We’re looking forward to introducing you to Samantha Wal. Check out our conversation below.
Hi Samantha, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: What do you think others are secretly struggling with—but never say?
I believe that everyone is fighting their own internal battles, and that it is completely different for each person. One thing I have noticed, through the power of social media, is that a lot of people struggle with imposter syndrome similar to me. It is interesting to see how it effects people differently in different fields of work, but in my instance it has always caused restraint and hesitation to do anything that I wasn’t sure I could do perfectly, as well as feeling like what I do achieve and create will never be of interest to anyone. I am constantly working on fighting this and changing this mentality within myself by learning to fail and stop closing doors before they even open. Now that I own my own business I am excited to push myself further and see where my craft and expression through jewelry and accessories can take me!
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Samantha Wal and my business is called Yugen Handmade. I make handmade celestial jewelry inspired by space and the universe around us. I majored in Graphic Design in college and followed that path after I graduated, but sitting and staring at a screen all day slowly became exhausting. I have always been a super crafty person from crocheting to drawing and painting, anything I could get my hands on to learn. I jumped at the opportunity to take over Yugen Handmade as the new business owner and have been loving it ever since. I get to work with my hands all day making almost any accessory you can think of. I use natural stones, glass cabochons and most exciting of them all, Authentic Meteorite to make jewelry that encompasses the uniqueness and beauty of our universe and celestial events we experience. I am constantly learning new things everyday from those in the space industry and the people around me, trying to come up with ways things can be expressed as accessories. Each piece in the end becomes a unique way for people to carry a little piece of space everywhere they go!
Okay, so here’s a deep one: Who taught you the most about work?
Definitely my dad. I have always had a more creative brain and been one to start multiple projects at a time like a constant juggling act. My dad has always been a numbers guy, and someone who won’t stop until his work is done. He has taught me a lot about perseverance, adaptability and confidence. Without his help I don’t think I would have been able to comprehend the actual business side of owning a business and all of the different facets that come with it. I never really understood how his brain worked until he showed me how to organize and manage parts of my business and then I began to see those translate into other things as well which greatly helped me appreciate how my dad takes on projects and digests information in a different way than I do. Everyone has different workflows and I think learning from people that work differently than you teaches you a lot more than just the task at hand.
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
I would tell her to jump at every opportunity that comes up. I was always so worried about what other people thought and that what I did wasn’t measuring up to what other people were doing. I feel like I closed myself off to so many things that could have led to many more experiences and learning opportunities. I would also tell her to live in the moment and stop yearning for the future. I feel so lucky to have ended up where I have and it is not at all where I planned or expected to be. People always say “the best things happen at the most unexpected times” and I was and still am so bad at straying from the set path I have in my head that leads to my future goals but when I look back at my life I find that the best things that have happened to me truly have been the most unexpected things.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
My closest friends would probably say that my family (and friends which are truly chosen family) is what matters most to me. Spending time with my family, especially around the holidays, is something I would not give up for the world. I am part Polish (which my friends would probably say I bring up way too much) and we still incorporate traditions from our Polish roots including having Gołąbki on Easter and making Pierogis Christmas Eve. Learning and discovering more and more about those roots is something that really matters to me but above that is making the time to keep those traditions alive every year and continuously adding new ones. I am never as relaxed and happy as I am when spending time with friends and family.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: Have you ever gotten what you wanted, and found it did not satisfy you?
Yes I did when I finally got my first Graphic Design job after college. I was just happy to have landed a job and feel like I was actually adulting/moving on to the next part of life. I had amazing coworkers and a great company to work for but after a few months I felt drained in the work I was doing, like I was missing something and no matter how many projects I completed I just couldn’t see myself doing it long-term. I got so excited when I got to help put some table toppers into their plastic covers and anything work related to get out of my chair and still feel productive. That’s when I started to realize I was meant for more hands on work and everyday I feel so lucky I found something to fulfill that where I can still be creative.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.yugenhandmade.com/
- Instagram: @yugenhandmade
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/yugenhandmade/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yugenhandmade
