Interviewed by Isabella of ISM | Wendy Brandes Jewelry Blog

I discovered Isabella and her blog — which is called ISM — through Instagram earlier this year. I don’t know how I came across her feed, but I was immediately intrigued by her aesthetic …

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i am not symmetrical. — i am a cup with a chip, waiting to be filled up with love, knowledge, and peace. i am an unfinished piece of art ready to be primed and painted. i am the uneven canvas of the right side. i am the smooth silk of the left side. i am one whole picture. i am one whole me. i am whole. who are you? 🌱

A post shared by isabella (@_isabellasm_) on Jan 2, 2019 at 7:29am PST

… her outlook …

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as the end of the year approaches, you might be thinking of new year's resolutions. — i think it's great that we see the new year as a sort of 'cleansing.' however, change is something to be made slowly over time. past vices cannot be let go because of a date on the calendar; acceptance of the new is not absorbed because we made a resolution. this year, aim to instead promise yourself to live each day as they come; meditate to develop a more focused mind; do activities that bring you joy and elevate your skillset. we are always changing, and so is the date. make every day your new year 🌱

A post shared by isabella (@_isabellasm_) on Dec 29, 2018 at 7:56am PST

… and her honesty.

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when i had my car accident over 17 years ago, my front teeth were knocked out. i grew up without being able to bite into simple things like apples. i lost confidence in my smile; i became afraid of laughing because it would mean exposure to my flaws. over the years, i coped with retainers that gave the illusion of teeth. but i was not ok. — when i finally got implants, it created a new feeling; it was the realization that i had missed out on close to 2 decades of happiness because of my learned bad habits. even after growing ok with myself, i still had a habit of covering my mouth. there's something weird about the concept of regaining something you never had. i now feel more aware of the negative emotions associated with growing up with flaws you feel you have no power over. to smile is a treasure. to be thankful for smiling; well, that's something incredible. 🌱

A post shared by isabella (@_isabellasm_) on Dec 13, 2018 at 9:06am PST

From the Instagram account, I went to the blog and was amazed to discover a well-developed website with lots of content and actual writing — smart, thoughtful essays that explored ideas about sustainability, culture, and mentoring at length. This took me back to the blogging golden age of 2007 to 2011, before visuals and short bursts of text became dominant. So, as I sometimes do, I randomly messaged Isabella and asked if I could gift her a few pieces of silver jewelry. (More about that occasional habit of mine in an upcoming video.) She accepted, but then asked if she could interview me for her blog. I wasn’t expecting a blog post or anything else — you know that I believe a gift is a gift — but, naturally, I said yes. I’m glad I did because I found her questions very inspiring. She brought out a different angle of my “how I became a jewelry designer” story. In addition, she asked me, “How do you think a consumer can start transforming their fast fashion mindset (and closet)?” and I practically wrote a novel!

CLICK HERE TO READ MY INTERVIEW BY ISABELLA FOR ISM.

For more reading about Isabella, here’s an interview she did with The ABC Issue this month. And from her blog, you’ll find excellent advice in this post about about working smarter, not harder, when you’re looking for a new job.