What caught my attention upon visiting jewelry artist Toby Pomeroy’s website was the following quote by the artist (shown at right):

I have two purposes in life: people recognizing their own magnificence and leaving our planet more beautiful, diverse and sustainable than it was when we found it.

Inspiring

Yes indeed with a refreshing ring of authenticity. Upon further investigation, I discovered that Toby, who grew up in the foothills of Himalaya, and who now lives and works in Corvallis, Oregon, has been working with jewelry and metals for the past 30 years, and offers a gorgeous line of silver, gold and diamond jewelry that are hand-made out of 100% recycled metals and conflict-free diamonds. More importantly, however, Toby was the first to convince a major metal supplier to go green.

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Conflicted by the intolerable impacts of conventional precious metals mining, Toby asked the nation’s largest gold supplier and refiner if they would provide pure gold and silver derived entirely from reclaimed sources. They agreed, and this ground-breaking initiative (meaning Toby was the first one to do it), became the artist’s source for 100% reclaimed gold and silver.

Toby Pomeroy’s signature Eco-Silver Hoop Earrings (shown above) retail for $135. The attention to detail is impeccable (simple, yet elegant) and perfect for a fabulous gown or a t-shirt and jeans. No two are the same. Each one is hand forged.

I was curious about Toby, his work and wanted to learn more about his philosophy of contributing to a better world through his art. He graciously agreed to this interview:

Cheryl: When did you first know that you wanted to use your hands to make objects of art and what experiences as a child growing up in the Himalayas propelled you into manifesting your dream?

Toby: When I was 6 years old, I spent five years in Missourie, India at Woodstock School - an internationally well-known boarding school. I was deeply influenced by the magical landscape of the forest reserve, where no cars or bicycles existed, and where leopards and an abundance of butterflies roamed freely.  Adventure and love of the earth just became a part of me.

In my last quarter of college, while studying Pre-Med at the University of Oregon, I heard about this jewelry making class, and petitioned to take it. The instructor was great. I found myself creating and designing something with my hands, and to my surprise, it had a profound effect on me. It was like a meditation that brought me a peace that I hadn’t really known before. Long story short, I never went back to Genetics, Calculus, and other science related classes. I had a key to the jewelry lab, and I threw myself into jewelry design. I found my passion.

Cheryl: Can you talk about your commitment to sustainability, concern for the environment and how you got the world’s largest supplier of gold to contribute recycled metals?

Toby: I lived in one of the most magical places on the planet (in India) where monkeys and butterflies of all hue and size floated around me daily. Stag Beetles, would purr (like a cat), when humans would pet its deep cherry wing covers, which measured 2.5 inches long. The world was filled with an affluent and robust life force.

I cherish our world, and I’m aware (through studying biology) of the fragile intricate biosphere of our planet. When we kill off our insects we are all affected. Albert Eienstein once said, “When the honey bees die, humans will die.” Awareness that we have a jewel (our planet) and it is not only our responsibility to preserve Her, but also to restore Her. If we don’t, we are creating a poisonous cestpool for our offspring.

I was aware that mining practices were not earth friendly, but decided to do some further research in 2004, and discovered that metal mining is actually very harmful to the environment, a nasty process, and produces more seven times more solid waste.

I called Tory Hoover, the president of precious metal refiner (and our supplier) Hoover and Strong and asked if the company would you be willing to just keep their scrap (that come in from electronics, the dental industry and jewelry) separate it, purify it, and take it back to 24K gold and silver, They have a great system to refine and purify then metals, and re-alloy it with reclaimed copper, silver, zinc, and those metals that make it durable and give it color.

They charged me a small premium for it and within two weeks I received my first batch of reclaimed metals. It was also great for H&S, because they could now tell their buyers that they had product with no environmental, or social impact.  We got them started, but now their business has shifted to 100% reclaimed metals. They have re-branded themselves to Harmony, Precious Metals and Gems and have been extremely successful. read the rest of this entry »

Linda Scarlett (shown at left in my backyard) happens to be my best friend and a woman who is following her dream to be a writer. In fact, she just finished her first novel, ‘Aggi’ about a girl who carries around a severed finger in her pocket.

