Origin Story: The Steppe Rings

Back in late 2020, I pulled myself out of a depression that had latched onto me long before the pandemic hit. As a self employed artist, I couldn’t get myself to feel inspiration anymore, to be excited about coming into work every day, and this business that I’d built and worked toward for so many years was slipping away from me. Every day I thought about quitting. It permeated my personal life too. My relationships suffered, and self hatred gripped and clung like cobwebs in my brain. I had nothing left, and it was time to get help.

After months of therapy and starting medication, I began to feel glimmers of myself reemerging. I stepped into my studio one day, pulled out my stone collection, and started fitting shapes and colors together. This is my favorite way to design - losing myself in the forms until new pieces start to buzz at my fingertips. I carved away at the wax until the pieces I saw in my head began to peek through. A new collection of rings burst out of me - all created from materials I had already; these exuberant rings were there within me the whole time.

I choose to share this deeply personal experience because stepping out of depression is the the best thing I’ve ever done for myself, but it also saved this business, my relationship, my friendships, and my ability to show up as a member of my community. And in the three years since treating my depression, I have grown to love the art of making jewelry again.

That initial grouping of three Steppe Rings eventually grew to five, and each one has now found a home. With this latest release, we ‘re up to 39 one of a kind styles.

These rings represent so much to me: the revival of my art, the love I have for myself, a lightness I was able to achieve because I was able to prioritize my mental health and heal my brain. They are exuberant and colorful.

With Adeline, I have always sought to connect with my community. I firmly believe that access to mental health resources is a fundamental human right. In conjunction with Mental Health Awareness Month, 15% of proceeds from this series of designs will be donated directly to La Clinica de la Raza, a local organization with several locations throughout the Bay Area, one of which happens to be right down the street from my studio.

And lastly, if you are still reading this lengthy post and you are struggling with your mental health, please feel free to reach out. I am happy to listen or answer any questions about my own experience with depression, therapy, or medication as honestly as I can.

xo

Lindsay