There is something to be said about gaining inspiration from others. Every idea has come from somewhere else to some extent. Whether it’s another person or experience, ideas often flourish in community. One example of this is Jess’s inspiration behind our newly dropped Sonder Ring.
Jess and Adam recently found themselves at an interactive art show local to Minneapolis called SONDER, designed by artist Sarah Edwards. Jess and Adam arrived excited to experience new facets of the local art community within Minneapolis–but did not know that Jess would leave feeling inspired for an entirely new piece. While the art show was wholly diverting, the premise behind the entirety of the show–the word “sonder”– left them both contemplative.
The word “sonder” was coined and created by author John Koenig who wrote The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows. This book is said to “create beautiful new words that we need but do not yet have,” (John Green). As it turns out, John Koenig was inspired to create the word “sonder” which inspired Sarah Edwards to create an interactive art show, who then inspired Jess. This only proves that inspiration happens communally.
sonder
“n. the realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own—populated with their own ambitions, friends, routines, worries and inherited craziness—an epic story that continues invisibly around you like an anthill sprawling deep underground, with elaborate passageways to thousands of other lives that you’ll never know existed, in which you might appear only once, as an extra sipping coffee in the background, as a blur of traffic passing on the highway, as a lighted window at dusk.”
Our beautifully designed Sonder Ring not only represents this idea in its name but also in its artistic value. The two hammered ends floating separately, seemingly unaware of one another and yet so close, is not a detail that was missed by Jess. Maybe the idea of “sonder” hasn't crossed you before, maybe it feels like a distant memory of a realization you once had, maybe you think about this all too often! However the word “sonder” relates to your own experience, this word and the art created from it can only further inspire empathy.
Something wise people often remind us is that “you never know what someone else is going through”. While this isn’t an allowance for mistreatment–the word sonder only takes this idea deeper. It allows us to strip our egos (however momentarily we can do so) and think about the guy in the back of the coffee shop, wonder about the girl who seemingly walks unnoticed, listen to the people who have different beliefs and experiences from us– and ultimately humanizes them. It allows us to better understand what it means to be human, and what it means to be ourselves.
If you feel as moved by this as Jess, Adam, and the Hello Adorn staff did, treat yourself to a simple and elegant reminder of the empathy that you can hold for the people you share this earth with.
