Beginnings
Today I'm dreaming of the magical place where my jewelry making journey began. The place that's always gonna be the most kind to me. It's a little paradise: Lefkada. Greece has always been in my heart, but after spending a whole year there it has become a second home for me. Its charm, the chill, the carelessness and joy that surrounds everything there. I love it.
It started with a volunteering project in 2018. After the biggest break up of my life, I jumped right into another adventure that not just got me through the pain but also gave a purpose to me and two best friends.
Manel, Sara, Me, Rafal
With my degree in fashion design, I worked for a few different companies before: in a small tailoring studio, in a big factory and also in a repair store. I always knew that something wasn't right, something was missing and I liked to make my own schedule too. As a volunteer I hosted different handicraft workshops, from sewing to crocheting and macrame, I taught many things. Even photography. I really liked creating together with others and it felt good to belong somewhere.
The NGO I was 'working' for had a little workshop where the others made wooden toys. I was mesmerised by the beauty of olive wood and sometimes I would take the leftovers and make earrings in my free time. That's when the idea came: I could be doing this full time. It wasn't really out of nowhere, I've been creating my whole life. I even had a semester of silversmithing course on my previous trip in Turkey. I always had the idea of making jewelry in the back of my mind but I didn’t think I could actually make it. The idea of me becoming a jeweller was very scray. What if nobody likes what I make? What if I’m not good enough?
It was a long way from that thought until Roods became what it is today. In the beginning I wasn't even serious about it but now I can't imagine myself doing anything else. Except maybe travelling... I could definitely imagine that!
So in the end of 2021 my little company was born, officially and with it many boring and repulsive tasks that are related to running a small business. There were many lessons I had to learn and still many to come. This past year was a time of revelation, when I realised that my passion to make jewelry is not just about making jewelry and I had to start looking at it as a business. Which is a very sad thing for me because I would love to just travel and create.
That’s what I’m working towards right now: to build a life that allows me to visit incredible places, let them inspire me and turn my experiences into jewelry that mean something to ME and YOU. For me, jewelry is a way to connect to all of you who support me and I’m very grateful that I can do it full time.
Thank you for your support!