SpoonFed Art
Designer Karin Collins created SpoonFed Art as a means of therapy for her eating disorder
By Christina Eriksson 8th March 2006
Karin Collins has been suffering from an eating disorder for nearly 20 years;
she is still in the process of overcoming it and has come very far in her
recovery. Part of her recovery is her therapy; she has developed a passion for
art and jewelry making which has become a type of therapy for her. Karin
started adapting her art to spoons, creating stunning collages in the bowl of a
spoon and thereafter creating a pendant from her creation. Her company,
SpoonFed Art was created shortly after she started making her spoon jewelry.
Karin Collins developed an eating disorder around the time she was 17 or 18
years old, during her first year of college and also her first year living on
her own. As with essentially every case of an eating disorder Karin does not
know for certain what caused her eating disorder. When asked if she feels the
media had an impact on her she admits it may have had a part in her developing
an eating disorder, however she is certain there were many other contributing
factors in her falling ill.
Karin Collins prefers not to specify which eating disorder she suffers from as
she feels is it most important to focus on the recovery and not the disorder.
"I really want anyone with an eating disorder to be able to relate to my story
and to know that they can recover. I also personally feel that it does the most
good to place the focus on recovery and not so much on the details of the
disorder." She says.
Although Karin does not feel she has recovered completely from her eating
disorder she does feel she has come very far in her recovery and sees herself
completely free from her illness very soon. She has worked hard to overcome her
disorder; she has been receiving therapy from an eating disorder counselor for
almost 5 years to help her recover. She also used her passion for art as a
means of therapy; "I started making collages as a means of artistic therapy for
the eating disorder." She explains.
SpoonFed Art was developed in 2004 through her art collages; eventually her
collages made their way into the bowl of a spoon. "I started wearing my
creations and was surprised by the amount of compliments I received. So, with
some encouragement from loved ones, I decided to start a business." Karin
explains. Karin’s creations are breathtaking, unlike anything you could have
imagined before. Her pieces are comparable to a colorful, sparkling and amazing
dream you had, one of those dreams you never want to wake up from. Each piece
is so unique and relatable that anyone will be able to find a favorite they
feel they can relate to and see their personality in. I had no problem finding
several favorites that appealed to me!
Karin’s pieces of jewelry are made from several different types of materials,
anything that inspires her. Materials include; old jewelry, colored glass,
shells, guitar strings and picks, watch parts, dried flowers and anything else
that appeals to her. Music is also a big inspiration to Karin; "I love music
and listen to it while I work so that’s certainly a big source of inspiration."
She says. Karin is interested in many things and uses all her interests as
inspirations for her jewelry. Flowers are a common thread in Karin’s jewelry as
she sees them representing something coming into bloom; she likes to play
around with the ideas of time and transformation which can be related to her
eating disorder and her transformation from suffering to recovery. Each piece
is one-of-a-kind and comes with either a black or white suede chord so you can
wear your pendant as a cool choker, if you prefer you can ask for a key ring
instead. The pendants are $85 a piece.
Karin feels it is more the idea behind her jewelry that has helped her on her
way to recovery, not specifically the pieces of jewelry. She wants people to be
inspired by her story and create their own recovery, from an eating disorder or
any other mind bothering experience. "I want the complete recovery that I have
in mind for myself, for others." She says.
Engaging in an activity you find interesting or fun is important. Finding
something you can be passionate about and feel inspired by doing can be life
changing for you because it helps you develop as a person. Karin Collins is a
great example of why hobbies and interests in life are important and how useful
they can serve to be. Engaging in some type of activity that makes you feel
good about yourself and happy can help relieve any type of negative emotions
you may have built up inside you, an activity you are passionate about can also
help teach you new ways of dealing with your emotions.
Karin Collins’ story is definitely an example you should follow - believe in
yourself and discover new things. Don’t be afraid to try new activities, you
may find you are really good at something you never considered before. Who
knows, one day you might be a famous piano player or a rich business woman!
Purchasing information
Where can you purchase these deliciously colorful and sparkling SpoonFed art
pieces? If you are in the Los Angeles area, consider yourself lucky as the
dazzling spoons are available at the following stores:
Museum Shop, 5814 Wilshire Blvd.
Phone: 323.937.4230
Pull My Daisy, 3908 W. Sunset Blvd.
Phone: 323.663.0608
Silverlake Shoes, 3822 W. Sunset Blvd.
Phone: 323.663.7463
For those of you located outside of the Los Angeles area, do not worry, you can
still get your hands on this gorgeous jewelry. Simply visit SpoonFed Art at
www.spoonfedart.com
where you can purchase the pendants online. Items can be purchased using
PayPal.
Spoonfed Art is always interested in new retail outlets so make sure you give
Karin Collins a call at 310.467.8648 to inquire items if you are buyer or store owner!
Visit www.spoonfedart.com now!
Pictures courtesy of Karin Collins
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