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Metalsmith Liz
A local artist turns to teaching too.
You can work on your creative muscle, from your childhood on, until the cognitive equivalent of biceps and pecs pop like the rocks. That’s what Liz Stingl, preferably known as Metalsmith Liz, did, for she was born into a creative family. Her mother is an accomplished seamstress and her father does pastels portraitures and stain-glass. So, Metalsmith Liz was raised in a creative space by creative parents.
“I am grateful that I had constant art supplies at my fingertips and went to many art fairs. I have always loved art. When I was young, I did not focus on one specific thing. I just constantly created.”
Metalsmith Liz, as her preferred name denotes, eventually found a preferred medium.
“I was 19 years old and enrolled in a college metals course. After only being at the jewelry bench for a week, I knew what it was what I wanted to do the rest of my life.”
In movies, when a character wants to acquire the skills to meet a challenge, there’s often a montage set to music where mastery is achieved in a seeming snap. Of course, it’s never so simple.
“I have always wanted to be the best jeweler I could possibly be. So, starting out, that meant trying a lot of different techniques. I practiced for hours upon hours at my bench and enrolled in multiple continuing education workshops. I am proud to say that I now have over 10,000 hours in my craft.”
Those thousands of hours refined her focus. It is a singularly north woods Wisconsin focus, as she transforms actual pieces of Wisconsin birch bark into fine art jewelry.
“I typically use sterling silver, gold and sapphires in my wearable art jewelry.”
She had been professionally making jewelry for seven years under the shingle of Casual Ore Formal, before she decided to focus on her birch bark jewelry line.
“I felt this design style represented me the best as an artist.”
However, this issue of 5ive for Women isn’t about people who find their comfy slot in life and stay there. This is the “New Beginnings” issue and Metalsmith Liz doesn’t just have creativity in her blood. Her parents aren’t just artists. They are teachers too.
“My mother is a preschool teacher and my father was a high school art teacher for many years. Teaching runs back many, many generations throughout my family tree. Looking beyond my extended family’s professions, from a young age, I was thrilled to attend school. I have always loved learning and knew I was supposed to teach.”
So, Metalsmith Liz doesn’t just have the background and compulsion to create. She also has the passion and the family history to teach others to also create. She’ll get to teach others to develop their creativity and revel in it.
“I love that powerful, creative rhythm that you get into when you listen to your instinct and flow with the design. You often lose track of time while focusing on the process. Then, sometimes when I stop, I look down at my project and think “WOW! I just created that!”
However, simply having the metal-working skills, the passion, and the bloodline isn’t necessarily enough. Launching a new enterprise requires myriad other skills. Luckily, Metalsmith Liz isn’t a two-trick pony, i.e. metalsmith and teacher.
“Although I was an art major, I forced myself to take an accounting class in college.”
Metalsmith Liz recognizes that juggling numbers is just the start of starting a new business.
“Networking is key. I’m going to business networking groups and listening to other business owners share their successes and struggles.”
One might think that a metalsmith turned teacher wouldn’t find a lot to glean from a franchise owner and a wanna-be plumber.
“There is actually a lot more overlap between industries than one would initially think. I don’t need to reinvent the wheel.”
To begin a new business, there is also a Great Wall of Paper to scale.
“Business regulations and paperwork can be overwhelming. I just ask for help and urge other aspiring entrepreneurs to do the same! Find a knowledge organization in your area and reach out. I have worked with the Small Business Development Center and Western Dairyland.”
Other entrepreneurs and the Small Business Development Center and Western Dairyland aren’t the only ones who have Metalsmith Liz’s back.
“The school will be marketed first through the help of Artisan Forge Studios (AFS). We are a group of 50+ business creatives who run events together and spread the word about each others specialties. Also, AFS get many inquiries for classes.”
And her peer group is considerable.
“The jewelry world is a close-knit group of folks. I will reach out to metals groups and organizations to make them aware of the classes that Casual Ore Formal is offering.”
Metalsmith Liz also has developed the requisite focus to launch a new business.
“Owning your own business is hard. You are always being pulled away from what you really want to do. So, to combat this endless stream of the ‘business-to-do list,’ I attack it in two ways. One, to free up my time, I delegate tasks to a reliable contractor, e.g. an accountant. Two, I make it a point to do my specialty work first. So, when I arrive in the morning, I sit down at my jewelry bench to create or write curriculum prior to doing anything else.”
Because some of her coming students might also have entrepreneurial aspirations, Metalsmith Liz intends to teach more than just jewelry making.
“I hope to relay to my students both knowledge in jewelry-making techniques and entrepreneurial advice.”
And what will inform her teaching tactics?
“I have been preparing myself to teach for many years. During my studies, I was taking note of my instructors’ teaching styles and best practices.”
She anticipates her students ranging from middle school to their retirement years. She doesn’t anticipate all having professional aspirations, so her curricula will vary accordingly.
“There will be beginner courses, to more advanced topics offered at different times. I foresee students attending the jewelry-making classes as a hobby. However, I hope to inspire some to pursue a career in the jewelry industry.”
Classes will be offered at AFS in Eau Claire with details coming, accessible at Facebook.com/CasualOreFormal and @casualoreformal. To see the fruit of Metalsmith Liz’s creativity, there’s a coming showing.
“Casual Ore Formal is launching our latest original creations in the Birch Bark Jewelry line. Find them on display at Artisan Forge Studios Gallery from March 8th-April 2nd, with a free celebration open to the public on Saturday, March 12th from 11-5 p.m.
And if you’re a little hesitant about forging a new skill, Metalsmith Liz tenders some parting advice for you:
“It is never too late to start creating. Just start on a small scale and I mean even a really small scale is okay. Allow yourself to enjoy the process and don’t get too hung up on the outcome. Just begin.”
Beginning again is exactly what Metalsmith Liz is doing.
