Featured Maker // Elin Horgan
Elin Horgan
Jewellery Design
Elin is a jeweller with a passion for creating understated, elegant and versatile jewellery that makes you feel amazing. If you love unique design and easy to wear pieces, Elin’s jewellery is for you.
Inspired by abstract art, architecture and the urban environment, Elin makes all her pieces by hand from her Bristol studio. With a design ethos of ‘beauty in simplicity’, Elin uses geometric shapes and clean lines to give her work a timeless aesthetic.
As a child, Elin loved making beaded and polymer clay jewellery, but she didn’t really know much about how to make a career in jewellery happen. Therefore, her studies and subsequent working life took her in a completely different direction and she found herself yearning to do something creative as a counterpoint to a very uncreative job!
Subsequently, Elin took some evening classes at a local college which she absolutely loved and went on to do a Certificate in Jewellery & Silversmithing one day a week, as well as some ad hoc short courses. Following the birth of her first child, she felt like it was a ‘now or never’ moment with regards to taking the leap and setting up her own business and so she went for it. She hasn’t looked back!
Why is creativity important to you?
I think it’s a vital part of being a human being to be honest! I was very creative as a child, always making things (as many kids do), but as I got older, I somehow left that part of me behind. Before I got into jewellery making, I had definitely ignored the creative side of my personality for too long. As soon as I started using my hands again and the creative part of my brain, it was like a light switching on. Often we’re told at school or by friends and family that we’re not creative and then that sticks, but I genuinely believe that everyone is creative; it’s just that some people are better at tapping into it than others.
What do you find most enjoyable about running your own creative business?
Experience has taught me that I don’t enjoy other people telling me what to do so running my own business is perfect for me! I know that having to make decisions about every aspect of the business can be a little overwhelming sometimes, but I love the fact that it’s so varied and no two days are the same. Over the past few years I’ve also learned to accept that I can’t do everything myself and that’s ok – a little outsourcing goes a long way!
How has lock down affected you and your business?
I won’t lie, it’s been a struggle to manage homeschooling two kids with running my business, but I’ve been lucky that my business has actually thrived during lockdown. I’ve noticed a real uptake in the number of people who are interested in commissioning one-off jewellery designs, which is great. It’s always fun to push those creative ideas and develop your making techniques with bespoke work and of course, such a privilege to be part of making a really meaningful piece.
“As soon as I started using my hands again and the creative part of my brain, it was like a light switching on. Often we’re told that we’re not creative and then that sticks, but I genuinely believe that everyone is creative!”
I also run wax carving workshops so those have had to be put on hold for a while, but I recently taught my first classes for 6 months which was a lot of fun!
Which designer has most inspired you over the years?
David Watkins’ work is something I go back to again and again. It’s so wonderfully bold and optimistic and I love that he was pushing the boundaries of materials and form. There was a great retrospective of his work a few years back at the V&A and every piece in it was just mind-blowingly good!
What is your proudest achievement?
I was chosen to be part of the first cohort of designers for the Royal Academy’s RAted programme which showcased emerging makers. Having a selection of my work stocked in the RA shop gave me a real kick and helped me find the confidence to grow my business.
What advice would you give to others who are starting a creative business?
Don’t feel you have to do something just because everyone else is! I think social media has made it very easy for us to compare ourselves with others, but actually you’re often not getting the full picture. I felt for a long time that I ‘should’ be doing big craft shows, but actually it didn’t really suit me or my work. It took a long time for me to just accept that it was ok not to do these things. Don’t be afraid to go your own way.
Visit Elin’s website & online shop: elinhorgan.com
Follow Elin Horgan Jewellery on Instagram: @elinhorgan
