Instinctive Smithing: My Rebellious Path to Brave Jewellery

Some of my sketchbooks, gathering dust...

I don’t use sketchbooks.

I don’t follow blueprints.

When I step into my workshop, it’s not about neat lines and perfect plans. It’s about feeling my way with the metal - trusting my gut and letting my hands do the talking.

I call it Instinctive Smithing - making jewellery that doesn’t come from pre-planning, but from the moment.

It’s not always easy. Sometimes I hammer too hard, or the heat is too much, and the metal cracks and melts. But here’s the thing, even those cracks can become part of something beautiful. That’s what I love about this way of working. It’s a little rebellious, a little risky, and always deeply personal.

Every piece I make carries the marks of this process. You’ll see every ridge, every groove - all the honest, raw textures that come from working without a safety net.

No two pieces are the same, because no two moments are the same.

This isn’t about chasing perfection. It’s about embracing what’s real. It’s about making something that feels alive.

Why I Work This Way

I didn’t always make jewellery this way. I thought I had to follow the rules - sketch it all out first, make sure every angle was planned, every mishap pre-empted. But that never felt right to me. I wanted to make pieces that had a little more soul. That carried the energy of risk and the courage to see what happens when you let go of control.

So I stopped buying new sketchbooks to gather dust on the shelves (!) and started trusting my instincts, and the metal.

And in the process, I found a way of working that feels more honest to me. More fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants scary. More real.

This is what I call Instinctive Smithing.

Inviting You In

I know it might sound intimidating, without a plan, letting the piece lead. But here’s what I’ve learned. You don’t need years of experience to start listening to your own instincts. You just need a little bit of curiosity, and a willingness to see what happens.

That’s why I run workshops here in my garden studio. Because I want you to feel that same rush of discovery. The moment when you let go of ‘should’ and just make. You don’t have to be an expert. You don’t have to know what you’re doing (I'm here to help with that bit). You just have to be brave enough to try.

In the workshops, you’ll learn how to shape metal, how to let it speak (without being all woo-woo!), and how to find your own voice in the process. I’ll guide you, but I won’t hold you back. Because the best pieces and the best stories come from trusting yourself.

A Final Word

Instinctive smithing isn’t for everyone. But if you’re ready to embrace the unknown, to create something that’s yours alone, then you’re in the right place.

Let’s make something brave together.

Book a workshop here.