I have two mediums in which I practice creativity: one in which I hold my degrees – jewelry, and one that I have practiced since childhood – drawing. Sometimes these two things happen separately, and sometimes they combine to become more sculptural. What they have in common is the words they contain – the wisdom of fortune cookie fortunes.

I began collecting fortunes when I was very young, and now I have about 700 and counting. They are all alphabetized, and organized by category and by chakra. This is to aid me in finding the ones I need when I need them.

A few of years ago I began stamping fortunes into pieces of silver or gold to wear as rings, choosing the expressions that particularly spoke to me. I wanted to put these words on myself to have as a reminder not to worry or, that yes, I will be successful in everything I put my hands to. When I wear them, I envision these thoughts absorbing into my body and see myself gracefully developing into the person I want to be.

As I center my current art on fortunes, every day I am privately encouraged by little slips of paper. Good things happen when I focus on a phrase that I write over and over while working. Each of my drawings contains 7 layers of paper, and each sheet has one repeating fortune that corresponds to a chakra. As the layers get deeper, so do the chakras. You may only be able to read the first couple of phrases (and that’s if you’ve got good eyesight) but for me it’s less about knowing what each layer says, and more about the magic that my work becomes imbued with. Meditation is my process; my art is the result.

This is my small contribution to the world. It is my thought that one who believes in these fortunes, and therefore in themselves, has the potential to live a more full and enlightened life. If someone becomes inspired or filled with peace when contemplating my work, if only for a moment, the world will be a more positive place. At the very least, if a viewer walks away from one of my pieces with a smile on their face, I have done my job. Words are powerful things.