We were lucky to catch up with Susana Vijaya recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Susana thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s jump back to the first dollar you earned as a creative? What can you share with us about how it happened?

I was born an artist and salesgirl. Around the age of 5 I made drawings and went to my parents’ driveway, trying to sell them to whoever passed by on the street. Plaster molds, which I then painted, were the next items of sale. When I was 6 years old, I started making macramé bracelets and sold them at school. I had another business, which was to buy simple notebooks and decorate them. They were a success! Around the age of 10, my father offered me copper wire, beads, and all the pliers I needed to work and make jewelry. And I never stopped! I explored photography, mosaic, knitting, crocheting, sewing, creating masks, cooking, music and performing arts, even cutting hair, and whenever I could, I made money with it. But I never made a living from it, until more recently.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

In 2007, back in my home town – Porto, Portugal – I was finally recognized for my work. I was the owner and creator of a holistic space, where we offered a wide variety of therapies, and a macrobiotic/vegetarian restaurant. After a few years of hard work, I was invited to national television 7 times, and appeared in several magazines. It was the perfect time to sell it! In 2008 I left for Brazil, in search of permaculture, spirituality and community living.

In the first place where I volunteered, I learned the art of micro-macramé in more detail. From 2008 to 2011 I created hundreds of pieces, and offered them all wherever I traveled. In 2012 I started making money with my jewelry. And learning more and more about gemstones, their energy, meaning, and properties.

Eventually I went to the United States and bought a motorhome. I went to a shelter, got a dog, and started traveling around North America. When I arrived at Cortes Island, BC, Canada, my heart knew that this is one of my places in the world.

I got residency in Canada as a self-employed artist, because of my micro-macramé creations. This makes me really proud, because I was already in a common law relationship, and I could have asked for my residency because of that, but I wanted to do it because of my art, and my value as an artist.

Living on Cortes island for 7 years was great, but I couldn’t develop my business. In 2022 we moved to Salmon Arm so I could develop my art and live comfortably from it. At the same time, I decided to rebrand my company, and go from “Loving Knots” to only my name, “Susana Vijaya”. I created the company Susana Vijaya Co., and started to form a team to help me with production.
Micro-macramé jewelry is very time consuming, everything is made tiny knot by tiny knot. So, for me to grow, I needed help.
Nowadays I have a team of 5 ladies that produce all my repeatable models. I still produce my Signature pieces, like the “Fifth Chakra’s” chokers and the “Accomplices” necklaces.

What we offer is a line of jewelry made entirely from micro-macramé, with gemstones of immense quality. Our craftsmanship is fabulous, and we use a thread that I consider to be the best thread for this type of work: the Brazilian brand Settanyl, which I eventually started importing and distributing in Canada. This is a waxed polyester thread, 100% waterproof, that does not fade, it is very strong and lasts for a very long time. So we can say that our jewelry is waterproof, and suitable for all with metal allergies. You can have your jewelry in the ocean, in the hot-tube, swimming pool, shower, you name it!
Besides this, and because I love spirituality, gemstones’ energy and astrology, we offer a lot of content on my website related to these subjects. We have jewelry for all zodiac signs, we have a blog where we offer important information about gemstones and astrological signs, we offer a huge glossary with information about the energy and properties of gemstones. We even talk a bit about numerology.

My work is unique in the world. My signature pieces are the result of 16 years of being a “knotty girl” :-), studying gemstones, developing a mixed technique of knots and sewing, and managing to express limitless creativity.
All repeatable models have been best sellers for many years, making thousands of customers very happy.

If you ask someone who knows how to make micro-macramé, if they thought that creating a jewelry brand was possible, everyone would tell you NO! Every single piece takes a long time to make. To create a team, that follows my standards? You are crazy Susana!
So I can say that I am extremely proud of what I have been creating through time and where I am right now: Susana Vijaya Co. is a company offering very good quality jewelry, durable, strong and unique, 100% produced by hand, by women in Salmon Arm, BC, Canada. My goal is to invest in the United States market, making my website visible to everyone that might appreciate what we are doing.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

When I was younger, I made art for art’s sake, no matter what I was exploring at the time. As I got older (I am proudly 50 right now) and decided to live from my art, I wanted to deliver something that is not only beautiful, but that has a meaning, a purpose. So when you are buying Susana Vijaya’s jewelry, you are buying a gemstone, its energy and properties. I am offering meaning in a piece of jewelry.

Also, I’m quite conscious about the state of the planet. I can not stand anything that is disposable. Do you know those bead bracelets that come in an elastic and break after one week, and you have beads all over the place? No. I want to offer something that actually lasts.

I work with three lapidary families. One in India, one in Brazil and another in Mexico. All of them give me guarantees that their stones are responsibly sourced, besides the amazing quality they deliver.

I am also aware of the glorified sweatshops around the world. Many brands/corporations produce their articles in non-humane conditions, exploring human beings in 3rd world countries.
All my products are produced by hand, with time and love, in Canada. All my ladies are paid by piece. They take their projects home, and they deliver them whenever they have them done, without stress. I am giving an opportunity to women to stay at home with their babies and make money doing something they love: working with their hands. Others have part-time jobs and can increase their salary by also working with their hands, and doing something that they believe in.

Our products and business want to shift from quantity to quality. Everything is made in small batches or is unique. We hope to be helping with no overconsumption and no overproduction by delivering something that you can wear all the time, and it’s very long lasting.
We value transparency, honesty, social justice, spirituality, ethicality and sustainability.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

Well… to tell you the truth, creativity is so strong in myself, that if I couldn’t express it, I would be very sick! For me, creativity is a very high energy, meant to be manifested.
“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth”

Since I was born, I have been manifesting my creativity in so many different ways. So, by expressing it, by letting it out somehow, I developed a sense of freedom, self expression and awareness that have been very valuable in my existence.
I also think that I developed an inner security and confidence, from the fact that I can create.

That being said, the most rewarding aspect of being an artist is the fact that I can constantly express my creativity and gain all the personal benefits that come from it.
I feel so blessed!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://susanavijaya.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/susanavijaya
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/susanavijayaco