Exploring Joy And Desire Through Jewelry
What if I told you there was a power in you that could be realized through jewelry?
I mean it. I think and talk a lot about desire. You do a good thing, you deserve a reward. What if the reverse was actually true? That seeking "rewards," — i.e. the pleasures you naturally gravitate toward — were the exact keys you needed to unlock a higher level of success, abundance, and goodness? We think we need to prove ourselves, when in fact, the proof might be those plain-as-day urges we've squashed down for years.
Rewards could be as simple as taking the time to stop and smell a flower or buying yourself a mid-afternoon treat. For me, one of those keys was jewelry. It opened the flood gates to an inner knowing, a worthiness, a luxurious self-discovery. And the story is still unfolding…
Desire vs. Deserving
I used to think I was being high maintenance when I indulged in things that weren't rooted in practicality. My biggest secret, that I'm now very open about, is that I was never that into jewelry. Not until a couple years ago did I start to understand why the universe paired me with this profession. I could have created anything with these hands, but I chose jewelry. Jewelry chose me. It's infusing my life with big lessons in self-adoration, self-worth, sentimentality, and the power of adornment.
This is my daily practice - flip the script and see what happens. In every decision, we can ask ourselves, "What would bring me more joy?" Choose joy. Choose the thing you really want, not what you're supposed to want. Observe how you picked you in that moment, not what you were taught to pick. Make it a habit. All of the sudden your skin is glowing, smiles overfloweth, and everyone around you wants to know your secret. You chose you, you valued you, you trusted you. Always choose what supports the brightest version of you. If for you that’s jewelry - welcome. M. Hisae's mission is to spread confidence and a reverence for self through jewelry.
Dedicated To A Life Of Feel-Good Moments
Choosing me means being in nature daily, adventurous travel, a well-designed & peaceful home, clean, nourishing food, and intentionally-crafted jewelry and art. Amongst other things. Setting travel aside for a moment, the house just got a mini makeover, I've been eating so well (hello garden!), and I've designed a spiritual practice of sorts to, every morning, put together a jewelry ensemble that suits my mood and the day ahead.
Working solo in my studio, day after day, means every time I walk past a mirror is an opportunity for a feel-good moment. And when I catch that glimmer of gold in the mirror...I feel revived! Gold and gemstones, these incredibly earthly creations, have no bad angles. They're innately luxurious, and they bring out this distinct, powerful confidence in you. The kind that's hard to put your finger on, but you feel it. It's like silent, solo therapy: you and the mirror. Now imagine infusing every day with that kind of positivity, not just about life, but about you. Your beauty, your style, your essence. Little moments add up.
What is desire?
Desire is defined as a longing or craving for something that brings satisfaction or enjoyment. Giving into desire is expressing that you want something beyond just needing it. It is not in the act of obtaining anything, per se, but in the act of letting your imagination go wild without judgement.
Desire commands “this or something more,” which is a prayer a spiritual mentor taught me that, in so few words, makes me feel powerful, full of hope, and not reliant on any one outcome determining my experience. It's wanting something while remembering that if it doesn't come, something greater is on the way.
Desire is believing that nothing stands in the way of you getting your dream house, dream partner, dream job, dream vacation, dream wardrobe, dream bank account, all of it - I invite you to imagine a reality where anything you desire is not only possible but probable and to stop being the referee of your wildest dreams. Let them play. You are worthy of them all.
In a state of joy, desire flows easily. In a state of joy, all your desires can and want to flow to you because they are not separate from you. Joy and desire are quite different but very synergistic energies. For me, joy feels like weightlessness, and desire feels like expansion. In the thousands of decisions we make each day, choosing joy means choosing what we want to do versus what we should do. We must own up to what it is that we truly want, not what we were taught to want or what others around us want.
What sounds fun, what lights you up? No matter how small the decision, your joy is not trivial. Joy is present in everything if we’re willing to see it. It is infectious and it will harmonize with the joy of others.
In becoming more conscious of the joy that exists in small, easy decisions, it will come naturally when it’s time for you to make larger ones. Little currents add up over the course of a day and rewire your brain to remember that expansiveness, appreciation, admiration, and gratitude are natural states. The task is remembering.
It is so easy to slip into an extremely narrow view of reality. It’s a coping mechanism of sorts, because that which is in view we can control. But as scientist Carl Sagan revealed to us: "We are made of star stuff"…what if we remembered that we are infinite?
I’ll discovered this quote by the Japanese American sculptor Isamu Noguchi that also speaks to this concept beautifully:
“If you are caught in time, or the immediate present time, then your choice is very limited. You can only do certain things really correctly belonging to that time. But if you want to escape from that time constraint, then the whole world, you see...I mean not just the most industrialized world, but the whole world, is some place where you belong.” — Isamu Noguchi
Your joy is not trivial.
Your joy is life-sustaining, as is desire. In a state of joy, desire flows easily. I will also say that when I’ve been in states opposite of joy, tapping into my desire is what helped bring me back into my body, out of a bouncy house of anxieties.
Best case scenario, what is it that I want? If all the forces in the universe were conspiring to help me, what would they bring? Am I really as far away from getting that as I think I am? Even crazier, can I dream bigger? If you’re like me, those questions carry a hell of a lot of baggage. Why are you so unworthy of getting exactly what you want, or more? Did someone plant that seed? Did the TV or the flat screen in front of you full of pictures and words tell you that? And did you propagate that seed before investigating the claim? …Is it true and is it yours?
You are perfect as you are. You do not need to be different, look different, or absolve yourself of all your sins in order to attract the things you want into your life. The key is remembering that. As a result of me doing a lot of reading/listening/writing/action-ing around why in the world I became a jeweler in the first place (which was lost on me for a long, long time), we’re about to have a full circle moment right now…
Jewelry is the medicine I needed all along, I just didn’t know it. Jewelry IS a tangible representation of desire. We do not need jewelry, but we want it. Sometimes, we really want it. Sure, it has practical applications in terms of marking a union or graduation or award, and sure, jewelry molds perceptions of how others see you (think marriage or social status). Presently, I’m not so interested in how your jewelry impacts how others see you. That will be a natural bi-product that you can choose to revel in or not.
I’m extremely interested in how jewelry can impact you emotionally, mentally, and spiritually and be a catalyst for healing. I’m interested in how jewelry and beauty can heighten the love, appreciation, and reverence you have for yourself. I don’t wear jewelry for others, I wear it for me. And in my own experience, jewelry has the power to transform.
Jewelry is desire. It is the representation and the reminder. I’m talking all categories of jewelry, but rings are particularly potent for me (and you because you’ve told me.) We use and look at our hands so much throughout the day. For how little space they take up, they do a lot.
I’m very thankful for my hands. I’ve filled them up with gorgeous specimens from various designers I admire. I could have easily saved a few dollars at my own bench with an M. Hisae piece, but I made a point of purchasing the work of others because there’s a long list of designers whose very unique vision I want to support (and money is energy).
Each ring that catches the light just right, hundreds of times a day, is sending me currents of beauty, my love for art, the strength I showed during a particular time in life, Earth’s ridiculous creations, my unique expression of glamour, and the perfection in me.
Jewelry is my constant reminder. Jewelry is also an investment, in you, which is why I don’t take it lightly when you buy my work and make it your own. Thank you to all that have. <3