Where the Spark Began: A Legacy of Art, Intention, and Indie Nomad Collective

Some stories don’t begin with a business plan, they begin with a spark.

For me, that spark started in a small Southern Indiana town, surrounded by art,

curiosity, and the kind of creativity that doesn’t shout, it hums quietly in the background until you can’t ignore it anymore.

My earliest and most powerful inspiration came from my grandpa, Robert Russelburg. He was one of those rare people who seemed to carry light wherever he went —humble, endlessly curious, and always ready with a smile. To me, he embodied what it meant to live with joy and purpose.

He was also one of the most gifted artists I’ve ever known. His drawings were alive with detail, delicate lines, subtle movement, emotion you could feel before you even knew what it was. As a child, I would sit and watch him sketch for hours, completely mesmerized by how something so simple — pencil, paper, and patience — could become something extraordinary.

But it wasn’t just his talent that shaped me; it was how he approached life. My grandpa didn’t create for recognition or reward, he created because it made him happy, because it was who he was. He taught me that art isn’t just about what you make, it’s about what you give. It’s about paying attention to beauty, to people, to the small details most overlook.

That lesson stayed with me long after I left his studio. It became a quiet compass that guided me through every creative chapter of my life, reminding me that when we make something with love and intention, it carries a piece of us within it.

In high school, I found my first creative love: jewelry-making. There was something magic about transforming raw materials into something personal and alive. (There was also that one time I caught myself on fire using a blowtorch at fifteen, maybe not my proudest moment, but one I’ll never forget!

Life, as it tends to, pulled me in other directions. I raised a family and put my art to the side, though the urge to create never really left. It showed up in quiet ways, small home projects, late-night ideas scribbled down before bed. Still, I knew something was missing.

That spark reignited years later on a mission trip to Haiti, in a place called City Soleil. I watched artists there create beauty from nothing, turning discarded materials into color, texture, and hope. Their resilience shifted something in me. It wasn’t that I wanted to make art from trash, but I wanted to create with intention, responsibly, sustainably, and in a way that honored both the earth and the people behind every piece.

So, in early 2023, I picked up where I’d left off. Only this time, I came armed with a little more wisdom (and a much better understanding of fire safety). What started as a few personal designs quickly became an obsession, blending texture and form, searching for ethically sourced materials, and discovering a world of raw, matte, untraditional gemstones that felt so perfectly imperfect.

When I made that first piece, a little edgy, a little organic, unapologetically me, I thought of my grandpa. How he would have smiled seeing me find my own way back to the art that feels most true. He taught me to follow what feels right, even when the path looks uncertain. That’s exactly what I did.

SHOP NECKLACES

And that’s how Indie Nomad Collective was born, from a lifelong love of art, a family legacy, and a mission to create beauty with purpose. Every piece is a reflection of that journey — a mix of raw artistry, human connection, and the belief that what we wear should remind us of who we are and where we’re going.

Because at the end of the day, this isn’t just jewelry. It’s wearable art for the wanderers at heart.