Ivette Still Writes
Several years ago, a long-time friend of mine introduced me to the business of manufacturing bags. For the most part, I was in it for what I perceived to be its social relevance. After all, I came from a place where the business of bag making managed to make a significant historical leap from being a cottage industry to earning recognition internationally when it found its way to the fashion capital of the world.
I felt like I can be part of that rich history and help revive the craft that imported and substandard yet cheaper alternatives killed. I wanted to save the talents of the skilled and hardworking men and women who abandoned the craft as opportunities became more and more scarce if not totally lost.
Armed with zero knowledge apart from a slight liking for bags, I grabbed the chance and invested a huge portion of my meager savings in a business that is not all about the money. My friend turned business partner generously taught me what she knew and was instrumental in forming my then non-existent business sense. It was a partnership made in heaven as it was more personal than purely professional. It was rewarding both in the tangible and intangible senses, even if we had more clients than workers, which isn’t always a good thing.
But life happened. We had differences in terms of priorities, and the challenges of doing a socially-relevant work with unprofessional workers became too much to handle. I gave up and left with a heavy heart.
Looking back, though, knowing that I helped create something good is, well, good enough for me. Fast forward to today, I am busy working on my personal projects all by my lonesome. I am the crafter, and I am everything else. But boy, is it rewarding!
Before my friend called to discuss the proposal for the business described above, I never imagined myself manning my own business in this lifetime. I guess it’s life’s way of teaching me profound lessons, and I like to think that I learned a lot, even though I have to digest them the hard way.
More than the financial rewards and opportunities to hone technical skills and business acumen, crafting is a form of self-care for my mental health. For someone who never fails to not feel good enough, the positive feedback from my satisfied clients, not to mention their voluntary efforts to market my products are incredibly humbling and gratifying. The thought of creating something tangible is my antidote to that crippling feeling of worthlessness. The words of encouragement and praise from artists I have the utmost respect for enable me to find the strength to keep on keeping on. The exposures I get somehow lead me to the kind of crowd that I want to surround myself with. And while I may starve for my art, it feeds my soul in ways no other earthly thing can. For that reason alone, I can die happy.
Since I am still breathing, I want to say thank you to everyone who’s had and still holds my hand at every step of this journey. They all deserve credit for own it HANDCRAFTED PROJECT’s successes.