International Women’s Day Spotlight: Steph Swan
Steph Swan, the founder and jeweller behind Jane Finch, features in today’s IWD Spotlight. We chatted to Steph to understand her creative spark, why you should strive to be the dumbest in the room, and the importance of playtime.
Steph, what inspired you to pursue your creative passion?
Growing up, my life always centred around creativity and the arts. My family would debate amongst one another whether I'd turn out to be an artist, a musician, or an engineer. My curious mind couldn't stop pulling things apart to understand how they worked.
That's actually how I fell into making jewellery. I came across a silversmith on Instagram in the early days, and thought: "that's so fucking cool.” Half an hour later, I was buying a small kit of tools and metals to give it a try.
That was 10 years ago, and the curiosity never faded. I absolutely love the trade—and now that I'm maturing into the role more, I'm learning to really love the design and styling side of it.
How do you stay motivated, especially during the more challenging times in your career?
It can be tough. Right now, there are three things I'm doing to navigate challenging feelings.
Play time. I've been blocking out a couple of days each week, where there is absolutely no plan for what to make. The challenge is to walk in, pick some stones, roll out the metal, and just make something new.
Shifting away from sell sell sell, to focus on nurturing connections. That includes anything from connections with clients, to other business owners.
Focusing more on my health and routines. I love weight training and walking my dogs, so these things are non-negotiable for most days of the week. Evening walks really help me quieten my mind—sometimes they give me the space to think things through more rationally, and give myself a lil pep talk if I'm ever feeling doubtful.
What advice would you give to other women who want to pursue their creative endeavours?
"Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do,” is a quote that rings in my mind.
I would also say: you're incredible and you can do this. Seek community, never be afraid to ask for help, and always be the dumbest person in the room—you can learn so much from others.
Shop Steph’s products in our Ivanhoe store, or head to the Jane Finch website to shop the full range.
