Lan with several designs from her jewelry collection.
Joyce Wang SFWA Intern, interviews Lan Hodges about her jewelry designs.
What journey did you take as an artist?
Before I became a jeweler I was a doctor. Working as a doctor you needed to always use your hands and be flexible as you take care of people. It was like a work of art with your hands. When I was young, my mother showed me how to sew and I loved doing the process of making clothes- like cutting and putting things together. It was the first time I really felt like my mind and hands were one. A few years later I became a doctor and while being a doctor, I would go to the flea market and always see these beads.
I didn’t have a specific reason but I collected beads when I had the chance. Since I was collecting, I wondered if I should make some jewelry out of them. I took jewelry making art classes and had other friends join me. But since I was a doctor, I couldn’t fully commit to it since being a doctor was a lot of work and I put it on hold.
When 2020 came, I had retired which meant I had the free time to do anything. I had all these beads and it gave me an idea to get back into jewelry making. So I started taking classes again to relearn how to make jewelry and from there, I started to go to street fairs and markets, building up step by step. I met artists in 2022 that helped me evolve my work over time, by giving out small comments or tips. Now I’m a full time jewelry maker.
Do you have a favorite color?
I really like the colors of green, brown and red. I like earth-tone colors.
Have you faced any challenges from being an artist?
The challenge for me has been the markets and fairs. I really liked my designs and work, and my dream was to sell and have a nonprofit. I haven’t given up on it but there are barriers because of it. I had good sales in Oakland for two years but when I went to other locations my jewelry didn’t sell as well. The challenge is getting accepted to markets and fairs. You need to apply in order to be shown, and it’s a bit of a problem when your work isn’t selected. It sometimes feels like my jewelry is not good enough or for some other reason. But, I never let that stop me from still wanting to sell my works and have a nonprofit.
Why did you name your business Beautiful Beads?
Beautiful Beads came to mind and I didn’t think it was that creative, but I thought the name would fit because people would say how beautiful my beads are- and it just sat well with the tongue.
