Tips for Future Designers #5 Nadège Roscoe-Rumjahn
Everything is circular
1. Draw; Keep Lists; Collect images; Document
Drawing is a way of thinking; it is my daily ritual. Find what suits you best and generate ideas on a regular schedule. It is not so much about inspiration, but hard work. Sit down and something will come. Even if it is just one word or one line that day it can become a future source of inspiration. An image may catch your attention one random Tuesday and become the basis of a new body of work 3 years later.
Document your work – even if seems like the most boring of tasks on earth. DO IT!
2. Explore new techniques and old techniques
In the ‘Jewelry World’, like the ‘Art World’ techniques seem to come into fashion in waves. It is easy to get caught up in these trends. But choose techniques for the right reasons – new techniques are always exciting, but I have found they are always the most interesting when placed in contrast with the old ways of doing things. Respect tradition by learning about it, but don’t forget to challenge and question.
3. Be generous; collaborate
The most interesting and impressive people I have met have been generous with their time and knowledge. This is a quality I try to emulate. Engage with people in different fields and from different places. Knowledge is gold. Conversations can lead to understanding and to unthinkable collaborations. These collaborations can help you see your work in a new way.
4. Float, but with a paddle
I have never been someone with a plan, I prefer to wander or float. Understand the downsides of this and figure out how to overcome them. Goals are important, but you cannot change your natural way of exploring the world. I have had to learn how to deal with the shortcoming of this method of living life. I bought a paddle – steer from time to time.
5. Give errors a second chance
A step back and time away can help reframe your work and always helps me understand it in a different light. This is helpful when you feel lost. Embrace mistakes, but be critical. Creation is messy and a fertile mistake can lead you in directions you were never even aware existed.
Everything is circular
The more I do, the more I realize everything is circular. My path and choices have sometimes seemed unrelated. I am impulsive and dive head first into whatever interests me at the moment. But I am learning that maybe my impulses are perhaps less random then I first thought. Maybe they are subconscious and born from my core interests. Forging the same path over and over is OK. The treads will wear down the earth under your feet and a deeper circle will be etched away. This has taken me a while to figure out, so be patient and kind with yourself!
About Nadège Roscoe-Rumjahn
Never one for traditional paths, Nadège Roscoe-Rumjahn’s has followed a circuitous route through her educational journey. With a background in architecture from McGill University, she found herself drawn to the opposing scale of contemporary jewelry. Diving head first, she attended Alchimia in Florence, Italy and in 2014, completed a master’s in fine arts at Cranbrook Academy of Art. Her passion for architecture, fashion, objecthood and craft has led to an insatiable appetite for technique, as she continues to grow as a multi-media artist. Her primary focus is on the human form as she searches to express a moment where intimacy exists.
Nadege’s latest project ‘la douzaine’ is a play on a maker’s dozen. Handmade, one-of-a-kind blankets, table linens, clothing and weavings are created for the discerning collector. Small batches and limited editions are the output of unique projects and collaborations, all nodding to a slowly fading textile industry.
