Corporate, Creative & Chronic Conditions

In conversation with Riley Hill.

An artist and jeweller out of Squamish, B.C, together Riley and I talk about moving from corporate to creative and how to maintain a fulfilling life while living with chronic conditions.

SM: Can you tell me a little bit about yourself?

RH: I grew up in Cochran, AB. I had lived in Victoria, moved to Vancouver, built out a Sprinter Van and did the whole climbing, travelling in your Sprinter thing. Then I ended up in Squamish over these last few years. Now I’m oh okay.

SM: Now you’re oh okay! Is that how the name came about?

RH: I don’t remember exactly how it came about. I was going to call it ‘No Worries If Not’ but thought it was kind of long. Ultimately I needed something else to focus my time on because the last 10 years of my life had been based on pushing myself physically, performing and being an athlete. Now it’s just turned into a complete passion by accident, like, total by accident, was never planning on starting a business or anything. And I just landed on ‘Oh Okay”.

SM: When did you find out about silver clay and how did you start working with it?

RH: Oh Okay started pretty much exactly two years ago. I was looking for things outside of fitness and climbing that I could do because I felt like my chronic health conditions were really starting to decline at that time. I was building a lot of air dry clay trinkets and then, obviously, TikTok was listening and introduced me to silver clay. I thought “I’m going to try that”. Started making a ton of rings, just got obsessed with it. I was wearing them all the time. My friends wanted to buy them. I started posting them on Instagram for fun and from there it just kind of took off. It also opened the door into wax casting, sand casting, making some wedding rings and teaching workshops. 

SM: Your workshops seem to do well. 

RH: The workshops have been wild. I have so much fun doing them. They can be tiring but I just find them so rewarding and wholesome. I love that people get to leave with a piece that they got to design and create. And yeah, that’s another thing I didn’t plan for or expect. I just started running a few, they gained popularity and again, I’m just rolling with it. 

SM: I love when there’s ease in the unfolding. You mentioned having a chronic illness, so making this shift to honour what your body needs and to live with joy, it’s obviously working.

RH: Definitely. It’s way easier to push through something that you love versus something that you’re not particularly interested in. I found a lot of my nine to five work more draining than I would say, a workshop, just because of the passion differences.

SM: So.. you have some tea to spill.

RH: I do. I just quit my corporate job to pursue this full time. I’m very excited and nervous and freaking out, while knowing that it’s the right choice.

SM: I’m so proud of you!

RH: Thank you! Scary, but exciting. We’ll be okay.

SM: Yeah, right? We’ll be okay.

RH: Always.

SM: Oh okay.

RH: We’ll be oh okay.

SM: Do you mind sharing about your chronic illness?

RH: Yes. Well, I had a laundry list of many, and then recently found out it’s primarily caused by untreated Lyme and Babesia that I’ve had since I was a kid. And that kind of created all of these other conditions like POTS, MCAS, endometriosis, chronic fatigue – the whole shebang. I’ve been in treatment for Lyme for the last two months and I’m continuing for probably the next two years, so I’m hoping that after having undergone a lot of these treatments that I’ll see some improvements. It’s just something I’ve learned to live with since I was a kid. I searched and searched and searched for answers and didn’t find them until I was 30. And that’s okay.

SM: What does treatment currently look like?

RH: So I have neurological Lyme at this point and that’s why I have all these other conditions. I’m on oral antibiotics. I’m taking lots of herbs and tinctures. Lots of probiotics. I’m doing IVs. I’m starting ozone therapy. Yeah… I’m in it. That’s just current and who knows what it’ll evolve to. The goal is to get to a primarily herb and tincture only phase.

SM: How did it feel to find out what was really going on?

RH: A huge relief. I also feel like I went through a bit of grief. I’d put so many years into appointments with doctors just to get dismissed and get no answers. So when I found out, I just started bawling. I was like “I’m not crazy. I knew there was a root cause.” I’m excited that there’s an answer and some treatment options going forward. But yeah… weird year.

SM: No kidding. How has living with Lyme, amongst other things for so many decades, influenced the way you create?

RH: Pushing myself to the limit is just going about a regular day for somebody who might not have these conditions, and what I’m trying to teach myself is that I don’t have to push myself to the brink of exhaustion all the time. I’ve always tried to keep up with a high performance lifestyle within my career and I’m beginning to really listen to my body and take a new approach to this work so that I can focus on healing, sustain myself and keep loving it. It’s a forever learning curve for me as someone with a tendency to push myself too hard.

"Art has become a way to slow down and treat my body nicer."

SM: What’s the difference between 925 silver and 999 silver?

RH: So they actually have different types of silver clay. What we do workshops with is pure 99 silver because it’s torch fireable and the silver can center together after 10 to 15 minutes of firing – it’s fun and interactive. Versus 925 silver which you would cast with wax or use a kiln to fire it. It usually has a copper alloy to it that makes it a bit harder. 99 silver is just a little bit softer of a metal. I’m always wearing it and I don’t find it to get too banged up! I recently got a kiln and am working with 925 silver clay as well as sand casting. I also do wax casting and take my pieces to a caster in Vancouver. So just playing around with everything. I love it all. I want to try it all. It’s fun.

SM: It’s nice to try it all so that you can actually see what lands the most, what works the best with your body and where your magic really is.

RH: Yeah, getting a kiln is really going to help create some ease.

SM: Do you see any parallels between the process of soft and moldable silver clay into a luminous metal and your own journey of resilience?

RH: 100%. Silver clay goes from soft to hard and I’m evolving in the opposite way. I went from being really tough to softening. As if I am the solid metal being melted down to cast into a mould, versus being the clay that is ready to harden.

SM: For others navigating chronic illness or long term recovery, what has art taught you about endurance, beauty and slowing down?

RH: Oh! That you can get the same type of fulfillment from art that you can from sports and performance. Especially if people start appreciating it, loving it and want to be involved with it. I’ve been more proud of myself with this endeavour than any physical accomplishment so far. Art has become a way to slow down and treat my body nicer.

SM: Is there any advice you would give to someone attending one of your workshops for the first time?

RH: Trust the process. Don’t be too hard on yourself. I do recommend keeping it relatively simple for the first class because we only have so much time. But whatever you’re thinking, I will do my best to help you achieve that. Once it’s in solid silver, you’re going to love it.

SM: Last question. What is a mantra or piece of advice you keep coming back to?

RH: I’ve done a lot of trauma healing in the last couple years and I always come back to “I am safe. I am worthy. I am capable.” and like, I really believe it now. Keep telling yourself these things, because everything around you will hear it and it will all start to evolve. You do deserve it. You know? Positive self-talk.

Oh Okay at Euspira

Silver Ring Workshop: Nov 14th. DM to join the waitlist

Silver Necklace Pendant Workshop: Dec 10th. DM for first access

This conversation has been condensed for clarity.