PEGGY LI

Reflects On Her Path To Designing Jewelry

Peggy Li is the founder of Peggy Li, a woman-, Asian American- and Pacific Islander-owned jewelry brand. You may have spotted her designs on television, including “Arrow,” “Dead to Me,” “The Vampire Diaries,” “Private Practice,” “Witches of East End,” “Riverdale, “New Girl” and other hit shows. Peggy Li’s handmade jewelry is simple and feminine but with a modern edge.

We chatted with the founder to learn about how she began designing jewelry. Like many creative entrepreneurs, Peggy’s path to full-time jewelry design wasn’t linear. She offers some great advice here, and we hope our conversation inspires you.

Artisan Joy: How did you get started making jewelry?

Peggy Li: I think I got started like a lot of people. I was making jewelry for fun for myself. I was working as a writer in Los Angeles and couldn’t afford to shop as much as I would have liked! People stopped me on the street to ask where I had gotten my pieces. It made me think it could be something.

AJ: When did you realize that you could turn your designing jewelry into a business?

PL: As a writer, I had the opportunity to interview the costume designer for the TV show “Buffy, the Vampire Slayer,” Cynthia Bergstrom. Afterwards, I decided to send her some of the jewelry I had been making. I totally forgot about it until I received a call from Cynthia, letting me know that she was using my jewelry on the show and had told a reporter at “USA Today” about me! The reporter asked where people could purchase my pieces and I said, ‘My website.’ After finishing that phone call, I turned to my coworkers and said, ‘I think I have to build a website.’

AJ: Where do you find inspiration for your creations?

PL: I pull inspiration from all sorts of places, but mainly from

TV and film, my first loves! I also love working with the raw materials themselves—stones, beads and charms. I’m drawn to unusual colors and cuts of stones and work to highlight the uniqueness of the materials.

AJ: How do you apply that inspiration to your work?

PL: There’s usually just a shape or texture or color combination that I see that inspires my designs. I will iterate on those shapes and color combinations and work to highlight the charm or stones in a way that makes sense to me.

AJ: What’s something our audience would be surprised to learn about you?

PL: I majored in chemical engineering at UC Berkeley and always thought I would be a scientist growing up! Instead, I moved to Los Angeles after college to become a screenwriter. I moved back to the Bay Area to do online marketing for Electronic Arts before finally taking the leap to run my business full-time.

AJ: As creatives, we can be continuously creating and refining our art. How do you handle perfectionism?

PL: I don’t think I’m dogged by perfectionism as much as I am about comparison syndrome. While I think you should always be aware of trends and what your peers are doing, as well as aspiring for more, always take the time to put the blinders on and focus on what you love, your abilities and what brings you joy in your art.

AJ: When it comes to running a creative business, what keeps you going through the ups and downs?

PL: I feel very lucky to be able to do what I do. Taking a moment to appreciate the how far I’ve come helps get me through the low points.

AJ: What advice would you give to someone who is interested in putting their work out into the world but feels vulnerable about it?

PL: I say just go for it. Or not— you can enjoy your art just for yourself. In my case, I craved feedback and putting my work out there gave that to me, for better or worse. I was excited about what I was creating and wanted to share that with others. Only with feedback did I know whether I was headed in the right direction to get better at what I was doing.

AJ: Has someone ever criticized your work? How did you handle it?

PL: Oh, totally. It stings, it hurts, but then remember the blinders thing? It will drive you nuts to compare yourself to other peoples’ standards. Your journey is your own. I’m proud of the things I’ve accomplished while also knowing there is still much more to learn!

AJ: Creatives are often very in tune with what’s happening in the world. Sometimes it can feel overwhelming. If this happens to you, how do you cope?

PL: This is a very interesting question. I’m not of the school of ‘suffering’ for your art. Yet, we all definitely draw from our own experiences for our creativity. I see my work as a great outlet to express what I’m feeling, if not by words, by work and by action.

AJ: Are you passionate about a cause?

PL: Lately I’ve been able to turn my jewelry work into ways to raise money for causes I’m passionate about. One is World Central Kitchen, a wonderful organization that goes to disaster zones and feeds displaced people and first responders. Another is combatting the recent rise of hate against Asian Americans. I created a Fortune Cookie and Year of the Ox design to raise funds for the Go Fund Me #StopAsianhate campaign. Lastly, I just recently listed a Dove Charm necklace to raise funds for the girl teen writer mentorship program WriteGirl (that was seen on the ‘Today’ Show).

AJ: What brings you joy?

PL: Spending time with loved ones, eating great food, watching movies and being active in the outdoors (specifically, golfing)!

Thanks, Peggy! Her jewelry is available at peggyli.com. You can also follow the brand on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

Editor’s Note: This interview has been edited slightly for length and clarity.

All photos in this article are courtesy of Peggy Li.

