We're All Going to Die: Ossuary Jeweler Kristin Bunyard on Death, Art, and Preparation

Natalie Buster welcomes Kristin Bunyard, an artist and author who is not afraid of the podcast's core philosophy: "We're all going to die."

Kristin works with death every day, first as an ossuary jeweler, which is Latin for "house of bones." Kristin shares how she ethically sources materials, transforming bones from roadkill and farm animals into stunning, contemplative art and jewelry. She also explains her philosophy on pet memorial pieces, often encouraging sculptural work so that beloved animals can still be "seen every day" in the home.

The conversation then turns to her end-of-life workbook, aptly titled We're All Going to Die. Kristin reveals how a personal experience planning her grandmother's funeral—and the realization that her family lacked critical details—prompted her to create a straightforward guide for planning your final days.

• Guest: Kristin Bunyard, Ossuary Jeweler and Author

• Host: Natalie Buster (affiliated with Abode Contemplative Care for the Dying in San Antonio, Texas)

• Book Mentioned: We’re All Going to Die (End-of-Life Workbook)

• [00:00:00] The Core Philosophy: The host introduces the empowering idea that the sentence "We're all going to die" should empower, not frighten, us.

• [00:00:23] Introducing Kristin Bunyard: The host introduces Kristin, an ossuary jeweler and author of the end-of-life workbook We’re All Going to Die.

• [00:01:44] Defining "Ossuary Jeweler": Kristin explains the origin of the term, noting that "ossuary" is the Latin word for "house of bones".

• [00:02:30] Sourcing the Materials: Kristin discusses her dedication to ethical sourcing, obtaining materials from roadkill, farm deaths, and occasionally for pet memorial pieces.

• [00:03:07] Pet Memorial Philosophy: Kristin shares why she often encourages clients seeking a pet memorial to choose sculptural work rather than jewelry, emphasizing the importance of still seeing their loved one in their home every day.

• [00:03:58] The Host's "Original Death Doula": Natalie shares a fun anecdote about her Mexican hairless dog, Audrey, and the Aztec/Pixar Coco mythology of the Xoloitzcuintli dog as a psychopomp, guiding souls to the afterlife.

• [00:04:57] The Origin of Ossuary Art: Kristin recounts the "happy accident" that led to her career: finding a snake's spine on a ranch outside Junction, Texas, and being fascinated by the process of cleaning and turning it into a beautiful necklace.

• [00:07:26] The Inspiration for the Book: Kristin explains that the book We're All Going to Die was an "accidental project" prompted by the experience of planning her grandmother's funeral.

• [00:07:52] The Missing Details: She realized that despite knowing her grandmother's big-picture wishes, her family lacked the critical small details (like desired flowers or guest list) necessary for planning the service.