I’ve known Linda now for several years and she’s one of the kindest, sweetest and most gentle people on the planet. I’ve seen Linda work through obstacle after obstacle and what inspires me is her ability to always embrace forgiveness and love. She prefers to live in what she calls, ‘a happy world.’

So then how does a woman who lives in the Light write about such a dark subject such as a girl carrying around a chopped off forefinger?  I asked Linda this very question and to share her thoughts on the importance of following her dream, the obstacles she has faced and any advice she might share with others who are following the same dream. Here’s what she had to say:

Writing gives a person a voice and is a powerful healing tool. I never had a voice growing up so I would write things down and one day (when I got up enough courage, just a few years ago) I showed someone what I was working on and their reaction shocked me.  My reader was horrified and totally freaked out. That was fun. The idea that something from my imagination had that effect on another person was confirmation I was on the right path.  ‘Wow,’ I thought,  ‘I could use this as a tool to give myself a voice around things that were important to me.’

And that’s how Aggi was born.  Aggi, the 17 year old teenage girl protagonist in my novel carries around a severed finger in her pocket for good luck.  She gives all children who were raised in an unhealthy environment a voice and shows that you can overcome any obstacle. The more I shared sample chapters that i had written with others, the more they reacted and the more I wanted to go forward with the story.

I was my main obstacle on my journey to create my dream. I continually sabotaged myself to not be successful as a writer because I was always told as a child and throughout my life that I could not write. And that voice continues to speak to me on occasion. The words ‘I can’t do this’ used to play loudly in my head but not so much anymore. When the voice comes, I walk away from my writing, take a deep breath and let the voice work itself out. I try my best to love myself in the process. I’ll then come back when I’m feeling stronger and continue the story.  I’ve made the decision to not allow negative self-talk to control my life anymore. I’ve also made the decision that I am a writer. As a matter of fact, I just finished my book and recently hired an editor.

It’s important to follow your dreams because that will keep you happy. If you follow your bliss, your life just works. If you push it away, your life just doesn’t run smoothly. It’s not that you will succeed every time, (I’ve failed and have learned so much) but it’s important to follow your heart and at least try.  One of the most empowering things I have done in my life has been to face my fears head on and work through each one as it comes up.

You can read more about Aggi and the severed finger in her pocket by visiting: www.lindascarlett.blogspot.com

A popular re-post.

This story by Paulo Coelho made me think how silly we humans can be sometimes. That and it put a smile on my face as his stories almost always do.

Hard Times by Paulo Coelho

A man was selling oranges in the middle of a road. He was illiterate, so he never read newspapers. He put some signs along the road and spent the whole day praising the flavor of his wares.

Everyone bought from him and the man thrived. With the money he placed more signs on the road and began to sell more fruit. Business was growing fast when one day his son - who was educated and had studied in a big city - asked him, “Father, don’t you know that the world is going through very hard times? The economy of the country is in an awful state!”

Worried by this, the man reduced the number of signs and began to sell fruit of inferior quality because it was cheaper. Sales slumped immediately.

“My son is right,” he thought. “Times are very hard.”

Question: I would like to paint my front door a new color. Are there any colors that are a “no-no” in Feng Shui? Is shiny black O.K?

LS - Portland, OR

Cheryl: Here’s my answer. Traditionally, in Feng Shui, the door is painted red. Since the house in feng shui is sometimes seen as the body, the door is considered the tongue and when it sticks out, it’s like the red carpet at the Oscars; hot and fiery and where a lot of positive energy can find you. However, it’s not always pleasing to the eye to use red since it might not compliment the exterior palette. The door is the point of entry and in my opinion, it should be bright and happy, something that lifts your heart to the sky. Since I’m not a traditionalist and always consider how the heart feels, I would advise you to consider how a black door might feel to you. And if it feels right, go for it.

Or we could simply refer to it as the Modern-Hippie-Love-Library-Bus designed for the town Kiruna in Sweden,  where it serves as a beacon of bright light for its citizens. That’s an important asset for a place where the sun “disappears” at the end of November.

Peter Thuvander and Martin Hedenström of Swedish design group Muungano have won the Swedish Library Bus of the Year award for this library bus.

The Swedish Librarian Society gave the award to the design group who created this fabulous art car. The library bus offers listening stations, a library, internet access, a place to watch movies and hang out, a beautiful view of the landscape and bright, bright colors. read the rest of this entry »