The Story

 

Welcome to my little corner of the web, where it’s a 1-woman show, y’all!  My name is Heather, born and raised in South Louisiana, and I am the founder, artist, and metalsmith behind Cocoro Studios.

After completing a fundamentals of metalsmithing course at the OCAC in Oregon in 2016, I fell in love with the craft.  It was a skill I learned simply to invest in myself and develop my jewelry-making skills, as I was rebuilding a new chapter in my life.  Then after many signs and invitations to offer my pieces to others, Cocoro Studios was born in 2018.

Handcrafting symbolic jewelry for your journey, each piece is created by me with thought and intention, in small batches in Louisiana. Creating allows me to express the beauty of the world, reflect on life experiences, and craft meaningful creations that empower others. I am greatly inspired by nature, spirit, & the human experience, and these themes often show up in my work. Recognizing how we too are part of nature, reveals how interconnected we all really are.  It is my hope you will be reminded of your own beauty, growth, and empowerment with each Cocoro piece.

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About the Name:

I've adapted the traditional spelling of a "ko" to a "co" as my shop started in Colorado (CO), and holds a special place in my heart.
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Cocoro : [ kokoro ; 心 ]
 A Japanese word that conceptually unites the heart, mind, soul, + spirit as indivisible from one another.  It's a notion that these are not separate, they are one. Each united, and creating a complex fabric within ourselves, which cannot be seen physically, but felt and experienced. Our core. Connected.

This is a word I discovered in 2012 while living in Japan. The moment I heard it (through my Japanese student telling me about her dog named "kokoro", and explaining to me the meaning behind it), I got warm feels, tingly bones, and my own cocoro skipped a beat, resonating deeply with this concept. I had learned a new word to express what I followed each day, what I put into the work I do, and hope to share with others. 

Cocoro Studios started from a place of love and grief.  Going though great loss, witnessing mental health struggles of my loved one and their ultimate death by suicide, left my world in pieces. I eventually started creating again in efforts to process grief, and awaken more life and joy.  A foundation of creation on which to heal, grow in the process, and share with other souls out there that you too are strong, loved, resilient, and empowered.  That we're never really alone and we are more connected than divided.

For those who rebuilt from the pieces, found their way out by going through, and are choosing love over fear -- this jewelry is for you.

♡ Welcome and enjoy Cocoro Studios ♡

. heart . mind . soul .
♡ Live your Cocoro ♡

ox,

Heather Marie