CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

Hi, I am Susan Lenart – a community builder, business woman, artist, creator, builder of products and services, and a student of energy work from all over the world. My work is international and focuses on the good of the whole. I am a teacher of creativity through the medium of silversmithing. I teach and mentor artists on building their own profound work and teach how to create a personal business by means of changing your body, mind, and spirit. My knowledge comes from building my own companies, products, art, and jewelry lines, and from my experiences of past successes and failures. Failure is a profound way to learn. Currently, I am mentoring and teaching through my courses.

I share my knowledge as I gather my new profound community around me for the strength of our individual passions and the freedom to create what we want. Most of all, I consider myself an explorer.

It is hard for me to choose which accomplishment below I want to place first. They all are elements of my process and passions that compose my current work and direction in the world as a teacher and mentor. Here has been my journey—and to be continued:

Talismans Studies – In my studies and after art school, I traveled all over the world and studied cultures through folk tales, art, dance, music, and especially adornment that held symbolism and recorded stories from the people. I explored Australia, Indonesia, Southeast Asia, India, Africa, the United States, South and Central America, and Mexico. I found similarity in all cultures having to do with the energy of Talismans. I built my body of jewelry work on these specific cultural studies and created work as an American jeweler based on these concepts. 1995-present.

Pathfinding Course – A creativity and branding alignment business workshop for visionaries to jumpstart you into alignment in body, mind, and spirit for your personal life and business. An eight-week profound online course to find your true passion and direction. Focusing on personal passion, energy, creativity, and business to help feel deeply into oneself and build in one's most powerful direction. January 2024.

Unfolding Membership – Currently, an online membership and community as a support system for artists and visionaries. Topics are inspirational on how to build your business, break creative blocks, and energy work to build creativity, business, and studio tips. I also meet online and have a powerful meet-up live community on Discord where we can work together separately in our studios to feel connected and in community. January 2021.

Creativity Collective for Visionaries – An online community YouTube channel and community to help connect artists in the power of a group. About the good of the whole. Live every week where I discuss business, creativity, and inspiration. (Unfolding is the subscription.) November 2023.

Teaching – I teach creativity through the medium of metalsmithing. Through inspiration and creative prompts, students work through a process to discover their own true and individual authentic work. Over 20 years throughout the United States. 2004-2024.

International Cultural Teaching – My passion is in cultures, so I have hosted many cultural workshops where we experience a culture through food, music, art, dance, and architecture. Through this inspiration, we do studio days where we build new work in jewelry and adornment as individuals using these new cultural art forms. I work with an intimate group of students for two weeks where we explore the study of culture, art, music, and adornment then build in the studio. Areas of tours, study, and workshops are in India, Morocco, Bali and Ubud, Thailand, Mexico, Australia, and more.

Industrial Chic – I designed and built a powerful and successful commercial line of jewelry, components, and mixed media products that I built (with Horizon) for Michaels Corporation, based on my original work and studies in talismans. This line won an award from Michaels and produced the largest amount of income than any other product. It sold all over the US and Canada and was produced in China. January 2010-2015.

ICE RESIN – A successful signature product that I developed and brought to the art and craft markets. It was distributed and sold all over the world, including large craft stores such as Michaels Corporation, Joann Fabric, Pat Catan's, and Hobby Lobby. It was also an Amazon bestseller. 2007-2015.

Alchemy of Resin – Author of an Amazon Best Selling Book in 2013 called “Alchemy of Resin,” which was a 10-year body of work based on the ICE RESIN product.

Kundalini Teacher Training and Shaman Work – Study of cultural work on energies and building energies for business, personal, and life. I use these methods and practices in all of my business and creativity courses.

Intentional Metalsmithing – A six-month mentored online complete silversmithing program to discover and explore one's true and authentic creative work combined with very practical skills to be a silversmith from start to finish.

Nomadic Tool Kit – I put a collection of essential tools together with links to Amazon to start a profession as a silversmith for under $500. Inexpensive tools for the nomadic spirit. January 2020-forward.

Making Connections for Jewelers and Mixed Media Artists – I wrote and self-published a book of complete cold joins for connecting. Inspiration came from traveling the world and studying and documenting all forms of cold connection in architecture, ancient objects, heating ducts, planes, hinges on doors, rivets, etc. I brought these ideas and concepts to a smaller scale for the art and jewelry industry. 20,000 copies sold. 2007-2013.

LEN+ART Collection – I built a powerful handmade sterling silver jewelry line produced in the United States and distributed by sales reps, stylists, and wholesale markets, sold to galleries and commercial stores such as Ann Taylor, Nordstrom, Banana Republic, Peruvian Connection, The Limited, and more.

Museum Collections – Based on my Talisman work, I built full bodies of interactive performance jewelry that was uniquely bold and included in museum tours and collections for the American Craft Council, Smithsonian, Renwick, and the Art Institute of New York and more.

Runway and Fashion – My work was used in fashion runways with Prada brand and more in New York Fashion Week, Miami Swim Week, and Milan Jewelry Week. Paris runway

Fashion Publications – Elle, Vogue, and Glamour magazines, Newsweek, and many other fashion publications.

Recent Special Awards – Milan Fashion Week for innovative jewelry 2019. Top 5 Influencer Award in the art world from Interweave Publishing 2022.

My body of work throughout time has always been based on talismans.