The Power of Art?

I sold a couple of pieces from my Artfire Studio during Memorial Day weekend. The conversation BEYOND the sale is an incredible story, including how art can reach out and touch even a perfect stranger. I’ve decided to share part of it here, through snips from the e-mails exchanged. Charlene bought the two pieces above: one of my signature pearl necklaces and a pair of copper and pearl earrings designed to coordinate.

First, she was so kind to include this note with her purchase:
Note From Buyer: Your jewelry is beautiful, and I hope to add some other selections as paydays permit! Thank you! Charlene

My note to her, to confirm receipt of her purchase and other info:
Dear Charlene--
I dropped you a note on ArtFire but am writing again directly to your email to thank you very much for your recent order from my studio! I plan to mail your pieces to you on Tuesday (P.O. is closed tomorrow for holiday) via first class mail with delivery confirmation receipt. I hope you love the new neck piece and one of a kind earrings....and I also appreciate that you noted more of my work with your hotlist....it means a lot to have my work noticed and appreciated!!
Don't hesitate to drop a note if you have any comments or questions and I look forward to hearing from you again!
All the best, Karen

Her reply was quite surprising and inspiring:
Hello Karen!
I just got online today, and was happy to hear from you- at Artfire, then I thought I would check here...I am so excited about the beautiful necklace and earrings arriving soon! I am so pleased with the design and style-which will be new for me. When I saw them I was so drawn to them, but I hesitated because I wasn't sure if it would "work" on me-until I saw how lovely they looked on...and I thank you for having them modeled- it really helped with my decision! I realized just today, that I haven't been so excited about jewelry, since I "lost" whatever collection I owned, in 1987, due to circumstances of an earthquake... I have not owned nor worn anything other than pierced earrings since then, and I am officially back, and thrilled at the thought of wearing what I love again-so I thank you, and the other designers here at Artfire, for sparking the excitement and interest in wearing jewelry again!!! Hooray!
I am thrilled to discover I have officially begun a new jewelry collection, and am delighted your designs will be a part of it! Thank you for being a part of my reclaimed JOY!

Charlene

My reply, written while working Memorial Day weekend in a “No Vacancy” WillOaks Campground mode:

Wow, Charlene, that's an amazing story!! And '87 was quite awhile ago...a long time to sort of "ignore" jewelry. Well, welcome back!! And I'm truly awed that my pieces sort of "shook you out of it" so to speak! I'd like your permission to incorporate your email--or perhaps a part of it--into my blog at some point? May I? You're free to edit it now, if you'd like something said differently...although I think you write well and it's truly just an incredible story...I think my readers would be awed like I am, actually!
Well I look forward to hearing what you think of the actual pieces, and I hope you're inspired to wear more wearable art pieces going forward!! I love to wear jewelry and sometimes, like today, may even look a bit absurd to people. For example, I'm in the throes of running our family campground here during a very full and busy holiday weekend. I've got on a pair of "pedal pushers" and an older light green linen shirt (against the sun) and even a big old hat (against the sun) BUT I've got on gray pearl earrings & a moonstone and grey pearl necklace.
Teehee, doesn't make sense except to ME!! Although I did find a new customer today when she saw my earrings and decided to go check my shops out! I can't leave the house without earrings
on...feel too naked...and a bracelet and/or necklace just makes me feel, well, a little nicer I guess!!
Sun is setting here, need to go make rounds as campers all wind down....let me know what you think of the blog idea.
Karen


Hello Karen,
What a great way to spend the weekend, and I could just picture your apparel description, and your beautiful jewelry pieces ... fantastic! Everything sounded so wonderfully fun! After the "experience" of what happened today, having things surface as they did, (quite unexpected), I guess I am saying you were instrumental in an earthquake of exciting designs in jewelry, that subsequently shook me out of it, as you said...That was cute- were you aware of how you phrased it... "shook you out of it"? Clever! I should have been shopping with you sooner!
Well I am thrilled about everything- old junk gunk shed, new adornments to feel good in, and meeting someone who has passion in design, and in life, and shares it all! As for permission for perhaps using any or all of what I wrote, you are free to do so- edit as you please. I am just so grateful to have an understanding of myself, and you turned out to be the catalyst! Pretty darn good way to spend a day... helping to enhance someone's "being", huh! Thank you again for everything, Karen.
With joy, gratitude and love,
Charlene

Then I continued my Memorial Day weekend, where I was working pretty hard because the WillOaks Campground was absolutely FULL. I wrote back when the “dust settled” and I was able to get her purchase to the Post Office, when it reopened Tuesday.

Woohoo, we made it through a nutty weekend...and then some! In fact, I had hoped to catch my breath today, but no, no rest for the wicked! But wanted you to know that your new pieces are in the mail as of our "2:30 p.m. pick-up" so I hope the snail mail speeds them quickly across the big old USA to your mail box!
I'm thinking and thinking about how to write about the cool experience you've been sharing with me....it hasn't quite gelled yet...but given some time, I trust it will. My blog is kind of a wacky mix of gardening, art making, running a farm and a campground, watching nature, where ideas come from and et cetera...I've coined the sub title "Behind the Gallery View" because folks don't always realize that these things we artists "put out there" aren't always born whole and perfect the first go around, and sometimes it takes a funny mix of "input" to come up with good “output'....
And you're right...the word play, both purposeful and accidental...is too cool and I wonder how I can use that in the blog, too? I'm probably better with pictures than with words, but I keep trying!! While not as devastating as your earthquake....I did a post awhile back about living through the volcanic eruption--Mt Redoubt--while in Anchorage (not the recent one, the earlier blow) http://willoaksstudio.blogspot.com/2009/01/mount-redoubt.html
So again, thanks so much for sharing your thoughts with me--I really appreciate it...It's really very very cool....more to come!!
Have a great week! Karen

She’s written again, but I felt it was getting a little too personal to post in a blog….so I’ll close this amazing exchange, for now, with what Charlene posted on my ArtFire “kudos” page, after receipt of the work, written for “public consumption”:

This is the first time I have worn something in this style, and it is simply-beautiful! I was also very pleased with the care in packaging- ready to present as gifts if so desired. I was impressed by everything and will order from here again! Karen was wonderful - all in all, a great shopping experience! Thank you!