Traveling Charm Belt 2025 at NFR

If you followed social media content around the National Finals Rodeo this year you probably saw the Traveling Charm Belt of 2025. This groundbreaking collaboration project began as an idea from Jason Ogg of Black Wolf White Wolf Designs back in the spring. The idea was to try to create the largest silversmithing collaboration project ever attempted in order to promote collaboration over competition in the industry. 

Collaboration Over Competition

In April, I, along with 300 other silversmiths with a wide range of experiences signed up to participate in this collaboration. Our goal was to each make a charm of our choosing to donate to a one of a kind charm belt that would be given away in a sweepstakes after NFR with all of the proceeds going to a charitable cause. However, the goal wasn't just to make a charm and send it in, it was to build a community. At the very beginning of this project a discord group chat was created. We were all invited to join and build a place where we could connect, share information, ask questions, and make new friends. The discord group has become one of the biggest assets to the silversmithing community and while it has only been available to the artists of the project, it will soon be opened for all silversmiths and potentially others within the industry.

Turning Art Into Impact

From the very beginning, we wanted this collaboration project to have a positive impact on the community beyond just sharing information among silversmiths. As most of us have a style that leans more western and the belt would be primarily showcased at the NFR, we discussed nonprofits that benefit the western community, particularly rodeo athletes and the Justin Cowboy Crisis Fund was the obvious choice. 

Not Going to the NFR

The plan for the finished piece was for it to be showcased around the NFR in Vegas at the beginning of December. Jason, who was leading the project would be out there for the duration of the event and any artist who wanted to was welcome to come out as well. There were a number of artists who made it out but unfortunately I was personally unable to do so. As a full-time silversmith who is working hard to grow my business, who does not have any additional income, I had to prioritize investing money back into my business. Personally, I could spend a couple thousand dollars going to Las Vegas for a few days or I could spend a couple thousand dollars investing in silver, stones, and tools. It was not a fun decision but it was an easy to decision to make.

Not Everything Went To Plan

The Traveling Charm Belt of 2025 was a project unlike any other and certainly unlike anything any of the artists involved had ever done. There were big ideas for photoshoots, fashion shows, influencer collabs, and so much more. While many of these ideas take place, they were very much learning experiences. The entire project was significantly more demanding than Jason ever expected and results were more difficult to obtain than any of us had ever anticipated. While we were all grateful for every dollar the Traveling Charm Belt sweepstakes raised, it did come significantly short of our goal (and the overall value of the piece as a whole).

How the Project Affected Me

This collaboration project was an incredible experience to be a part of.  Without a doubt the greatest benefit I gained from it was the community that was created in the discord group. As a self-taught, introverted artist, I did not have any silversmithing friends or colleagues that I could ask questions, learn from, or even just chat with as I work alone in my studio all day. However, did opportunities come from this, did it grow my business, did it create significant visibility for my brand? Not exactly. It gave me some content to create Tik Toks and Instagram posts but ultimately did not impact my business. But, that is ok. Even though we had hoped this project would increase visibility and create opportunities for the artists involved (and it did for some) building the community and being a part of something unique that has never been done before is incredibly valuable. 

Creating Opportunities For Myself

During the nine months that we worked on this project, I have been able to create a number of opportunities for myself that I believe this project played a roll in. Having a community of peers to lean on, support and encourage you is an invaluable thing as an artist. The past few months I have created a number of opportunities for myself because I had the courage to try try, to reach out, to ask if their was an opportunity available. I had the courage to do so because I had a group of artists that I knew I could ask questions to, who could give me feedback on my designs, and who have validate the quality of my work that made me feel confident to push myself out of my comfort zone.