Conversations with Kari Dern

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kari Dern. 

Hi Kari, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers?
Growing up I was always drawn to art and natural elements such as crystals and fossils. Drawing, painting, sculpting, crafting of all sorts, imaginable and unimaginable, were all a big part of my life. From ‘pudding painting’ on a rubber mat at the kitchen table at age three to walking around in art class in elementary school helping anyone who asked me with an aspect of their assignment, to skipping lunch in high school to go down to the art studio and work on a project, working with my hands to make something was always a passion and a place of peace and happiness for me. I took a ton of art classes when I attended Towson University for college and as much as I loved art and felt it was a part of my soul, I didn’t see how I would be able to turn this creative fire into a career at the time. 

I had a few jobs out of college and eventually landed an amazing role with Heineken to manage the Washington DC bar and restaurant scene for Dos Equis just as The Most Interesting Man campaign was launching. It was a fantastic career and I was able to meet so many amazing people and attend countless unforgettable events in cities I never would have seen otherwise throughout the country, ultimately finding myself managing half of Manhattan for the entire Heineken portfolio. Despite how wonderful it all was, every morning when I woke up, I would have this persistent thought sequence pop into my mind: “What are you doing still in this role? This isn’t your life – you are an artist! You need to be creating something!” Every morning I would push these thoughts down and go on with my day. 

Living in Manhattan presents a person with incredible opportunities all the time though, and luckily for me, I fell in with a group of creative and inspirational women who encouraged me to experiment with art and new mediums. I began making these necklaces with huge crystals and when I would walk around the city wearing them, I would often get stopped and asked where they could be purchased. A few times I sold the piece right off my neck to a woman on the street and it began to dawn on me that I had been shown a way to create for a living. This fledgling thought got wings in 2017 when I found out that my then-fiancé and I were moving back to Baltimore for his job, and I knew it was the right time (and place!) to take the leap. 

Never looking back, I created Spellbound LLC, which ‘became’ Become Spellbound when researching Instagram and website domain names. I threw all of my hopes and dreams and passions into the business and the creative process and have since worked harder than I ever worked in my life to get to where we are now. I love every minute of it and you know what I don’t miss at all? That little voice in the back of my head. Listening to your intuition and actually following its advice is truly magical! 

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
There are always struggles in launching a business, creative or otherwise, but I have been very fortunate and lucky that my work has always been well-received by the community. 

A few struggles I can point to have been overcoming self-doubt and limiting beliefs, the negativity that comes with using a global online platform as your sole marketing platform, figuring out how to handle some of the less intuitive parts of running a solo business, the impacts of the ongoing pandemic. Despite the obstacles, I always lead with passion, creative fire, and the desire to create spellbinding wearable objects of beauty. 

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
My goal is always TO EVOKE WONDER. You know the feeling that you get when you witness unparalleled natural beauty like a waterfall, gorgeous mountain range, or an eclipse? To convey power in a gentle way that feels ancient and soul-nurturing and awe-inspiring. That’s what we are going for. 

My work continues to evolve as an intuitive process and I feel connected to each piece I create, hand-selecting stones and sculpting every one for hours. The pieces that I make are primarily composed of crystals and fossils and either manmade fibers or leather. I like the contrast that the soft, earthy cords lend to the ancient crystals and fossils. I let intuition guide how they should be put together and often will let one crystal stand alone. I like a bold yet simple design to really highlight all of the work that Mother Nature did over the millennia to create these beautiful gifts of the earth. I am honored to be a conduit, to be able to work with these gorgeous and highly varied crystals. I am known for creating dramatic, ethereal pieces for the magical and bold. 

Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
Tons of hard work and determination to see my vision become a reality. Showing up and letting passion fuel the work 5-7 days a week, 7-13 hours a day from day one. This combined with a clear vision from the start to create a unique style and cohesive visual identity that was new and powerful. This was achieved by sticking to themes and images that have remained consistent over time, while collection themes and pieces themselves are ever-evolving, always maintaining a grounded simplicity. 

Pricing:

• Pieces range from $125-$500 typically with most being in the $200’s

Contact Info:

• Email: hello@becomespellbound.com
• Website: www.becomespellbound.com
• Instagram: @become_spellbound
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/becomespellbound/