Today we’d like to introduce you to Michaela Farkasovska.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I was born in Slovakia and raised in Liptovsky Mikulas, a small town located between the stunning Tatra Mountains. To this day, my hometown remains one of the most beautiful places in the world for me with its rolling hills, gorgeous mountain peaks, and striking panoramic colors. From an early age, I was passionate about being outdoors and playing sports. I have spent my teen years competing in many events including alpine skiing on the National Ski team. Since I can remember, I was drawn to the Art world, with the point of view that one expresses themselves through colors and shapes. I was intrigued to understand the Artist’s state of mind was when they were creating their fascinating works of Art.
As for me, I found that painting through high school has helped me find the state of flow that apart from skiing I have not found anywhere else. It may have come from my grandfather, who was self-taught craftsman working with many types of wood and metals. He also had a vast love for nature and wildlife, reflected in his work in engravings and sculpted details in hand made furniture. All of these influences played a vital role in shaping my passions and inspiration.
After going to college to earn both my Bachelor and M.B.A degrees, and working many years in the corporate world, I still felt an emptiness in my heart, so I decided to try and follow my grandfather’s passion for creating artwork inspired by nature. Upon moving to the US West Coast in 2016, I have attended and graduated from the Revere Academy Jewelry Technician Program in San Francisco. I built on these learnings by earning a 3D-Design Jewelry certification which allow me to combine the latest jewelry design technology with traditional goldsmith techniques to create bespoke heirloom jewelry that I hope will be cherished for generations.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I decided to venture out on my own and launched my jewelry business in 2016. This was my second career path after working 8 years in the corporate world. I can tell you this was not a straight path from working in corporate information security to an entrepreneur making fine jewelry. It took some personal soul searching and listening intently to my inside voice. I wrestled with both family and friends’ opinions and expectations as I care deeply of the views of those close to me. In the end, I am incredibly grateful and fortunate, that I was able to explore the Art of Jewelry making and eventually make it my full-time career profession.
As I have found, like many creative people when they start their artistic journey, I was conflicted with the many different directions to take my jewelry art. Sometimes, I need to quiet down the outside voices and influences to focus on my own unique designs and collections. Easier said than done. But, as with most things, it takes time, patience, persistence, and a good amount of stubbornness to have things fall into place, eventually showing signs of success.
My personal challenge was defining what does success mean for me. Obviously, there are monetary goals, but I have found that in any creative space one needs to remain creative and passionate about creating and designing new pieces, otherwise process becomes tedious and non-motivating, which is hard to sustain if one does not have other higher drive and purpose.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I make meaningful fine jewelry and custom designs that are built to last and cherish for generations. Each piece is created with attention to detail and care, hand finished by me in my studio in Sandy, Utah. My goal is to create designs that represent core memory, feeling that one would like to be encapsulated and hold on to forever. That can be hard to achieve but I do strive to bring this to my designs so that jewelry creates conversation, and it is meaningful to the wearer. For the custom-made jewelry, it is especially important to me that the one-of-a-kind love is captured in the design and these interwoven personal stories are shared by those wearing my jewelry.
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
People can reach out to me via my Website, Instagram or by an appointment in my studio in Sandy. I always appreciate support in following my work on social media. I find that the best ideas come from in-person customer relations either at my studio or at art shows. This creative and collaborative design process not only helps capture their personal likes and stories, but they are also incorporated into the new bespoke jewelry designs which they will treasure for a lifetime. I love the beauty of this collaborative process that everyone participates in, and the final design has a real special meaning to my customers.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://farkasovskadesigns.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michaelafarkasovskadesigns/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61550786130199
Image Credits
Head shot by Jocelyn Gardiner @jocelyngardiner
Product photos by Cole Rodger (IG @coleimage)
