Spotlight on Ana Simpson

Ana Simpson is a talented jewelry designer and owner of The Pretty Peacock, but a creative career wasn't always an option for her.

Growing up in an East Indian household, she had two career choices: doctor or engineer.

At 14, she set her sights on attending law school. After graduating with her BA and applying to law schools, she scrapped those plans and headed out to work in the corporate world.

After having two children, Ana decided that "being practical is overrated," so she began her dream job - creating personalized and customized jewelry.

She says, "When I started to think about why I love jewelry, the answer was simple: it touches your skin and it means something. That is when The Pretty Peacock was born."

After spending time studying for law school and then working in the corporate world, how did you learn to make jewelry? What was the biggest challenge you faced during that transition? The best reward?

I took a bit of hiatus from working after my second child was born and had the luxury of dabbling in things. I really wanted to have a poem my husband wrote to me when we were dating on a piece of jewelry and decided this was a great time to figure out how I could make that happen for myself.

I become obsessive when I start learning new things - especially anything in the creative realm. I read book after book on jewelry making and design and then started taking classes. That sparked off a whole lot more class taking and experimentation as I got a feel for what I liked design-wise and the mediums I preferred. I still take classes, read books, watch online tutorials - anything that can help better my technique.

Biggest Challenge: I grew up in an East Indian household, so I had to have my career ideas in mind by the time I hit high school. Letting go of the idea that you need to make your career something "practical" was incredibly difficult, and I felt like I had to explain myself, or rationalize why I wanted to make my creative endeavors my career.

Coming from a corporate background helped me organize the start of my business and transferring the skills I had attained was/is a huge asset when you start working for yourself!

Best Reward: My studio is in my house (which is great - but doesn't ever let you escape "work") so I am available to drop off and pick up the kids from school, or re-organize my schedule to make sure I'm there for them if need be. I also get to be creative for work - how in the world do you beat that?!

What advice can you give people who want to leave their current occupations to pursue their true creative passions?

If you are trying to "quit your day job" and live off the income from the sales of your wares, take the time to research the market:
~ What's out there already? How well does it sell? Where does it sell? And to whom?

~ Make sure you think through and write out a business plan. This will help answer a lot of questions that you may not have thought about and give you a guideline to follow as to what your end goals may be.

~ Work out your pricing: I see so many artists selling their pieces at rock bottom prices, which is great for the buyer and you will probably sell more this way - but you need to cover more than just your materials. Time is far too undervalued. Pay yourself an hourly wage and work the formula to figure out how much you should be charging for your pieces to make a profit. If you aren't making a profit, you don't have a business!

~ Start slowly and be realistic: If you can manage to start selling your work and keep your day job, do it. There should be no rush in starting your own business. The first year you start selling, you will learn an amazing amount (as you will every year!) and that will dictate what changes you will make and/or how you will look at the future.

What inspires you?

I love words. I get goosebumps when I hear a song that moves me - even if it's for the thousandth time. I think that poignant phrases or quips can change your outlook - maybe just for that moment, but it is instant and real. That inspires me.

Who has influenced your creative career the most?

I don't know if I can narrow it down to one person. I think my cultural background helped in teaching me to appreciate dance, art, music and literature because we were surrounded with it almost constantly.

My sister was always making something: a doll out of pine needles, a handbound journal, paper mache do-dads...since I'm the younger one, I did the same (not well) and realized that her creativity was her escape, and so it became for me, as well.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

I would love to have my pieces licensed and then have the time to focus entirely on new designs/concepts. One of the downsides to actually selling your pieces is that they have to be made and then you have no time available (or very, very little) designing, or learning something new.

What aspects of your heritage and upbringing in an East Indian household are reflected in your designs?

My Good Karma collection definitely reflects my heritage. I love the patterns used in Mendhi art - it's so elegantly tribal. I use similar patterns in all my Good Karma works (which is why it is my favorite collection!).

What is your favorite piece of jewelry from your own collection?

My favorite piece is the DreamWoven. I love secret-type jewelry like lockets - but this piece is so special to me because it just flows and the secret is completely undetected: no one but you would know there is text inside the spiral. AND it's eco-friendly!

What do you do to relax and unwind?

Designer Spotlight on Ana Simpson I don't know if I have done either one of those things in over two years! I have to get out and far, far away from my studio to feel "offline," so taking a car trip and singing REALLY LOUDLY is always good times.