available to us daily, we allow other possibly more beautiful and more meaningful things to take place. It’s added a lot of value to my life and that perspective has flipped my world completely as it is offering a kind of fulfillment in every moment when the journey becomes the reward of the experience.
Thank you for taking the time to look into our world! You can find our jewelry online at www.whimsofwanderlust.com and connect with us on Instagram @whimsofwanderlustjewelry to see our upcoming events. Blessings!
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Thank you, Cecilia, I am delighted to share your inspirational artwork.
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