Junestone

When I was first tasked with writing a personal manifesto as a final assignment for the Design and Visual Communication program, it felt daunting. I am not a writer and haven’t had to write something personal since high school. After reviewing the provided material, I was clear on what a manifesto was but not sure what mine would be. It took a level of self-reflection both inward and outward. I think a lot of us were feeling sentimental about an impending graduation and what that meant to us. An immediate response when questioning oneself is to acknowledge challenges we’ve overcame. For me personally, my identity felt rooted in a lack of challenge and an abundance of gratitude. College was a time for growth where I thrived. I have always been a creative person. It was never a question to me as to what I would pursue in higher education or as a career. When I selected a major it was perhaps the easiest decision I have had to make. Over the past four years, I have felt nothing but confidence and belonging in the design program. So, when I attempted to write a manifesto, it was hard not to feel grateful and joyous. I wanted my manifesto to represent self-love through small facets of self. My identity is rooted in being a creative, an artist, and a designer. My driving force is creativity which I constantly need to express. While there are many ways of doing this, the first craft that came to mind was my rock collecting and silversmith hobby. I grew up in Milwaukee and constantly questioned how someone would want to live anywhere if not next to a body of water. When I found my first piece of rose quartz at Bradford Beach, I was instantly hooked on rock collecting. It was exciting to find that beautiful stones had been in a seemingly ordinary place, right under my nose the entire time. Isn’t that a bit of a reflective thought? Similar to those small, unique, pieces of us, buried amongst all the others. I find stones, polish them, and they become little treasures. It’s a good reminder to nurture yourself and cherish the small bits and pieces that make up you. This turns into my interest in silversmithing. The ability to make something entirely from scratch is really special to me. I find a stone, tumble it, then set it into a custom ring. A ring is such a personal and intimate item that it felt fitting to my manifesto. I also find that the act of wearing jewelry feels special and loving. For this reason, I decided to present my manifesto with a set of rings. 7 for my special number, each representing a different construct of self as featured in my written manifesto.