NICE TO MEET YOU, PROPERLY THIS TIME

I want to get personal. This first journal entry marks a turning point in my business and, as you’ll see in a bit, in my life, really. 

I’m the archetypal people pleaser, which is often at odds with the fact that I also have fiercely passionate opinions about important issues. I’m energetic and deeply emotional, intense, some might say. But I don’t want to piss people off with my opinions, and the message I received loud and clear growing up was to shrink myself down to make people like me, to be more palatable. This is a common experience for neurodivergent people, since we’re often told we’re “too much”… This is also common for people socialised as female.

When I started my business, I quietly signposted my brand ethics on a page on my website and wrote a sanitised bio. Then, in June 2025, I began taking my jewellery to markets and had a sign on my stall with my ethical policy and design style. Nothing about me. All about the work. And something felt really wrong. After some self-interrogation, I realised I was carrying a lot of fear and shame around being myself publicly. What about the nice, middle-class lady who’s low-key homophobic or doesn’t think autism is a real thing? I didn’t want to put her off buying my jewellery.

Now I realise… I don’t care! If you don’t want to buy jewellery from a liberal, queer, neurodivergent, anti-capitalist animal rights nut, you’re welcome – nay, I implore you – to go elsewhere. (Although that’s not to say that if you show curiosity and kindness, I’m not happy to have a conversation and help you understand people who’re different from you.)

I’ve had a lot of therapy and made big life changes over the last five years that have led me to this point. Namely, being able to go out into the world with my work and meet new people and, frankly, practise being my actual self for the first time (unmasking). And now six months of markets are behind me, I can finally say: I really like myself, and it’s okay if some people don’t. Here I am, in all my imperfection, mask off and no longer desperate to please.

It’s really nice to finally meet you. Properly this time.

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N.B. You can expect more personal content across all my platforms from here on out. About me, about the things I love and care about and, yes, maybe even about my jewellery!