Boku Jewelry - Make Your Mental Health Fashionable

BOKU was born in the west. At a time in my life when I was physically and mentally reeling from the stresses of coming out, major unforeseen career changes, and a failing gut, a new player entered the game: Anxiety. And of course, he brought his friend Depression with him.

Making a long, literal gut-wrenching story short: I had a idea while camping in Moab with a dear photographer friend (who took this image). I couldn't shake the memory I had from my childhood when a simple yellow-silicone bracelet shifted the public perception of testicular cancer. A subject that had been so taboo for men became commonplace and even a rallying point for many. Why then couldn't I do the same with my own warped perceptions around my mental wellness?

It started with two very cheap bead chains. I would wear them when I felt stress mounting and each time they moved or I'd readjust the clasp, it served as a reminder to stay grounded; to pull myself out of my head and back into the present. And there, BOKU was born. Not as a movement but as a tool for me to make the metaphysical tactile and tangible. It didn't cure or fix my anxiety and depression, but gave me a physical tool to ground and recenter myself in tandem with the work I was doing with my therapist. To others it was just a chain or ring or pendant. To me, it was much much more, and the start of something that would pivot my life in a much healthier and creative direction.

BOKU is a favorite Japanese word of ours. In English we are limited to works like self, me, myself, I, etc. but in Japanese there are nuances to those same words. You may be familiar with the classic, commonly used WATASHI but BOKU holds a bit more meaning. Typically used by young men and/or tom-girl types, BOKU has a sense of youth and even punky connotation to it. And for someone who's never really felt like most "guys" it was a perfect fit for a brand that is focused on the self and self-improvement.

BOKU is about [1] shifting perspective, [2] breaking things down, and [3] blurring the lines.

HAND CRAFTED ORIGINALS

Each of these pieces is unique and hand crafted. From a lump of clay, to a wax model, to the raw silver casting, they still posses a level of uniqueness that develops even more during the finished process, and then age beautifully with a ~~tarnish~~ PATINA that will be characteristic to your piece alone.

Anxiety and depression often stem from sub-conscious thoughts. And subconscious though they may be, they manifests themselves in very physical ways. For some it starts as pain in the shoulders. For me, it starts as that thing that makes me forget to eat. Left unchecked it can totally kill my appetite and lock me into a negative feedback loop of a malnourished body trying to maintain course while depriving itself from the very thing that will give it the fuel to thrive.

Now, a totem won't cure or fix this, but it may give you a tool that will help you fix your attention on the source of your tensions. It can provide a physical reminder to stay grounded (or to eat something) and help you physically refocus that building energy as you embrace your concerns rather than run from them.*

HOW IT WORKS: Slip your totem in your sock or shoe and give your toes a little company. Every time you feel it move around or you have to move it to fit your should more comfortably, repeat the process above – better yet, come up with one of your own. Obviously, if there is any discomfort you should remove the totem and find a less invasive place to hold your reminder.

*If you or anyone you know is struggling with anxiety and depression, please seek professional help and guidance. There is no substitute for a trained therapist's perspective and insight. Totems are merely an anxious boi's way of managing and maintaining practices that helped him form a more manageable relationship with his emotions and stressors.

Your jewels need a home worthy of your style. These concrete catch-alls give you an attractive and easy way to store your jewelry in a safe place that is more aesthetically pleasing than your average felt-lined box or velvet bag. They add an effortless level of sophisticated style with a brutal and rough edge. Or hell, use it as an ashtray, soap dish, or just for looks.

Each piece is hand-crafted and unique in it's own way. These concrete catch-alls age beautifully with time as they wear, patina, and even crack or crumble a little on the edges that is characteristic to cement and concrete. Concrete is sturdy and yet delicate. If mishandled, dropped, or bent it could easily break beyond repair. That said, some of our favorite pieces are those that have mended after an unfortunate break.