Lisa Lehmann on Making Jewelry for Mental Health

Lisa Lehmann is a goldsmith and graphic artist who creates stylish jewelry by hand in her Michigan studio. She has been a full-time jewelry artist for 22 years and uses making jewelry and writing about it as one of her tools for coping with depression. Lisa attributes her success as a jeweler to being herself, sharing her story, making connections, and working hard.

Above: Image courtesy of Lisa Lehmann

Lisa says, “After my third child was born, I was diagnosed with postpartum depression. The problem was that it never went away. I felt sad and isolated and just couldn’t shake the feeling of darkness. I was happiest when I was teaching my kids or immersed in a jewelry project. Those activities seemed to alleviate the darkness and let in some light.”

We asked Lisa to tell us about herself and her business, Lisa Lehmann Designs, along with how she deals with bad days.

Q: When did you start making jewelry?

LL: I was pregnant with my fourth child and truly burned out in the graphic design business I had created and run the previous 10 years. I was looking for something more creative. Something I could do with my hands. I stumbled into beadwork, which ignited a passion, but I knew there was more I wanted to learn. I was hungry for it! I went back to school and took classes in metalsmithing. Once I held that torch in my hand I was hooked.

Q: You have spoken openly about some of your mental health challenges. How does it help you to share your experience?

LL: Speaking and writing about my challenges has been a huge benefit in two ways. By speaking about what I’m facing and dealing with, I don’t allow the darkness to have power over me. I call it out. I say what’s there. And by saying these things other people have been able to see themselves. To know they are not alone. What I have heard most frequently is “thank you for saying exactly what I was feeling. I didn’t have the words to express it. Now I know I am not alone.”

Q: What is your best quality as a jewelry designer, and your favorite jewelry making technique?

LL: To me, my jewelry is a conduit for my passion to connect with people. I love their stories. I love knowing why a certain piece of jewelry speaks to them. I value that more than the actual dollar. Currently my favorite thing to do is remodel someone’s jewelry that has been sitting in a drawer into something they love and can’t wait to wear. Those pieces often have stories connected to them and I feel a great privilege in giving those stories new life.

Q: How do you keep going professionally when things become dark?

LL: There have been times when I could barely make myself go to the studio. But knowing other people are depending on me, my family, my customers keep me going. Along with meds and counseling. I am not saying it is easy. But it helps me take the next step, then the next.

Q: Do you have any wisdom to share for people who are suffering from mental health challenges?

LL: First, know you are not alone. Tell someone. Anyone. Find help. If medication is recommended, then take it. It does not make you weak. it does not make you less. It makes you incredibly insightful. Then spend time journaling how you are feeling. Why you think you are feeling this way. Get it out. Don’t let the darkness of depression tell you what to do. And find little things in each day that bring you joy. Experience those things. That first sip of coffee. A puppy in your lap. The smell of you little one’s head. Sunshine on your face. Whatever it is, find it, experience it. Rinse and repeat.

Related: Broken Porcelain Jewelry + Mental Health with Katelyn Johnson

For help with mental health issues, contact: 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, Counseling.org, MentalHealth.gov, National Alliance on Mental Illness.