By Rae Wiltshire
Amanda Persaud’s classroom is bright and colourful. It makes her feel good and her students appreciate the creativity. Persaud did not always have this creative freedom. Before becoming a teacher, she was a nurse for two years and a secretary at Gafoors. She was encouraged to be creative during her down time at Gafoors, but said the job was not the right fit for her. Teaching was a gateway for her to use creativity.
“For the teaching profession, I get to do so many things. I get to write songs, make poems. I get to make up dances. I get to design teaching aids and I get to design my classroom space. I like my classrooms to be colourful and bright,” she said. This creative element is critical for children to learn difficult concepts like fractions, Persaud said. She explained that every year children would struggle to learn fractions and creativity helps her students to comprehend them.
The classroom is not the only place where the 25-year old expresses herself. She loves jewellery that is unique and has an artistic flare.
“During the pandemic, I came across lots of polymer clay videos and I decided to try it,” Persaud said. This discovery led her to begin creating polymer clay jewellery. It began as a hobby, but friends and family started to enquire about the prices of her jewellery and encouraged her to sell the pieces she made. Starting a business made sense. She named her company Abstract Beauty as she wants her clients to feel special and to appreciate the artistry that goes into making their jewellery.
“You’re not just wearing jewellery. Accessories are more than just accessories for me. I want people to stop and speak on the creativity behind the making of the jewellery. They must love it so much that they feel they are on a runaway,” she said. People have begun to recognise Persaud’s jewellery and this is one of her proudest achievements. She is currently pursuing a degree in business administration.
She has also started to use her craft to address various social ills and diseases in Guyana.
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is an illness that Persaud struggles with and she noted that many women who experience this can feel like they are not women. PCOS can make it difficult for a woman to get pregnant. Persaud has crafted jewellery with words affirming that this illness should not define a woman.
“You are enough.” She recalled a customer saying that it was strange to see that on an earring, but she explained the meaning behind it. She hopes the women who wear them can feel more secure about themselves despite being afflicted by PCOS.
Suicide is another social ill that she raises awareness about with her craft. Several members of her family have committed suicide and she hopes that awareness can lead to more open discussions in our society that can address this issue.
Persaud has also covered breast cancer and created various shades of breasts on her jewellery to represent the wide variety of women which this disease affects. She hopes to continue making jewellery that can raise awareness about more social issues and diseases that affect Guyanese. Later this year, she said, a collection of her jewellery will address sexual violence.
Jewellery making has helped her to relax, but it also takes her out of her comfort zone. She said that after a long day at school, she looks forward to returning home and crafting jewellery. It helps to ease her stress. Starting a business also forced her to be more interactive with people. She was not accustomed to marketing her brand but it was needed to garner sales. Persaud said that this has strengthened her social skills.
Despite bringing joy and allowing her to champion various social ills and diseases, creating jewellery does have its challenges. “Some days it is really hard, especially if I have a long day at school and come home very tired,” Persaud said. She mostly creates jewellery when she arrives home from school early.
Promotion of her business also has proven to be a challenge because she is a full time teacher and cannot afford to be online all day to engage with clients. However, some of these issues are mitigated by friends and family.
Her sisters are some of her biggest cheerleaders. They post her jewellery on social media and wear the pieces to work and at events. This has helped Persaud gauge people’s reception of her jewellery. She explained that many people are fascinated and intrigued when they see polymer clay jewellery and this has served as an encouragement for her to continue creating and maintaining her business. Friends at work have also been supportive and would usually purchase her creations because they are unique.
Persaud’s need to differentiate herself from other jewellery makers has led her to create paper jewellery as well. She said people are always surprised when they realise some of her earrings and necklaces are made of paper and would enquire if the jewellery is sustainable. She uses a process that allows the paper to be durable (and water resistant) so the jewellery can be worn just like a regular accessory.
Asked to explain this, she said she would rather not give out her secrets. She explained she spent months doing research on the technique and to reveal it would be to her disadvantage. Persaud also started recycling old papers and plastics because she wanted her business to be environmentally friendly. For Persaud, her creativity to teach, raise awareness about social ills and diseases while thinking of the environment has allowed her to “be creatively beautiful,” she said. This is the slogan of her business and a phrase she hopes will inspire others. You can find Abstract Beauty at https://www.instagram.com/abstract.beauty.gy/.
