Meet Tiffany Brizendine | Jewelry Blogger & Crisis/Emergency Manager

When I started Inspired Antiquity, I was unemployed and suffering from depression related to a career-ending injury I went through as a search and recovery canine handler. For me, it was a dark time and I needed something to hold onto that would focus another side of my brain – the creative side. Risk taking is much easier when you feel there is nothing more you can loose. And, that is where I was at. As my life has changed and evolved, so has Inspired Antiquity and with that so too has how I view risk. Risk is much easier when there is no fear of failure – much like when I started Inspired Antiquity. Risk now, many years later, means something entirely different. Risk now includes questions of ‘how will this impact the brand I’ve created’ or ‘how strongly do I feel about this topic that I am willing to suffer the consequences of loosing readership and/or buyers?’ However, even though my view of risk may have evolved over the years, my willingness to take it has not. Whether we want to admit it or not, risk is an inherent cost of doing anything in life – business, relationships, etc. – and without it, life would simply be…..boring.

In many ways, Inspired Antiquity was started as a coping mechanism. However, it grew into something that allowed me to expand and grow myself. I’m most proud of the fact that every piece of jewelry or designer I have highlighted on the blog is something or someone that I would be proud to wear or by from myself.  As a result, I  do not sell advertising in order to ensure that my opinions and reviews are not compromised or subject to bias. I am also proud of the educational side of Inspired Antiquity, I try exceptionally hard to ensure that everything I write about is placed within the correct context of either time period or design. Since I focus on both antique and modern jewelry, I like to make sure my readers understand the differences and nuances of the pieces or the designer that I am writing about. My favorite series is my Creative Writing series where I create a fictional story around a piece of antique jewelry that I discovered. I use this series as a way to connect my readers to the possibilities that surround antique and vintage fine jewelry – to see the piece within a historical context (even though it’s supposed provenance is something I fabricated). I feel like the series really helps to give a story to these bits of history that we wear. I love this series so much, in fact, that it inspired me to write a full length novel that I’m currently working on and hope to publish in the future.

My jewelry blog, Inspired Antiquity, wouldn’t be anywhere without the love and support of my husband, Jess, who repeatedly encouraged me to pursue my passion – no matter the cost. And to my Mom who helped create the love of art and design within me that Inspired Antiquity is centered on.  In my daytime career as an Emergency/Crisis Manager, I’ve had many mentors to include a few humans such as Jon Hansen who helped shaped my views on response and life-saving as well as the canine partners that I’ve had who forced me to be a better search and recovery dog handler/trainer such as Stryker and Styx. These two diverse fields and incredible individuals helped me become who I am today.