Jewellery Maker, Brenda Robson of Lathalia Jewellery
I have a personal experience to share. Sometimes, I battle with the idea of nature vs. nurture, especially when it comes to my creative passion, skills and talent in arts and crafts. I finally came to a conclusion that perhaps at a certain level, my talent may have been passed down from my maternal grandparents and my mother. However, when it comes to skills or having an eye for creative things, it comes from passion, and passion comes from a personal initiative and effort to make things happen for ourselves- a personal growth that we are all responsible for ourselves. But what happens when that personal power is combined with a supportive parental source? Creative magic. Your passion is nurtured, motivated as you lift each other up. For this, I can truly resonate with Brenda's story. -Shia Lynn
Hey there, Brenda!
Hey ladies! We are a pair of mother-daughter jewellery makers. We hope to share our story and experiences with you as an inspiration and motivation for you to make something happen. Be it big or small, take the challenge, make it happen and let us embrace it fearlessly.
How did you start your creative journey?
It all started when I was young. My mom who does crochets, my aunt who sews, as a kid, I observed their skills and talents while growing up with them. These women inspired me the most, and it led me to take up fashion design- I left for Kuala Lumpur to further my studies. Although I didn't learn much about jewellery design in college, with the experience that I had, it has definitely given me the exposure and perspective of the fashion industry in styling and designing.
From creative passion-turned-business, what inspired you to start a small craft business?
The MCO taught us a lot about appreciating our loved ones. I started spending more time with my mom and she taught me about jewellery making. We bought some beads and jewellery findings to design and create beautiful earrings, at the same time, we were spending quality time together. This helped us create our own form of meditation, a therapeutic craft. Making jewelleries taught us about working with passion. We love how this has turned out so positively, and we hope we are able to inspire other crafters and makers to do the same.
What are your business goals as a Jewellery Maker?
Right now, we are looking forward to expand and extend our creations to not just Malaysians, but to Singapore as well. As I will be a part of both countries one day, I want to be able to bring my handmade jewellery business to both locations, so that I am able to share my passion and experience as well. If this goes well, we might expand even further. We have this motto that we hold on dearly: Start by making something small, you will never know what are the bigger opportunities out there waiting for you.
My mother and I, as makers-partners, our priority is to focus on communication and productivity. It takes a lot to reach where we are heading towards to. Every experience gives us a step forward towards the journey we are in. Our main goal is to reach out to every woman that our creations are not just an accessory that they are wearing. But each and every piece of our handmade jewellery expresses each person differently and uniquely as it tells a little story about the person who wears it.
As a Jewellery Maker, a lot of time is invested in production. How do you manage your time and make sure that there's time for crafting and your personal life?
My personal life has a bit of everything. My mother is a housewife, but does accounting once in awhile and I do freelance writing myself with a friend of mine. I am also working with a digital marketing company that is currently helping me build my profile and my online business at the same time. To add on, I met this special person in my life, and he gives me the motivation to create and start something new instead of being stagnant like how I used to be working for a 9-5 job with a fixed salary. I have always wanted to start a business, but I didn't know where to start, or perhaps I was not pushing myself enough due to my lack of confidence.
So, to balance my personal life with my online business, I would say both matched out pretty well this year. Everything that I am working on right now, whether it is freelance or full time, it is connected to what I love doing in my life.
For ideas, it takes time for us to have great ideas and to actually create something unique. Sometimes, not every shape and size of accessory parts can work well together, but that has given us a challenge to create them beautifully in our own way. Ideas can come in a random situations, like during shower- that's where I get most of my ideas, haha! It could also be while I am observing a piece of art in a public area- that too can give me an idea of what the colours would be for a new collection. There are also times my mom and I would be sorting through photos while researching on patterns for the new pieces; my mom would mix and match the colours of the beads to have an idea for a fresh design.
Overall, a lot of time and energy is invested in handcrafting earrings, but it is all worth it when a customer appreciates our piece of handmade art- that's when we truly feel the satisfaction of crafting them, motivating us to keep going on.
Are you a jewellery maker looking for creative inspiration and motivation? Follow Brenda and her mom's jewellery making journey on Instagram at Lathalia Jewellery
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Q&A with Creatives is an interview topic by The Artsy Craftsy to empower fellow artists, crafters and makers with artful life and business tips and advice.
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