Would you believe me if I told you there was a podcast where the host not only interviewed his guests, but designed and created a unique piece of jewelry based on the story they tell him?
Believe it or not, this show exists. It’s called Shine: Life Perspectives from a Bespoke Jeweler, and it’s hosted by my good friend and long-term coaching client Daniel Boettcher.
To create the first season, he travelled across the USA, the Caribbean and Europe, to interview each guest in person. In the latest episode, he interviews me at my home, about the writing process behind my poem ‘Waterwheels’, and the beautiful ring he created based on the poem.
You may remember Daniel from when I interviewed him for The 21st Century Creative podcast. He’s a remarkable guy, who travels the world in search of inspiration, materials and craftsmanship for the one-off pieces he makes for his clients.
In this interview you get to eavesdrop on two different creative processes:
- My writing process as a poet, and how I use poetic form (in this case the stanza from Keats’ ‘Ode to a Nightingale’) as a focus for my conscious mind and a doorway to imagination. You’ll hear me read the poem and talk about the memory of a day with my family that inspired it, and how that led to the poem.
- Daniel’s creative process as a jeweler, which involves an in-depth interview with his client to get to the heart of their life story, so he can create a unique piece of jewelry that represents an aspect of their soul. In a follow-up episode, he talks about a new ring he is creating based on the podcast interview, which he calls The Distraction Ring.
Daniel’s conversations with me and his other guests showcase his deep listening skills, as he helps each person reflect on their life and work, and what really matters to them.
This kind of deep listening is the foundation of my own work as a coach. I’ve noticed it is also the hallmark of any creator providing a truly bespoke service or creating unique artefacts for their clients. So when I met Daniel and started working with him, it was fascinating to hear it applied to the world of jewelry.
On this podcast, you can hear his approach for yourself, in a rare opportunity to peek behind the curtain of a high-end jewelry salon.
And if you want to see the design for The Distraction Ring and the pieces Daniel creates for his other guests, you can get access to them here.
Sharing this conversation is a nice way to set my own course for 2025, which will be full of poetry and deep conversations with my coaching clients.
And listening to it is an opportunity for you to reflect on your own creative process and the intention you set for this year:
What is your ‘why’ for the creative work you do each day?
How do you access your deepest sources of inspiration?
How much of your work is a solitary pursuit? And what role, if any, does conversation play in your creative process?
