Why Some Custom Requests Get a Hard No: Your Idea Drains Me
In a previous blog post, I wrote about how I don’t want to make jewelry that isn’t true to my own style. And honestly, that lesson started long before I had a business.
I’ve always been an artist. And from the time I was a kid, people have been asking me to “make something for them”—often for free. At first, I said yes. I thought I should say yes. But what I learned quickly is that if you don’t actually want to make the thing, you’ll end up frustrated, resentful, and the piece won’t even turn out well.
That was a hard but important lesson: if I don’t want to make something, I have to say no.
Because here’s the thing—making something you don’t want to make is draining. It hangs over your head like a cloud, sometimes keeping you out of the studio for days because you feel like you can’t start anything else until that dreaded project is done. It sucks the joy right out of the process.
But when you’re working on something that excites you? That’s a completely different story. The ideas flow, your energy builds, and you can’t wait to get back into the studio. Instead of dragging you down, the work fuels you—you don’t want to stop until it’s finished.
The tricky thing about art is that people sometimes think that because we love doing it, the work is somehow less valuable. Or that giving us a “project” is a gift—like they’re doing us a favor by keeping our hands busy. (Spoiler: I already have more than enough ideas in my own head, thank you very much. 😂)
The truth is, making art takes time, skill, and energy. And just because I enjoy the process doesn’t mean it’s not work. If anything, the joy I get from creating comes because I’m making pieces that light me up, not projects that feel like chores.
So here’s where I’ve landed: I create best when I’m making work that feels true to me. If someone appreciates that and wants to invest in it, amazing—I’m grateful. If they want me to copy someone else’s design, or whip something up for free “because it’s fun,” then I’m not the right person for the job.
And I’m more than okay with that.
Because protecting my creative energy means I actually stay an artist, instead of burning out on projects that were never mine to begin with.
That said, I do still accept custom requests—but only when they align with my style and are projects I’m genuinely excited about. So feel free to ask! I promise I won’t be mean if I have to say no. And I’m always thrilled to make one of my own designs in a different size or with a different stone—those kinds of customs actually fill my energy cup and make me even more excited to create.
