We were lucky to catch up with Paige Johnson recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Paige thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Are you happy as a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?
For the entirety of my working career, my time was focused in public-facing jobs; I worked retail, I worked with kids, I worked the front desk in a gym. Through all of these jobs, I loved the work I did, but I found myself extremely burned out working face-to-face with people day in and day out. As an extroverted introvert, I found this exhausting and draining, I was constantly in pain from standing on my feet all day, and I all the joy had left my job life. When I began working for myself, everything changed! As a self-employed business owner, I can honestly say I have never once thought I would be happier working a “regular job”. For years I thought I hated working, I dreaded going to jobs that left me feeling unfulfilled or brought unhappiness into my life, I’d cry in the car on my way to my last retail job, walk half a mile from the parking lot to my job in the blazing Florida midday sun, and wonder if anything would ever change. Now, working for myself, creating what I want to create, and living in a way that feels deeply authentic to who I am at my core, I find myself unable to stop working! It turns out I don’t have work, I simply cannot thrive in a regular job. I’m passionate about what I do and I wouldn’t change it for the world.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I am an intuitive jewelry maker, usui reiki master, and creative. I initially began making beaded gemstone bracelets for myself as a hobby several years ago, before the pandemic, turning to crafting as a way to express myself creatively. I had a few friends ask to buy bracelets from me, so I quickly opened an Etsy shop and listed a few bracelets there. I continued to work full time elsewhere as I made bracelets in the evenings after work, sitting on the floor of our living room with beads strewn all over the coffee table in front of me.
When the pandemic hit, my parter was laid off of work and I was between jobs, feeling unsafe to go back to working retail I decided to dive into this hobby and see if I could turn it into a profitable business. I started doubling down on bracelet making, signed up for some crystal wholesale accounts, and began to expand my business. In the early days of the pandemic, people were eager to assist small businesses and those who’d been laid off, and I found my friends were interested in sharing my pieces, buying from me, and supporting my endeavors. As time went on, I realized I loved what I was doing and the idea of venturing back into the working world made me anxious and sick to my stomach. I knew I had to keep creating if I wanted to continue to find joy in my work.
Early on, while I was still making bracelets on my living room floor for fun, I realized that what set me apart was my usui reiki master certification which I’d received not long before. I loved using energetic tools and techniques to work with animals, but when I began making jewelry it was intuitive that I would reiki charge each piece I made before sending them off to their new homes. I loved the idea of giving someone a little extra burst of energy, a clean slate to place their own intentions into, and some energetic goodness when they opened their package. As my business grew, so did my investment into this form of energy work – it became a core tenant of my work. To this day, all pieces I make or sell are cleansed with sound and charged with reiki energy before being sent to their new home.
I’ve tried many things in my business, from bracelets to earrings to beeswax candles to curiosities, and finally to japamalas and mala-style jewelry. The core of my business now rests on sustainably sourced gemstones and crystals, knowing that so many crystals and minerals are mined in unethical ways, doing damage to the earth, while the miners are paid pennies to destroy their bodies. There are relatively no standards for ethical sourcing, and it has become incredibly important to me as an energetic worker that the pieces I use and sell are held to the highest possible ethical and sustainable standard. I incorporate my background as a certified yoga teacher into my 108 bead malas which are traditionally used for meditation and breath work, while continuing my work as an ethical energy worker by reiki charging each piece.
I am most proud of the ways in which I’ve been able to create a business that supports the earth while simultaniously creating pieces that resonate deeply with individuals. In part of my effort to create a business that’s energetically impactful as well as ecologically, I’ve committed myself to picking up 1lb of trash for every mala and male-style piece of jewelry I sell in 2023. I love that I can have an impact throughout the world by choosing to support only ethical and sustainable mining practices, ensuring that miners and workers are paid a livable wage, but also in my own corner of the world by getting outside and picking up trash myself. I feel incredibly passionate about what I do, it only makes sense that what I do should make a positive impact on the world.
In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?
The best thing society can do to support artists and creatives is to simply support what we do! Find your community of local businesses and actively support their work. Be okay with spending extra for a single person’s work, and promote them when you can. Word of mouth business is a huge aspect of how small businesses and creatives get their brand out there.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
The most rewarding aspect of being the kind of creative that I am is knowing that I’m doing more than simply making a thing. I’m creating a piece that will speak to someone on a profound level, that will support them energetically, and that will ultimately have a much more significant meaning to them than I can understand.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.yogilovebeads.etsy.com
- Instagram: @yogilovebeads
- Facebook: @yogilovebeads