A Story of Love, Passion and Commitment

 As a child, I’ve always wanted to become involved with activities that would give me an opportunity to express my creative side. Back then, I looked forward to our grade school’s art and home economics classes. I enjoyed every bit of it, and coming home after a school day, I would make my own projects focused on what I learned from class. I recall making many a handmade bookmark and greeting card, which I was able to sell to childhood friends.

Looking back, it’s no surprise that I decided to settle down and focus on designing and making handmade creations through Palamuti,  although the journey to reach this point of artistic freedom has come as no easy feat.  Before all this, I experienced changing and diverging from one career path to another. I taught pre-school for a while and then eventually decided to move to a non-profit government organization focused on social development. After that, I went into public relations and got a job as a marketing officer for a private corporation. It was during my last job that I decided that I wanted to do something more creative, though at the time I had totally no idea. There was also the fear of leaving behind financial security. After four years, I finally quit my job and started to follow my passion for creating.  In a timely manner, an opportunity to design accessories presented itself.

I have no formal education in design or the arts. My college degree was social sciences, and the idea of putting up a business was a far cry from my past career experiences. In fact, making accessories was introduced to me by my sister, after she took an accessory making workshop for a summer class. She showed me the basics and lent her accessory tool kit to me, and I’ve been designing and creating ever since.

At the beginning though, it was never more serious than a passionate hobby. I would hunt for great finds, stock up on supplies, and make accessories simply to pass time. I would give my creations as gifts, and occasionally friends would kindly offer to buy them from me. I couldn’t make accessories full time though, because of a full-time job. However, after a long absence from making accessories, friends and relatives started asking me to make more. Finally, I decided to quit my job, and start my journey as an artist and entrepreneur. This new found passion differs from my past careers, in that it means more to me than just a new job, but it gives me an opportunity to reach out and make a difference in the lives of others.

Each and every day offers a different set of challenges.  Challenges I happily greet with open arms, because I consider it a gift to be given the chance to create and empower. I’m overjoyed in the way that my passion for Palamuti and its vision, is being spread and shared by our artisans and our clients. Please continue to share in our stories, but more importantly, allow yourself  to be inspired by hope, beauty and change.