ON USING ART AS A FORCE FOR GOOD, STAYING TRUE TO HER CRAFT AND LEANING INTO THE WAVES

Have you ever met someone who instantly makes you feel happy?

Artist, photographer, maker and content creator Jaclyn Altieri is one of those people. So if you could use a dose of joy, definitely check out her Instagram. I met Jaclyn in real life around 2012, and I was drawn to her handmade headbands and jewelry. Recently, she’s taken her creativity to canvas and paper, painting whimsical art, and we couldn’t wait to learn more.

Artisan Joy: Tell us about your art.

Jaclyn Altieri: My hands are always dipped in a few projects at a time. Currently, I’m working on a body of artwork compiled of acrylic paintings on canvas and paper. My work was reignited during COVID-19 and served as an outlet full of joy, color and happiness. My paintings mostly consist of women, sometimes singular, sometimes in pairs, and each painting has a story behind it. They are all a part of me and serve as a source of the fantastical and sometimes a funny storyline.

AJ: What drew you to painting?

JA: I’ve always been into art, but I began to paint again over this past winter when I was searching for something that would put my creative juices to work, bring bright colors into existence while also serving as an outlet for my itchy hands.

AJ: When did you realize that you could sell your art?

JA: I started putting my work up online through my Instagram feed and started receiving a great response. It was exciting to know that my art would be decorating people’s spaces, bringing them joy and color.

AJ: Where do you find inspiration for your creations?

JA: I find inspiration in color and from other artists who aren’t afraid to put their work out into the world.

AJ: How do you apply that inspiration to your work?

JA: I’m really drawn to colors that feel like happiness and joy to me. I love searching the web for other artists. What I love most about what I do is that I don’t think about it. Their faces and accessories just sort of come through me and onto the paper or canvas. It’s a time to really turn my brain off, just go and let my hands lead the way.

AJ: What’s something our audience would be surprised to learn about you?

JA: Hmmm, I don’t know! Maybe that I’ve lived a lot of different lives with careers, travel and focus shifts. I’m always afraid of change, but somehow, when I learn to lean into the waves, life gets better and a little easier.

AJ: As creatives, we can be continuously creating and refining our art. How do you handle perfectionism?

JA: As a Virgo, and someone who can sometimes be very type A, even if I’m not necessarily feeling one of my projects, I just keep going. Sometimes I will put a painting aside for a few days, a few weeks and then return when it feels right. Sometimes I begin again. Isn’t that what life is?—just a cycle of beginnings and endings and beginning again. I really try not to overthink any of the pieces. I notice that when I start to get really critical of a work, it tends to ruin all the magic of it, so I go back when I can just get lost in the act of flowing.

AJ: Has someone ever criticized your artwork? How did you handle it?

JA: Yes! I’ve had a close family member say to me, ‘Who would buy these?’ I’m sure they didn’t mean for it to be insulting, but as an artist, I am super sensitive about my work. I’ve also been criticized about my jewelry by several companies who didn’t want to hire me. What I’ve learned is that these comments are my best motivators. They inspire me to keep pushing forward, stay true to my craft regardless of other people’s acceptance, and not be afraid to be authentically myself. I recognize that I don’t need everyone’s approval to create my art.

AJ: What advice would you give to someone interested in putting their art out into the world but feels vulnerable about it?

JA: Just do it. Don’t think, don’t stress about what others may think or say. Not everyone will love your work, but it’s more about the artist and the connection it has to you. Your art, your craft, is a piece of you, and it’s a beautiful thing to put it out there. Who knows where it will take you. It’s fun to think of the possibilities.

AJ: Creatives are often very in tune with what’s happening in the world. Sometimes it can feel overwhelming. If this happens to you, how do you cope?

JA: The pandemic and heavy political climate really inspired me last year to do something proactive. I raised over $6000, which I donated in $500 increments to 12 different organizations and charities. It felt necessary for me to contribute to people and charities that desperately needed it. It helped me get creative and satisfy my need to do something to help.

AJ: Are you passionate about a cause, and why?

JA: I’m passionate about Black Lives Matter, mental health awareness, making sure people and children have access to healthy food, safe shelter and a good education. I used to be a social worker for teens, and that is near and dear to me. Equality is important on every level. I’m passionate about the lives lost to gun violence. I’m passionate about helping people who don’t necessarily have the stage to speak out from.

AJ: What brings you joy?

JA: Making art, being creative, connecting people, seeing my work in your homes, donating to worthy causes, doing some good and contributing positively to this world. My baby, my friendships, my little family. A good meal around a table of lifelong friends. Ice cream.

Thanks, Jaclyn! You can visit socialluniac.com, shop Luniac Style jewelry and accessories on Etsy, or follow Jaclyn on Instagram.

Editor’s Note: This interview has been edited slightly for clarity.