Meet Corina Brown | Artist of Wild & Free Jewelry

We had the good fortune of connecting with Corina Brown and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Corina, what is the most important factor behind your success?
I think the most important factor for me has been my ability to consistently show up for my art. There’s been many times over the years where I’ve hit a crossroads and had to decide to pivot in goals or approach. I’ve always been able to maintain a patience and flexibility during these times and I think it’s ultimately led to a strong commitment that inevitably creates success. I’ve been immersed in my creative career for almost thirteen years now and the one thing that’s remained consistent is my love and commitment to art. When everything is driven by purpose and admiration, there’s no other option than to become flexible with the journey and open to it unfolding in ways beyond imagination. This has served me well because perceived failures become mechanisms to pivot and grow further into the creative dream.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My creations are all inspired by my memories of dressing up as a child and stepping into an imaginary world. I create butterfly crowns, mermaid crowns, mermaid tops and embellished denim jackets. I create everything out of my home office in California and spend most of my days designing and shipping pieces all over the world.

It’s hard to pick a favorite but I would say the most popular are by far my embellished butterfly jackets. These jackets are upcycled from vintage or second hand denim and are hand embellished with beads to create a sparkling wearable art design. They can take anywhere from 40-50 hours to create per jacket so I’m always really proud of them when they’re finished.

I first started on Etsy in 2011 and within four days of opening my shop I had my first sale! Back then I made feather hair clips and feather jewelry. Once I had that first sale, I found it hard to stop creating and listing things online. A few years later, once I graduated college, I decided to pursue this career full time and I’ve been doing it ever since!

The journey has been full of long sleepless nights and many many learning lessons. But overall, the pursuit of this path has felt easy because I’ve never questioned if it was right for me or not. From the first moment I set up my Etsy shop in 2011, I knew I was in love. When there is love, it’s easy to make the effort because it the very act of putting things into action, fuels my soul. What’s interesting about this, is it’s been easy, but it’s also been full of effort and dedication. It’s not easy in the way that things manifest immediately or the path exists without obstacles. It’s easy in a sense that there’s an effortless commitment that doesn’t waiver.

My biggest lesson has definitely been learning to value my time and charge appropriate prices. I’ve always worked very hard, and when I was younger there were many times I would work through the night and not sleep for 24 hours in order to get orders shipped on time. I would push my body and my mind to the limit often simply because I believed in the path and I wanted to excel. Looking back, in those years I was vastly undervaluing myself and I had a subconscious belief that I had to work incredibly hard to make just enough money to get by. I eventually learned that I was creating a life for myself that wasn’t sustainable, and if I wanted to believe in a different future, I had to change the way I value my time and energy. This has been one of my biggest obstacles throughout the years, especially as my eye for design became more intricate and pieces started taking more time to make. It took a lot of self reflection and growth but now I am much more strict with my time and I make sure to get proper rest and nourish myself before jumping into creative projects.

I think the main thing I would like others to know about my brand or story is that it’s possible to live a life as an individual creative where you’re able to thrive, make art and enjoy life all at once!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I live in Santa Barbara, California and this city has a ton of really beautiful places to visit. Top of list are Butterfly Beach, the Rose Garden by the Mission and the Santa Barbara Courthouse. I also love all the stunning nature we have around here so drives up East Camino Cielo, West Camino Cielo and Paradise Road would definitely be on my list to share!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
First, I will always be incredibly grateful to my community on Instagram and Etsy. I wouldn’t be able to have this career without the people using those platforms and continuously showing up to encourage me. Second, my Mom and Dad have encouraged me since I first started at 19. Having that space of family love and support has made a huge difference!

Website: wildandfreejewelry.com and wildandfreejewelry.etsy.com

Instagram: @wildandfreejewelry