Alignment: how to create from presence rather than consumerism

There’s an afternoon I still remember so clearly. I was sitting on my couch in the Netherlands, surrounded by trays of half-finished pieces…

That afternoon, another order for the Odile came in. And instead of feeling happy, I felt… heavy. Not because I didn’t love the ring, but because I had lost my connection to it.

It’s has always been of my most beloved designs — a piece that has carried so much meaning for me and for the people who wear it.

But I had made it soo many times that I could no longer feel that meaning.

For years, I had been taking all my tools with me everywhere — on trips, in heavy suitcases,... I was always catching up on orders. My body was tense. My mind was racing. And instead of celebrating each order, I started to see it as more weight on my shoulders.

It didn’t feel like the freedom I wished for my life.

So on that day, I just knew: I had to either change something, or stop complety.

So I made a choice…

I would only create a handful of pieces each month. Custom or very high end collection. All deeply personal. All with much more intention.

I’ll never forget my first custom project after that decision — it was to honor a grandmother.

I felt so present and joyful sketching the design, thinking through every detail, knowing this piece would be one-of-a-kind.

And since, my days feel so much freer, lighter.

I’m excited every time I sit down with a client. I can’t wait to start at my bench — and because I’m not working on dozens of orders at once, I don’t have to create every day. If I’m not in the right mood, I simply wait. I never bring rushed or heavy energy into a piece.

Now, every piece I create is made slowly, intentionally, and with the space to breathe. Each one is a conversation between someone’s story and my hands. And that’s how I know — this is the way jewelry was always meant to be made.