When I decided to create this blog my intention was to write microblog posts. Short & sweet so as to not take up too much of your time. This post, however, will not as it is more of an introduction to me, Juniper and how I came to be sitting here writing to you. I write the way I think so forgive me if I wander off topic from time to time. I'm more of a free verse poet rather than a structured essay writer. I'll leave the copywriting to the professionals if you need one I know a good one! This blog comes directly from my brain on to the page with very little editing.
Creating Juniper has been around for a number of years, my first attempt at creating an income was through painting in early 2015 when I quit my job due to health reasons, it flopped as these things sometimes do. I spent the summer of 2017 creating macrame necklaces with my mom, while we were both on EI, in another attempt to create an income when I was let go from a bandaid retail job. At the end of 2018, I decided to redesign my logo and breathe new life into my Creating Juniper space. I've always carried a love for crystals and gems, and I've been working with their energy for more than two decades. It took a conversation with a friend to set me on the path to creating malas.
She was wearing a labradorite mala, and it caught my eye because I am in love with labradorite and I'd never seen a mala up close and personal. She mentioned that it was a gift from another friend, how much it had cost and that it had broken shortly after receiving it. I think my exact words were, "I can make those, and for a better price." I started researching malas, their meaning, how to use them and how to put them together. I discovered that I had most of the supplies and newly budding passion to create them.
It wasn't until after my daughter was born that I started seriously considering Malas as my next creative endeavor. I'd been trying to get my graphic design business to where it could support me, and allow me to work from home. The harder I fought to rise above the feast or famine existence, the less I wanted to continue in that industry. With sites like Fivver businesses don't see the value in hiring a graphic designer when they can get what they need for a very attractive price tag. Convincing potential clients that a graphic designer is an investment and not an expense was a battle I no longer wanted to fight, but I digress graphic design will always be my first love and I will always be passionate about good design.
I created a couple of malas and shared them on facebook. Another friend of mine fell in love with one of the malas but wanted me to customize it for her. Instinctively I wanted to redo it with the intention it was for her so I had no qualms about tearing it apart and redoing it for her. That mala turned out to be the piece she wore on her wedding day. Through a couple of conversations, she decided that she wanted to gift a mala to each of her bridesmaids. One mala turned into six and I discovered that I loved making malas.
The creative "flow" when you're so engrossed in what you're doing that the whole world disappears is one of my favourite ways to de-stress. Creating malas has become a form of meditation for me. Everything falls away, and I am present in the moment. I am able to set aside my worries, I can focus on the beads and the potential client.
My ultimate goal is to help others and genuinely connect to my fellow humans. I believe making malas will allow me to do just that, I may not be reinventing the wheel here but what other mala makers lack is me, my energy and soul the things that make me unique.
If you've made it this far, thank you for your time.
With gratitude;
Juniper