settembre 13, 2021

To Inspire And Get Inspired - Isabella Yong creative behind The Atelierista of Love

To Inspire And Get Inspired - Isabella Yong creative behind The Atelierista of Love

I met Isabella when she started her small business making polymer clay earrings. Looking for platform to sell her creations, she chose our Collab store at the Fremantle markets. One of the reasons I started Collab was to create a retail platform for emerging local creatives but what brings me most joy is for all of us to explore possible collaborations so we can all challenge ourselves and create something bigger. So, as Isabella loves to play with colours and prints , it only seemed natural that I would ask her to design coordinating accessories for our Game Changer collection. Her energy, enthusiasm and commitment to the task have been so inspiring and I am so excited for all of you to get to know Isabella and our Collab collection.

Welcome to the ANJELMS family Isabella.

Who is Isabelle Yong? What inspires you and what are you passionate about?

It’s hard to define me as just one thing and I will try to not bore you with all the specifics! I’m originally from Malaysia and have been based in Perth since 2015. I have a background in Screen Arts (Film) and was a Studio Assistant and Coordinator in a childcare centre before starting my own small business.

Working with children has definitely inspired me in many ways. We all had our love for playdough as a child and of course, that all goes away when you step into the adult world! You also don’t realize what children are capable of until you give them the tools and the freedom to explore and experiment. Children create amazing things out of playdough and clay and this was when I decided to give polymer clay a go. If they can do it, I can too! I now have my own small business selling polymer clay jewellery and clutches.

I can’t forget to mention my mother as my other source of inspiration. She is someone who does not slow down and keeps going in the eye of the storm. She always pushes me to be better and try harder especially when something doesn’t work out.

What does being creative mean to you?

We are all surrounded by creativity everyday, whether it be cooking or choosing an outfit for the day. You are creating food to put on the table and creating an outfit to present yourself to the world. Being creative is also pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone and taking risks. It’s experimenting and failing and figuring out what works and what doesn’t. If I never pushed myself out of my comfort zone, I never would have started my own small business and be where I am today.

As an emerging artist and small business owner how important is the support of your community?

The support from your community is what drives you as an artist and a small business owner. To know that there are people out there who acknowledge the work you do and are willing to support you throughout your journey even if it’s just liking your Facebook and Instagram page. The little things matter.

You do run workshops, what have you learned from the power of teaching your craft and what learning skills brings to individuals?

I absolutely enjoy running my workshops because it showcases the process of a handmade product. You don’t realize how much work goes into a handmade product until you go through the process yourself. I don’t have a problem with teaching my skills to others because there is room for everyone in the small business world. We can all give it a go. I think the best thing about attending a workshop is that you get to walk away with a product that you created yourself. You’ll see that you are capable of something that you probably didn’t think you could do.

What ethical steps do you take in your everyday life?

My sister is always the one to remind me to save the turtles! From recycling anything that we can, to buying reusable metal straws and most importantly, buying clothing that are from ethical and sustainable clothing brands. Even in my small business, I have eliminated single-use plastics and tried my best to find ways to be kinder to the environment.

During this difficult time with COVID lingering around, I think we can all try harder to think about how our actions affect the people and the environment around us. I have definitely felt a drastic change in my actions during this time and being mindful is something that I work on everyday.

Finally what would you like your legacy to be?

Wow, what a loaded question! It’s something I’ve never really thought about but I would love for people to see me as an inspiration. I want them to know that they can do this too. Being Asian, the arts isn’t something that is always welcomed. I still struggle a lot with this because I constantly doubt myself and wonder if I even made the right choice to choose art in the first place. I have definitely experimented with different mediums and you just need to find the one that works for you. Push yourself outside of your comfort zone and do the thing that scares you!

Social media plugs:

Instagram: www.instagram.com/theatelieristaoflove
Facebook: www.facebook.com/theatelieristaoflove
YouTube: The Atelierista Of Love
Website: www.theatelieristaoflove.com

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