Celebrating 20 years of Anne Vaughan Designs, founder Anne Vaughan shares how shifting from high-stress perfectionism to mindful "letting" transformed her workbench, life, and studio operations. This transition is symbolized by our handcrafted Ember Collection, where warm gemstones like bright spiny oyster, deep garnet, and glowing sunstone are thoughtfully paired with matte gold. Discover how two decades of artisan jewelry craft continue to teach us about balance, boundaries, and letting natural materials guide the creative flow.
A little over a year ago, a part of me began to fade away.
It didn't happen all at once. It was slow and quiet. But what has taken its place has become a consistent life force that is changing how I approach my work at the studio workbench, my relationships, and my life.
For years, people described that edge as passion, dedication, or a strong work ethic. All of those things were true. But if I'm willing to look underneath them, there was something else there too: fear.
I carried the feeling that the weight of my world rested squarely on my shoulders. If something needed to happen, I needed to make it happen:
Push harder.
Work harder.
Figure it out.
Control the outcome.
When you operate that way for long enough, it becomes difficult to imagine another way—until your body, mind, and spirit begin telling you otherwise.
Why Shift From Rigid Control to Mindful Surrender in the Studio?
During a quiet moment more than a year ago, a thought began coming to me:
No more pushing. Just letting.
My first reaction was almost humorous—that is definitely not me. But the words kept returning.
I started noticing the moments when I became rigidly attached to a particular outcome. I noticed how much energy I could spend trying to control circumstances that were never entirely mine to control. Slowly, I began to understand something fundamental: there is very little I can completely control.
What I can control is how I show up:
I can do the work right in front of me.
I can give it my full attention.
I can treat people well.
I can honor my boundaries.
I can bring everything I have to the things that matter.
And then, I can release the outcome.
What Does "Letting Go" Mean for Handcrafted Jewelry Design?
This shift has not meant becoming passive. In many ways, surrender requires far more courage than pushing ever did. For me, "letting" means doing my absolute best without believing I have to manipulate what happens next.
I'm still learning, and I suspect I always will be. Interestingly, this internal shift has found its way directly into my creative process at the bench.
When I'm working with natural gemstones, hand-cut stones, and raw metals, I might begin with a rigid idea of what I think a piece of jewelry should become. But often, the materials have something else to say:
An unexpected gemstone color combination like Spiny Oyster and Jasper takes the design somewhere entirely new.
A new piece of Czech Glass commands the center of a hand-wired cluster.
Something I meticulously planned simply doesn't balance—and something spontaneous suddenly sings.
The more willing I am to listen instead of force, the more authentic and interesting the handcrafted jewelry becomes. Perhaps life isn't so different.
What Has 20 Years of Building Anne Vaughan Designs Taught Us?
This year marks 20 years of Anne Vaughan Designs. When I reflect on that milestone, I am filled with an overwhelming amount of gratitude.
I'm grateful that this small-batch jewelry business—which I never originally intended to start—grew into something that has supported our family, our artisan team, and the work of my hands for two decades. I'm grateful that after twenty years, I still genuinely love creating.
Most of all, I'm grateful that the work itself continues to teach me:
About creativity: Allowing materials to lead produces better art than forcing an initial draft.
About people: Authenticity and connection matter far more than polished perfectionism.
About myself: Knowing when to work harder—and recognizing when it's time to stop pushing.
Twenty years into this journey, I certainly don't have everything figured out. But these days, I'm becoming much more comfortable with that.
I'm showing up. I'm doing the work that's mine to do. And I'm learning to let the rest unfold.
