A look at Sydney Lynch’s top five sources of inspiration

When asked to name five of her favorite things that inspire or help her to make great jewelry, Sydney Lynch of Sydney Lynch Jewelry in Lincoln, Nebraska, shared the following:

Travel
I’m a restless soul, and I love nothing more than getting away from home to explore and observe new landscapes and cultures. Whether I’m walking New York’s city blocks or hiking the Ecuadorian highlands, I find limitless visual stimuli that often morph into my jewelry designs. Color is an important element of my one-of-a-kind pieces, and Mexico is my favorite travel destination when it comes to color. The everyday use of color there is joyful and natural.

Nature
Whether traveling or at home in Nebraska, I always have my camera with me. I find and photograph wonderful shapes and textures in my backyard or in the local prairie as easily as in more exotic locations. Living in a region that is basically a big sky and relatively empty landscape has taught me to look closely for details that might easily go unnoticed.

Ancient and Tribal Arts
When visiting museums, I’m drawn to ancient and tribal art traditions. Pre-Colombian ceramics, Roman glass, and Peruvian textiles are some that come to mind. I’m amazed by the imagination and craftsmanship of these early artisans. In tribal arts, there is an organic quality that shows the presence of the human hand. I appreciate, but don’t often like, objects that are obsessively perfect.

Early Works
After more than 30 years as a jewelry designer/maker, I have an enormous repository of designs. Sometimes when I’m feeling stuck and need a new idea, I’ll actually go back to my files of old ideas and revisit or borrow something I made years ago.

Movement
When I need to clear my head of the jumble of daily details, I go for a walk or a bike ride or I swim laps. Movement becomes a kind of meditation and allows my creative brain to start wandering. This is a perfect time for me to daydream about jewelry designs and process random thoughts into more concrete ideas. Sitting still with a sketchbook doesn’t work as well for me as being on the go with a camera.