We recently connected with Asha Oya and have shared our conversation below.

Asha, appreciate you joining us today. What’s the best or worst investment you’ve made (either in terms of time or money)? (Note, these responses are only intended as entertainment and shouldn’t be construed as investment advice)

The best investment I’ve made has been in my education. I’m not talking about when I got my Bachelor’s, although that was a great investment. I’m talking about what’s developing right now. I got accepted to a 2-year degree program to learn the craft of jewelry-making. I am starting in the spring & will learn everything from casting metals, setting stones, & so much more. As an adult, going back to school, I am excited & also in a state of surrender. There is so much I don’t know about how this will change my life & my work. I don’t have all the answers to questions like “how are you going to pay for it?” “are you going to work & go to school?” “what are you going to do after you get your degree?” I am okay not having these answers because I know that everything will fall into place. After making jewelry for over 11 years & mastering my current crafts, I am naturally ready to learn more & expand my skillset. I have so many amazing ideas that I can’t execute with my current skills & which going to jewelry school will provide. The amount of excitement & anticipation I feel for these new creations is more than enough to inspire me to keep going & take this next step. The lesson I am learning right now is: have faith. I don’t entertain any thoughts or discussions about not going to school. Its happening. When doubt creeps in, I just go back to my designs that are waiting for me to create them. I feel for the original inspiration & let that carry me forward.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I have always been a creator. Whether it’s writing poems, dancing, jewelry, or dreaming up new realities, I am obsessed with bringing my visions to life. I started making jewelry over 11 years ago because I wanted to feel good in my body & love my body. Since childhood, I struggled with chronic depression, anxiety, and, feeling like I was never good enough. Jewelry brought out the light in me, increased my confidence, & cultivated a sense of playfulness that I didn’t get to have as a child of a single mother, struggling to make ends meet.

In March of 2020, I quit a stressful insurance job & started traveling to find myself. I joined an organization that started in Austin, Fit for Service, & this community helped me discover & develop myself, & encouraged me to share my gifts with the world. I began Oya Visions & selling jewelry at Fit for Service events. The tears & joy of my customers made me realize that I’m not just creating jewelry. I’m creating talismans for past loved ones. I’m creating a sacred item to support someone through their dark night of the soul. I’m creating a time device that propels someone into their desired future. I don’t always know the impact of what I’m creating until its new owner sees it & the light pours out of them.

My brand is Oya Visions. I create high-vibrational, largely one-of-a-kind jewelry, that reflects the wearer’s story (past or yet to come). I incorporate poetry, as it inspires my jewelry or is inspired by it. As my style has evolved, so have my designs. I started out making waist beads & wire-wrapping chain, then moved onto silk-knotting malas, mastering them all. I am being given designs beyond my skillset that are kinetic, fluid, & dazzling. They require that I know how to work with gold & silver, solder, & set stones. I took a metalworking class in college & it really opened my mind to what was possible with jewelry & showed me that there is no limit to what I can create.

My vision is a jewelry brand that continues to make humans feel good in their bodies, reminds them of their divinity & that they are very very special.

On my website, you can purchase waist beads, body chains, bracelets, anklets, malas, & necklaces. In the future, you can look forward to purchasing silver & gold jewelry like rings, pendants, & more.

Can you share your view on NFTs? (Note: this is for education/entertainment purposes only, readers should not construe this as advice)

As a creator of tangible objects & unique pieces of art, I view NFTs as an opportunity to ensure that “ownership” is legitimate & artists benefit from the re-sale of their art. NFTs can be a replacement for COAs (certificate of authenticity). I have been exploring how to incorporate & use NFTs in Oya Visions, remaining open to the benefits they offer as well as taking care to understand the technological skills it demands. I feel that the adoption of NFTs on a wide-scale can be initiated by local businesses & artisans. First that requires that we continue to education ourselves & support each other.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

The best thing that society can do is decommoditize art. Mass-produced art has its benefits. It means that less energy is required to bring beautiful things to people. What it also means is that, the artisans who spend more time & energy creating their art, are (in the minds of the consumer) competing with the art you can purchase on Amazon, in Walmart, or manufactured in a factory. It may also mean that artisans in the US (like myself) are being asked to compete on price with artisans in impoverished areas who are being compensated inadequately for their time & energy.

Purchasing a handmade beaded bracelet that I put time & love into is going to be different than ordering a mass-produced bracelet online. There is nothing inherently wrong with mass-produced art. Its important to understand that they are so incredibility different. When purchasing from an artist, the pricing will be different (usually much higher) & the purchasing experience will usually be more intimate.

Purchasing from an artisan is an experience. Be curious about the artist, the craft, & the art. I love to invite my customers to touch & try-on my jewelry. I can tell them the story behind each piece. I package each one imagining the joy & excitement they will feel opening it.

Pay the asking price. Don’t ask an artist to lower their price or do a trade. For artists like myself who are working towards being a full-time artisan with no desire to mass-produce, my pricing reflects the time, energy, supplies, education, equipment, & income needed to support myself so that I can continue to create high-quality high-vibrational jewelry, & live an abundant life.

Contact Info:

• Website: oyavisions.com
• Instagram: @oya.visions