Part III of the interview series from the Tucson AGTA Gem Fair. Jonathan and Brecken interview fellow designer William Travis Kukovich. Transforming his life from a traumatic childhood to becoming a recipient of 17 AGTA Spectrum Awards.
00:00:00 How the podcast started?
00:48:00 Introducing William Travis Kukovich
01:26:80 Want to see the scar?
01:56:00 So you were 4 years old. What happened?
04:44:00 You said your brain rewired itself.
05:28:00 I can sculpt anything
06:11:50 I don’t write, I draw words
06:34:20 5th generation metalsmith
09:05:00 Take us through your story
10:40:70 So after school, did you open up a store immediately?
13:32:30 At 26, Breast Cancer
18:39:50 Warrior rings
21:04:80 My kids
24:51:50 To live like you were dying
26:05:00 What inspired your first Spectrum Award piece?
27:47:00 First memory of jewelry/gemstone
29:56:00 Favorite Gemstone
30:29:00 Where does the inspiration come from when you’re creating Spectrum pieces
32:04:00 What comes first? Designer? Gemstone?
32:47:00 What makes a great designer?
34:23:50 Where are you now?
37:02.20 Where is this journey going to take you next?
39:45:50 Saying “YES”