The Rebrand ~ Part Two

The Magic of Creative Collaboration

One of the things I’ve always loved about being an artist is to connect and collaborate with other creatives.

I truly believe that when two artists come together, especially when they share a deeper connection through their values, and the way they see the world, the experience can be incredibly transformative.

There’s something so beautiful about sharing your ideas with another artist, allowing them the freedom to interpret those ideas through their own creative interpretation’s and watching something entirely new come to life.

Sometimes another artist can see something that you haven’t quite seen yourself. They can bring a different perspective to an idea, adding elements you might never have considered, but that suddenly makes so much sense when you see the work brought to life.

And sometimes, what they create is even more wonderful than what you had originally imagined. 

And that is exactly how I feel about my experience working with the incredibly talented Ellamari Auroila from @ella.designatelier

Finding Ella

I first discovered Ella’s work through one of my favourite fashion labels, Zazi.

I’ve always been drawn to the world of Zazi that co founder Jeanne, has created, and when I came across the beautiful illustrations Ella had designed for their swing tags, business cards and packaging, I immediately fell in love with her work!

Her illustrations felt so feminine and unique. There was also something nostalgic and whimsical about them, they are not just beautiful images, i could see that she tells stories through her art.

I knew straight away that she was someone I needed to work with.

Ella is a digital illustrator, painter and mural artist, and what I particularly love about her practice is that her illustrations are drawn by hand, with so much thought, detail and intention woven into every element.

But what made this experience even more special was getting to know the person behind the artwork.

Through our many conversations, I discovered what an incredibly inspiring woman she is. Her passion for her craft, her imagination and her love of symbolism and storytelling resonated with me so deeply and inspired me. 

It felt as though we spoke the same creative language, and there’s something so special about working with another storyteller / artist that you resonate with. A silent understanding of one another.

Bringing My Imagination to Life

When I approached Ella, I had so many ideas about how I wanted to bring my visions into reality for my branding, particularly after the creative journey I’d undertaken while working with Lauren.

I wanted to create something that felt like an extension of the jewellery itself. Something that could grow with me. I put together a collection of imagery, written ideas and inspirations to share with her, opening up my creative world, sketches of the jewellery yet to be made and the stories, symbolism and feelings I hoped to capture within it all. 

Ella took the time to understand not only the visual direction I was exploring, but the deeper meaning behind it. I shared so much of my heart and imagination with her, and what she created felt almost as though she had stepped inside my mind and brought those ideas into reality.

I remember seeing her illustrations of my cards for the first time and being completely overwhelmed by the beautiful details. I cried a few happy tears, she nailed it! It was everything I’d hoped for, and somehow even more than I’d imagined. Every time I looked, I discovered something new. It was the perfect blend of ocean, forest, mythology and storytelling.

One of the things that mattered most to me throughout this process was creating a visual world that represented more than just my love of the ocean and mermaids. Although the ocean has always been such an important part of my jewellery, there are so many other stories and inspirations that I long to explore through my work.

I wanted my branding to reflect the whole picture of who I am as an artist, while still honouring the jewellery and stories that have brought me to where I am today.

Something I particularly loved was how much Ella connected with the visual identity and inspirations I’d shared with her. She told me how much she loved the branding I’d already developed and how she wanted to incorporate those elements into her illustrations for my thank you cards as much as possible.

But what made it even more special was seeing how she interpreted those ideas through her own imagination. One of my favourite details was something Ella shared with me when explaining her illustrations - “I added two shells and some flowers growing from the wrists as I thought it gives a touch of fantasy and it’s also a nice symbolic connection between humans and nature.”

I absolutely loved this interpretation. It was such a beautiful example of how Ella had taken my ideas and brought her own imagination and symbolism into the artwork.

On the Thank you card Ella designed, are illustrated hands that hold a particularly special meaning for me.

As a jeweller and sculptor, so much of my life has been spent creating with my hands, transforming ideas and imagination into something tangible. I wanted the hands to represent that connection between the artist and the things we create and beyond what we can see. 

But I also wanted the cards to have a practical purpose.

One of my ideas was to incorporate a place where my clients could record their ring sizes directly onto the illustrated fingers. Whether I’m sitting with someone in person or they’re keeping track of their own measurements, I love the thought of this card becoming something they can return to over the years.

These days where so much imagery can now be generated instantly, I appreciate the human imagination even more then i ever did, the individuality of an artist’s hand and the stories behind their works are so important to the continual progress of creativity.

There’s a depth to art created by another human being that I believe is irreplaceable! The years spent developing their skills, their personal experiences, their imagination and the way they see the world, their beliefs, ALL of that Energy is put into what has been created. There is so much healing and passion in art made by a human. 

And as the world changes, I think about how difficult it is becoming for so many artists and makers to sustain a living through their work. I hope that by sharing experiences like this, I can encourage others to continue valuing and supporting the people who create things with their own hands and imaginations. Because these are the artists, makers and storytellers whose work brings so much life, beauty, individuality and meaning into our world. 

The most exciting part of where I'm at in my creative journey, is that this is only the beginning. I can’t wait to see how this world of mine continues to grow.

Much Love Megan Moss x
 


“The video above is a collection of imagery and inspirations I gathered and shared with Ella to give her a glimpse of the creative world, ideas and influences that have inspired my new branding."