The infamous saying, “Teamwork makes the dream work” hits the new and upcoming Association of Artisans close to home. The AoA is encouraging local artisans from all walks of life; be it if they make scrunchies, candles, crystal jewelry or ANYTHING, to come together and build a community on the Maltese Islands. Why?
“In a place like Malta, it’s difficult to find such like-minded people. No one used to help you when you asked them because people see you as competition”
Sarah told The Third Eye.
The Association of Artisans has three essential aims:
- A platform for artisans from all over the island to turn to for advice- be it on how to start your own business, where you can get polymer clay from or anything artisan-related.
- To eliminate the competitive mentality which dominates the island’s craftspeople.
- To ease that overwhelming sense of isolation many artisans feel whilst building their own business, “because it’s nice to know there are people to turn to”, Ylenia told us.
We sat down with AoA’s founding members- Jeremy, Sarah and Ylenia for a late-night (virtual) interview to talk on the association, local perspectives and plans for their future.
Meet the Artisans
They all come from distinctly creative backgrounds, but these founding members have got one thing in common: a love for creating products sprinkle a lil’ bit of soul!
Jeremy aka Libertalia
You may recognise this charming fellow from the work he has done in local television productions like Division 7. He has a great love for pirates and crystals which lead him to the creation of Libertalia. Named after the legendary free pirate colony, this small online business allows you to feast your eyes on a large selection of affordable, high quality crystal accessories. I came across his Instagram account last year, and his products are quite the hidden treasure!
Ylenia aka Tikka.Tafal
The vibrant and wholesome Ylenia started her journey with polymer clay and upcycled fashion last year. Creating jewellery and sustainable scrunchies is a creative outlet for that negative stuff going on which she successfully transformed into Tikka.Tafal; a small online business to share her creations with us. Check out the article we had done on Ylenia here for more details on her ‘quirky creations’ story.
Sarah aka Mazina Candles
Sarah has always loved creating stuff with her hands. Around 2 years ago she started experimenting with candle making, using more sustainable and eco-friendly materials like soy wax. Once she got the hang of it, she opened Mazina Candles– an online store that sells otherworldly fragrant candles. Considering that she’s had to learn the ropes all by herself, Sarah says that she’s very satisfied with her achievements!
Three Artisans, One Mission
“Before I started Mazina Candles I wished that something like this Association would happen. I had no idea what it meant to be an artisan at the time and had to do everything on my own. I thought I was too new to the craft to create this kind of group,” Sarah told us. So, Sarah was elated when she met Ylenia and Jeremy, realising they shared her mindset. Jeremy picked up on her enthusiasm and sprung the idea to create the Association. One carefully crafted logo later and boom… the Association was born.
Il-Kaxxa Tal-Milied
It all started when Ylenia reached out to Sarah, Jeremy, along with several other small local businesses. She wanted to collaborate on a Christmas gift that showcased the beauty of joining forces and leaving the competitive elements behind…
*If you are still searching for those ‘last-minute’ Christmas gifts- here’s your sign!*
Il-Kaxxa tal-Milied is the first official product the AoA created. Featuring the works of 9 independent local businesses, all members of the AoA. Besides the Ylenia, Jeremy and Sarah, you can also find the following businesses’ creations carefully assorted into these hand-made boxes:
- PEGASUS CREATES: all about things that are cute and quirky! This 26-year-old gal puts pieces together, using a selection of charms and embellishments along with resin, creating jewellery that makes you go, “Oh, So Pegasus!”
- SCENTED JEWELLERY: handmade and personalised jewellery and gifts that help you go through the day with your preferred diffused scent. All the items can be scented with the preferred essential oil which is complimentary with each item
- BOWS MADE PRETTY: specializes in affordable handmade hair accessories in a huge variety of styles, colours and patterns.
- HEARTSPACE: an apothecary (healing the body and spirit) which has botanical creations that are crafted in mindfulness and gratitude with the purest ingredients available from our Maltese lands. Their creations consist of smudge sticks, incense, candles, healing kits and crystals.
- MOONSTONE CREATIONS: handmade jewellery with semi-precious stones in unique and different styles.
- KUCCARINA: an online bakery aimed at satisfying everyone’s taste buds. Kuccarina has something for everyone, whether you’re looking for a naughty treat or a healthy snack! Vegan and raw treats also available.
Predicting the AoA’s Future
We all strive to better the circumstances we find ourselves in for our successors. The AoA hope to start organising markets that are made for artisans, by artisans down the line. They hope to charge lower rates for stand fees. Instead of having the money go to the company organising the event; which leaves these small businesses with (almost) nothing most of the time, the money would go to the association or to charity events.
#SupportLocal
Jeremy told The Third Eye, “For most people this isn’t a full-time gig, sometimes, it’s not even a part-time gig. It’s just something they do because they love to do it.” So, when supporting these small, local business you are funding artistic journeys of expression. You’re encouraging artist to keep doing what they love, overcome all hurdles thrown at them and to turn ‘hobbies’ into careers.
“If you’re an artisan reach out [here], this a community of collaboration, not competition. It’s made by people for people!”- Jeremy ( Libertalia Malta)
This article is sponsored by the Association of Artisans