Entering a jewelry design contest can boost your sales and your self esteem. Planning is the key to be successful when entering a jewelry design competition. Remember that you will be competing against many more talented designers and jewelry artist, so submit your best design.
How do I know if my design is worth submitting to a competition?
The following is a simple checklist that can help you prepare to submit your best piece of art jewelry.
• Design: Integrate the basic rules of provided by the principles and elements of design.
• Sketch: Sketch every piece that you will be fabricating and how they will work together. Allow flexibility to incorporate changes that are a result of the fabrication process. This will help you resolve simple issues as they appear.
• Passion: Let your passion show; bring to life your point of view and all your creative abilities. Judges look for the original designs that truly represent their maker.
• Focus: Spend time to focus on the process and not the final product. Don’t get caught up in the competition price. Use your energy in creating the best design.
• Care: Careful Care in the fabrication process: Put extra emphasis in the fabrication process. You may want to spend more time in polishing, cleaning and perfecting your piece. Judges want to see the full application of well developed skills and techniques.
• Past Entries: Review the past entries for inspiration and innovation. Just remember that the judges change and thus the taste and design opinion vary. Stay true to your own designs and ideas.
• Redundancy. Avoid redundancy, judges get tired of seeing the same piece or variation thereof.. The judges are looking for innovation and new ideas.
• Avoid Trends: Keep up with jewelry design trends and avoid entering something that is already out in the market.
• Rules: Read the rules carefully and follow every requirement without exception.
• Joy: Enjoy every step of the process; take the new challenge as an opportunity for learning.
• Time: Take your time in completing the piece. Usually competitions are announced a year in advanced, so use the entire year to work on the piece you will be entering in the jewelry design contest. This can prove to be your most valuable asset, since the gift of time can help you achieve perfection and get feedback from mentors and experts you know.
• Prepare a time line: Include every step it will take to complete the project from beginning to end. Include the time it will take for the actual submission process.
• One at a time: Focus on one competition at a time, the process can become overwhelming and thus contra productive to work on more than one piece a year,
• Balance: Keep your life in balance. Choose a contest that suits your design point of view, your skill level and experience. Do not get stuck in the performance vortex. You can always enter more advanced and sophisticated competitions as your skill progresses.
• Photographs: Hire a professional jewelry photographer that can highlight your piece. After all the time and energy you have put into it is worth the investment. Quality photographs can make a big difference. This will be the first thing the judges will see, even before you actual piece is submitted.
• Pre-Judge: Get your own panel of experts pre-judge your piece. Include a jewelry artist, a fabrication expert, a fashionista and a “true” friend to give you feedback and their best advice. I also recommend that you get on-going support from and expert mentor.
• Mail: Give yourself plenty of time to get the piece to its destination. Pay for insurance and proof of receipt. You work hard and you want to make sure your work is not lost in the mail.
Even though the following guidelines do not guarantee that you will win, at least they will help you get organized and to enjoy the process. Just knowing that you entered a jewelry design contest can boost your self esteem. Now, if you win, it will be great!