Beginnings
How did my jewelry making journey start?
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!