Who's that Gal: Karen Smith, Metal Artist, Founder & Executive Director of We Wield The Hammer
Name: Karen Smith
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Age: 50+
Occupation: I am a metal artist and an arts educator; I am founder and Ex. Director of We Wield the Hammer
Currently living in: Oakland, CA and Durham, NC
Hometown: Brooklyn, NY
Currently reading: Just As I Am by Cicely Tyson
Favorite wellness ritual: meditation
I never leave home without: Currently, I’d say earrings and a mask; pre-pandemic it was always earrings and lipstick in some shade of red.
Let’s start with the basics. What drew you to a career in jewelry and small sculpture and artistry in general?
I got started in jewelry making as an outgrowth of mala making. I took a mala [Buddhist prayer beads] that had been created for my wedding day and redesigned and restrung them following my divorce. People would ask me about them and I started making malas and rosaries and thikr beads as an outgrowth of my Buddhist practice, my new business venture, and the need to center my practice in every aspect of my life. Then people kept suggesting that I make jewelry; after a while I started making beaded jewelry. I used high quality drilled stones, sterling and gold finding, Swarovski crystals and more. Then I got a custom order from a bride for a pearl bracelet and I designed a stunning three-strand bracelet with pearls, Swarovski crystals and a marcasite locket bezel set in fine silver. The problem? I had no idea how to set anything, let alone a vintage locket. My ideas, my designs were so much bigger than the beaded jewelry I was making so I realized I had to learn how to work with silver, how to solder, and forge.
What does empowering women by supporting their creativity mean to you?
It means making space and time and access for black women to use their bodies in ways that fuel their creativity. There are so many ways that we use our bodies in service. I have felt the most empowered in helping women use their bodies, specifically their hands creatively, in ways that uplift. Creativity enhances every single aspect of our lives; and learning an artform like metalsmithing can change the trajectory of one’s life. I never thought this would be my life, my vocation, my path!
What are some of the challenges you face during a typical day?
Professionally, the challenges I face during a typical day have everything to do with extracting normalcy from an abnormal time. This pandemic has changed everything about how, when and if we can work. Personally, I’ve faced challenges around my own making; I’ve been building a non-profit, We Wield the Hammer over the past three years and within the last year, it’s taken off to the point that I rarely find time to sit at my own bench and create. And because creating brings me untold joy, I’ve found myself lacking in that very necessary state. Regular creating makes my spirit soar and so I have to actively carve out time to make.
What is your favorite piece of advice to give to young women or girls starting out in the metalsmith space? What was the best piece of advice given to you through your apprenticeship in Dakar?
My favorite advice to give to young women is to allow yourself grace and enjoy the path. So many young women and girls, having grown up during the reign of Instagram and other social media seek perfection in unrealistic ways. They expect that if they create something once and it’s not ‘perfect’, they’re no good at it. I have to constantly remind them that they’re learning; of course it won’t be perfect the first, or even the 10th time out! The beautiful thing about working with metal is that you can melt it into a molten lump and start again. It’s as forgiving as it is exacting. Once they stop trying to be perfect, they can learn and grow and enjoy the making.
The best piece of advice I got from my teacher in Dakar was not really advice but more like a realization. I was talking to him about inspiration and artistry and going on about the beauty and joy of making. He showed me a pendant he was making for a client and asked me if I liked it; I said I didn’t. I asked him the same and he said he didn’t care for it either and I foolishly asked why he would make it if he didn’t love it or wasn’t inspired. He allowed that he makes whatever the client wants so that his family can eat. I didn’t get it right away; he is a master goldsmith and comes from a line of masters! He should be able to make whatever he wanted. It was through our conversation that I got to renegotiate privilege. And humility. I sometimes forget that we all have privilege that we operate from and when we are blind to it, it can cause harm to ourselves and others. Because I am an artist in a major city, I have been on the precipice of homelessness, had my car repossessed, and lived below the poverty line all in an effort to grow as artist. I am childless and resourceful and educated and have been fortunate that that trifecta has afforded me a life that some have called “courageous” and “brave” and “adventurous”. Being able to go to Senegal for six months on a whim is a privilege. That teaching was a nudging towards mindfulness and gratitude. And grace.
What does your typical day look like?
Now my typical day is spent doing administrative work: sending and answering emails, working on our social media accounts, answering calls, and planning for the opening of our east coast location in Durham. I am also talking or writing or both to funders and possible funders, working out ways to raise money. Typically, I am at the studio planning, working with the contractor, and more. My days usually start around noon and end sometime around 4 am!
How do you balance your career and your personal life?
I don’t remember what it’s like to have a personal life! In all honesty, my life has revolved around building this program and I literally work 7 days a week to restart it. We had to shut down because of COVID and the pandemic and now that we’re ready to start classes again, everything is centered around making that happen. We are bringing on a Deputy Director soon and so I can see the load lightening. Maybe I’ll take a vacation. Or go on a date. Or sleep.
What’s next for We Wield the Hammer? What’s next for you personally?
We Wield the Hammer has expanded to the east coast; what’s next is opening our doors in Durham! Our timeline is January 2022 to begin our first cohort here. As well, we’re still hoping to find space to restart the program in Oakland. And in 2022, we’re headed back to Dakar to begin the process of starting the program there. It’s where the inspiration came and we’re hoping that the world opens a bit more so we can bring our hammers to women on the continent! For me personally, I am looking forward to being able to create regularly. I’d love to exhibit my work more and I’d love to take a vacation someplace beautiful. I’ve a feeling that there are possibilities right around the corner so stay tuned!
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Heather Finn (she/her) is a clinical social worker living and working in North Carolina. You can follow Heather on Twitter @heatherlynnsw.
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