The saying goes first impressions last, no group of people exemplifies this more than Jamaicans. The minute we meet you, you’re being summed up, evaluated and scored and if wi “spirit tek yuh” it means we are good, probably for life. Well, when it comes to Jody, mi spirit jus tek har, straight.
Jody is an uber creative, bohemian flower child with incredible talent for turning plain ole copper into the most beautiful pieces of jewelry. She is the owner and creative genius behind August Adorn, an online jewelry brand she started three years ago. She describes her work as wearable hand crafted art that is contemporary but with a unique style that is healing.
There is just so much to admire about Jody’s work, the beautiful finish, the simple but sophisticated style of her pieces and the amount of time she has dedicated to perfecting her craft. But, what I am most impressed by is how much of herself she puts into her work. Every single piece is conceptualized, designed and lovingly hand made by her. And you can tell too in how they are presented and cared for even after they’ve found new homes.
It’s not often you meet business owners digital or otherwise, so invested in the ongoing preservation and care of their work. She wants her pieces to not only last but look good for the owner for as a long as possible. As the owner of several pieces of her jewellery, I can tell you, you will get a call from her reminding you to send them back in for cleaning and repolishing.
“August Adorn is art, I am an artist, I express myself through my creativity by crafting and crafting helps me to exercise my masculinity and express my femininity and I think that is such a beautiful balance of both my sides.”
The passion Jody has for her work, and the conviction she has in the ability of her work to bring healing to the wearer is also admirable. Most of her pieces are predominantly and intentionally made from copper because she believes that that material has natural healing qualities and creates balance.
“August Adorn is art that heals, art on a whole is healing but I love the fact that my art heals and at the same time beautifies and at the same time is very fashionable, it’s a very good balance and a very good flow.“
Talking to Jody you can feel the love she has for her craft, and as a creative or professional who feels deeply about what you do, you can understand. It’s quite a wonderful thing when you’ve realized your purpose and most importantly embrace it.
“Me doing crafting and jewelry came to me in such a natural way, that I really just had to go with that flow and keep in that flow … I literally just saw copper , fell in love with it and practiced until I got to this point.”
It’s that dedication and focus why ‘mi spirit tek har’, because I can truly say I get it, and it’s why I will continue to support her work. Not only do I feel good wearing it, not only do I look dope as hell in it, but I feel that what she does represents who I am stylistically. That’s how much I believe in her work, it’s really just that good.
So scoot on over to August Adorn, be sure to follow, but also if you like her pieces, support di ting, remember buy Jamaican build Jamaica.
