Integrity is where it's at

I've kept on with my daily reading at Girls got Gumption and the more I read the more ideas keep sparking off in my brain.
I'm going to tell you about an amazing professor I had when I was studying for my BA at Trent University. His name was Michael Treadwell and he has since sadly passed away but I consider myself to have been so fortunate to have had him teach me. He said many things that have stayed with me over the years, one of the most significant was that "All knowledge is one". The idea that all things are interconnected and that as you explore the world, if you are watching, you will see how it is one large circle. He would give us this smile as he would sit there and open his hands, as if to say "see I told you", when we as students would have this lightbulb "a-ha" moment. I am delighted to say that I have had many more of these moments since then but each and every one makes me think of him.
So I was reading Tori Higa's profile and she spoke about integrity in your work, which is interesting to me as I was only talking about that very subject the day before with a friend. See how it all fits together in one big circle? I've been thinking about this a lot because there have been times when people have encouraged me to change my materials in my jewellery in order to make a greater profit and I've said no. I know that it wouldn't be right for me or what I am trying to achieve. As creative people selling our work, I am very aware that my name is on what I sell and it represents me and my values. Often I am selling to people who I haven't met, if all they have to know me by is my work shouldn't that reflect me? Tori mentions that for some people "success" is often defined by how much money you are making, that if you apply your code of values to your decisions and can be faithful to those than you are truly a success. I'd like to think that applies to the way I try to operate, maybe not a great businesswoman but it feels right.