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Written by Julia Shagal
My mum was a mathematics teacher and even though she was not very arty herself she enormously loved art, classic music and theatre… So since I was 5 years old, my mum took me to almost every art exhibition in various art museums and galleries throughout the big city, where we were living at that time. So it was no surprise that I signed up for various art painting classes when I was just 7 years old and later went to higher Design Academy college after I’ve graduated from school.
A Passion For Creativity
I’ve always loved making something with my hands – I used to do sewing, some ceramics, making some souvenirs and greetings cards and various craft activities like many creative-minded kids at school.
I’ve worked as Creative Graphic designer almost all my life and though it was my chosen profession it was not until later life, in fact in my 50s I’ve decided to try making jewellery… I read lots of information online, watched countless videos, took part in various classes and after finishing my full time job day – I was running home to learn and make something again and again.
Of course I made lots of mistakes along the way but I was just so hooked up, it was like an addiction, I was making mostly rings….. Lots of them…… Why rings you may ask? Perhaps because they are the most exciting piece of jewellery to own or so I thought.
Starting A Business
This was just my new crazy hobby and I’ve never had any business plan but soon after I had created a collection I opened my very first small Etsy Jewellery online store. Originally it was just a suggestion from my friends to see if I could sell just a few pieces I had made as I could not just stop making them. It was like an invisible hand was helping and guiding me through that jewellery making process!
After I sold a few pieces on Etsy – it suddenly started getting busier and busier and soon I realised that I would have to make a choice – to quit my main, well paid, full time Graphic Designer job or quit making jewellery. I’ve chose to quit my safe Full time job! I had decided to break free ( like the Queen song :)) and start working for myself, madly in love with my new venture and try and make a living out of it.
Worth The Risk
You would ask – why? Even now, I can not tell you exactly what the reason was but looking back to those early years, when my mum often was taking me to Art exhibitions ( French Impressionists, Medieval Art, Art Deco and
many more…) – I would often stop in one of the museum’s permanent exhibition rooms (which we had to go through to reach the temporary exhibition site) – there were glass cabinets full of small ornaments, various accessories and amazing jewellery pieces… My mum used to try to hurry me up but I was insisting on staying just a few minutes longer to gaze at those sparkling things in “fairy-tale like shop windows” (glass cabinets), every time when we were visiting the museum.
So I think it was the inner me and my passion for those tiny ornaments and jewellery “glitters” which has come back to me and guided me to make this dramatic change in my professional life and you know what? I don’t regret it for one moment!
Growing My Business And Following My Dreams
My Jewellery business is still growing and so far has been a my most successful ever journey which I’m on! It has also happened to me in later life, as I’ve said I never started this until my 50s, when many women would struggle with health issues and will feel hopeless to make any major changes in their lives.
I hope that my story would help inspire other women to not be afraid to make a change and try new things.
Follow your Dreams as you never know what you can achieve! – but most importantly I would say to anyone now, try to look inside of yourself and tap into your subconscious mind – make it happened 🙂
Find more from Julia Shagal:
Julia Shagal,
Owner and Jewellery Designer, Bijoux de Chagall,
https://bijouxdechagall.com/
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