The Animal Guidance Project

This month’s Thank You for Just Being a Wonderful Being…• RIA SHARON, for sending me a uniquely beautiful handmade pendant gift.

Sharon is a Filipino-American artist that introduces Animal Guidance by Ria Sharon, a new line of inspirational, wearable art.

The pendants in the collection are handcrafted in the artist’s studio in St. Louis, Mo., each one incorporating reproductions of her original, handdrawn illustrations.

Each piece comes packaged with a card inscribed with an affirmation inspired by the animal. For example, the hummingbird’s card reads, which I got, “Give your heart permission to seek joy and nurturing. Savor the magic and sweetness that surrounds you.”

Each pendant is a mindfulness tool, a reminder that everyone is connected in a shared experience of this Planet Earth. When cultivated, these connections are natural and potent sources of resilience, reminders that the noble qualities of animals are also within, accessible when needed. Finished off with ribbons, these versatile charms can be worn as a choker, necklace, or wrist wrap.

Each of the twelve animals comes pre-packaged in a biodegradable cellulose sleeve, ready for eco-friendly gifting. They are $24 each, available at select retailers and on animalguidance.org.

Sharon’s wearable art is inspired by her personal experiences. Being mestiza and having emigrated from the Philippines, she is always looking for common ground. People all over the world share animal mythology.

Born and raised in Manila and moved to the Midwest at age 13, Sharon’s art style is also an amalgam of cultures, inspired by Audubon, Chinese paintings from the Song Dynasty, and her formal training as a stone lithographer. She takes her inspiration from the tradition of honoring animal spirits that is common among indigenous tribes around the world, including the ones in her native country of the Philippines.

For wholesale information, visit animalguidance.org. For daily insight into the artist’s process and inspiration, follow @riasharon on Instagram and Twitter. #