The Creative Switch

Episode Summary: I talk with Ruth Mary Chipperfield, a bespoke jewellery designer who turned to creativity after illness changed her plans at university. In the Edge news, I cover recent UK jewellery news, including Harriet Kelsall’s studio being nominated for Bespoke Jewellery Retailer of the Year. In Creative Adventures, I also share tips from my own creative journey and highlight advice from Andrew Szczeck about connecting with your audience and understanding the distinction between what we make and how we sell. Plus, I cover recent UK jewellery news, including Harriet Kelsall’s studio being nominated for Bespoke Jewellery Retailer of the Year. The episode is all about creative reinvention, ethical practice, and taking action on your ideas.Guest Bio: Ruth Chipperfield is a goldsmith and jewellery designer, who specialises in remodelling sentimental heirloom jewellery into meaningful jewellery pieces for today. Ruth has a deep appreciation for the story behind each piece, which is retold in every design she creates while reflecting personal style at the same time as preserving family history through the jewellery she works on.As a former scientist, Ruth has never been bound by tradition. As a child, her aspiration was to become an inventor which led Ruth to study Chemistry. However, during her studies, Ruth was diagnosed with narcolepsy, which meant her husband became her fulltime carer for three years. During this time Ruth was collapsing 30+ times a day and sleeping for 18 hours in a 24 hour cycle.However, this was the making of her current path as it gave Ruth the opportunity to go in a whole new direction. Ruth’s early designs, which are still popular today, feature delicate lace designs in precious metal, giving a nod to simpler times and reinventing the dying art of lacemaking.The scientist hasn’t been left behind though. Much of Ruth’s work involves creating future heirlooms such as engagement rings and she has a passion for reusing preloved gemstones. Using her chemistry background, each gemstone undergoes full laboratory testing so her customers can have confidence in her work and the gemstones they buy.Episode Chapters with time stamps:Introduction [00:00]The Edge [01:58]Ruth's Background [05:37]Narcolepsy Diagnosis [06:51]Creativity Defined [08:13]Client Stories [08:55]Creative Process [16:23]Business Evolution [34:27]Health Management [42:25]Creative Adventures [48:32] Four Creative Nuggets:"I think that's the misconception people often have, is that creativity equals drawing. It doesn't... I personally believe that creativity is a way of thinking so you can be a creative person without making anything physical. I think it very much links to problem solving." "I think creativity really is something that influences every aspect. It's bringing together multiple ideas." "Sometimes you, as a creative person, just have to have the courage to break out of the narrative and go into a different direction and trust the process that all paths will lead to the right point." "I think a lot of creative people are like this. You start something and you've got all these unfinished things and it's never linear." Links:Guest: Ruth Chipperfieldwww.ruthmary.com/www.facebook.com/ruthmaryjewellery/www.instagram.com/ruthmaryjewellery/www.linkedin.com/ruth-mary-chipperfield/https://www.youtube.com/@ruthmaryjewellery/The EdgeLustre & Love wins Emerging Jewellery Brand of the YearDudley News – Full articleRub-over jewellery trend spotlight Why Rubover Jewellery is So Popular Right Now | The Diamond StoreHarriet Kelsall EpisodeCreative Adventures Andrew Szczeck Episode Nikki Vallancehttps://nikkivallance.com/the-creative-switch-podcast/  https://www.nikkivallance.com/https://nikkivallance.substack.com/https://www.instagram.com/nikki_vallance/https://podchaser.com/TheCreativeSwitch/ Afflliate LinksAlitu: https://alitu.com?fp_ref=nikki-53Captivate: https://www.captivate.fm/signup?ref=njg4ytq

The Creative Switch Returns: Embrace Your Creative Self Welcome to The Creative Switch—the podcast inspiring the sensibly successful to switch on their unexpressed creativity for a more fulfilled life.I’m your host, Nikki Vallance. I know what it’s like to have a career that looks great on paper but still feel like something’s missing. That’s why I made my own creative switch and now help others do the same.After producing 24 episodes in my first year, I took a step back. Life played its part, but mostly I wanted to reflect, on what was working, what could evolve, and how to reach the right people with even more relevant, helpful content.I’m so pleased to be back with a brand new season. The conversations are deepening, the creative disciplines are still beautifully broad, and the question that sparked it all continues to guide me: What makes some people pursue their creativity and others not?Season three continues the journey, with new voices and deeper questions to help you reconnect with your creative self.Subscribe now and let’s switch on your creativity.And Remember Why survive when you can thrive?Links:Nikki Vallancehttps://nikkivallance.com/the-creative-switch-podcast/  https://www.nikkivallance.com/https://nikkivallance.substack.com/ https://www.instagram.com/nikki_vallance/https://podchaser.com/TheCreativeSwitch/ Afflliate LinksAlitu: https://alitu.com?fp_ref=nikki-53Captivate: https://www.captivate.fm/signup?ref=njg4ytq

Nikki Vallance chats to Richard Tyler about creativity, its importance throughout his life, his journey from West End star to disruptor in the personal development industry, and the high highs and low lows he has experienced along the way.

Tigz Rice discusses her unique blend of Burlesque, Boudoir, and Branding photography, and how it empowers her clients. She emphasizes the importance of celebrating individuality.

Corporate trainer turned actor Martyn Spendlove believes in being “Rebellious” and pushing back against anything preventing us from achieving our potential. Find out what happened when he asked himself “Are you really doing what you want to be doing? And how his Martial arts training set him up for success.

Explore the remarkable path of a multi-award-winning designer who ignited a revolution in bespoke jewellery from her kitchen table. Uncover how Harriet’s vision transformed the jewellery industry, making bespoke design accessible to all while championing ethical practices.

We delve into the fascinating journey of Andrew Szczech, a creative switcher who shares his inspiring transformation from the tech space to a distinguished artist, and discover how he merges his interest in the socio-political landscape with a love of painting traditions to produce unique thought provoking pieces.

If you have school age children or are passionate about the importance of education, you'll probably be aware of the general push towards the STEM subjects. That's science, technology, engineering and maths. Of course, the world needs these and studying towards careers in these disciplines is sensible, right? Today's guest Nick Corston has an alternative view. In the last ten years, Nick has been described as a man on a mission by Wired magazine and the Guardian. Dad and co founder of community interest company STEAMCo. joins me to talk about that mission and why the A in STEAM is so vital.