We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Ella Vance. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Ella below.
Ella, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.
If I could describe myself in one word, it would be creative. Nearly 1o years ago is when I first discovered my love for designing & creating jewelry. It really started off as a hobby but quickly turned into a business where I could share my work with others. With a little push from some girlfriends, I took a risk & started ellaZjewels. At the time I was working a full time job in the marketing sector & honestly unsure of how or if I would be able to balance it all. Not only was I worried about finding a balance but I was worried I would be spending more money on the jewelry then actually bringing it in. But those who are right brained like me know that you will always find time to create no matter the cost. As I sit here now looking back to those days where I took a risk, I am grateful that I did. September of 2021, I was blessed with beautiful twin boys who I now get to stay home with and continue my love of jewelry making. To me, a risk does not always have to revolve around money and if it will financially benefit you or not (of course we all love to make money) but it is about opening the door to new growth and opportunities that will come along down the road.
Ella, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
Growing up in the south and college graduate of Ole Miss (Hotty Toddy!) I learned at a young age creating was something I truly enjoyed. I’ve always been the creative type, but I never saw the day coming that I would own my jewelry line. The summer of 2014 was when I started creating jewelry for fun and my own personal use. What seemed to be just a fun hobby and a love for handcrafted jewelry, led to my girlfriends loving the jewels as well. Over a couple of glasses of wine, they convinced me to pick a business name and put the jewelry up online. Overnight these jewels were a hit, and ellaZjewels was born!
I create custom, handmade jewelry ranging from earrings, bracelets to necklaces. Each piece is personally crafted by me & only me which I believe makes the jewelry even more special & one of a kind. I find that making jewelry is almost therapeutic, being able to take a ball of clay, a collection of beads or a spool of wire & create it into something that is custom & personalized. I would love to say that I am 100% where I’d like to be professionally but as a very driven & creative person, I am constantly looking to better myself & my product. Owning a business comes with its ups and downs, it forces you to be patient & roll with the punches. Especially when my twin boys arrived, I definitely had to find a balance between caring for them & even myself and also creating. However, I am proud to say after nearly 10 years of owning ellaZjewels, I still truly love the creative process & I’m grateful to have the opportunity to share my gift with others.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
My ultimate goal driving my creative journey is to allow myself to do something that truly makes me happy. It is my outlet from the real world, I can turn off my phone, shut out all the other distractions and create. Especially now with my twin boys, some days can be very long and quite exhausting but when I am able to put myself first even if it’s just for an hour a day – I find joy in that. And for any other moms out there that are trying to do it all (I am one of them!) find that one thing that fills your cup and do it.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
The most rewarding aspect of being an artist or creative is being able to share your work with other people. When you are an artist or creative, you create something that is a ultimately a reflection of you, you spend time and effort on curating that perfect item whether it be jewelry, food, paintings etc. And you get to pass that little piece of “you” off to another person to enjoy and that brings me so much happiness.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.etsy.com/shop/ellazjewels
- Instagram: @ellazjewels
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ella.g.vance
Image Credits
Headshot – Jessica Gold Photography Family Photos – Hannah Goodin Photography