It's a New Beginning

     My name is Cristina Lee, 32 and I live in paradise, aka Puerto Rico. I’ve also been blessed enough to become a mother of two wonderful kids. That's the main reason I started my small business in the first place back in 2017. Before meeting my soulmate Christian, I was a single mom struggling not only financially, but also mentally and emotionally. We united our lives in a very delicate moment, which has made us even stronger and from that beautiful love, our daughter was born. My son now has an amazing father, who has given his all not only to him, but to all of us. And I have given me the space to work on healing my mind and soul with the support of my family.

 

     I started my jewelry business using only polymer clay as my main material. I have spent 6 years working with this medium nonstop. I was losing my passion for sculpting and the pressure of social media plus the quick marketing, was getting to me. My head was spinning, and my emotions were "again", all over the place. "I have to do something." I said to myself. I love cooking and I even thought of dropping everything and start studying culinary arts at my age. "But I love what I do...I really do." The same thought was on repeat in my head. So, I decided to talk to my husband about it, but Christian is a true believer of my talents and sculpting skills. He recommended me to really think about everything, before dropping it. And then, something amazing happened!

 

      My kids were asking me to make them a doll. How am I going to make a doll?  It shouldn't be that hard, I thought. I grabbed my sketch book, a pen and started sketching some ideas. Then grabbed some felt sheets I had stored for years and began sewing the body. I have zero sewing skills, or at least that's what I thought. I then made the face of each doll with polymer clay and attached the body and face together. The first two dolls were quite small, but they looked good. Like, really good. Then a spark in my brain started shimmering. All of these ideas were all over my mind. I was getting inspired again! Can I do this? Can I actually make dolls? I then grabbed my sketchbook, this time more serious and focused than before and started sketching my first doll, a Goblin.

 

     Since I was a small kid, I've been obsessed with the mystical world, that world we only see in movies, paintings and books. I remember how I used to walk around my father's field. He had so many animals, still do as a matter of fact. Everything was surrounded by trees and plants. It was beautiful and the perfect place for a kid with such imagination. Being a millennial and growing up without the technology we have these days, helped feed that imaginative mind even more. The surroundings were the perfect place for these creatures to live, at least that's what I thought. Whenever I saw butterflies, I would made believe they were fairies. Sounds silly, I know! But that's the mind of a child. I didn't realize how happy I was back then, inside my own world with these imaginary friends. I used to make fairies with sticks and leaves, even flowers. I remember how I really wanted to believe in these creatures, is funny now. But do you want to know what's even funnier? I still want to believe it today, at my age, my inner child really wants it. So, now we jump back to the present, me sketching these creatures and turning them into dolls.

 

    I went for a bigger scale, did my research and watched few YouTube videos of how to work with felt. I made the doll's patterns and started sewing again. I was getting somewhere with this. I made the face, the clothes, even the hair with some leftover yarn and just like that, my goblin was born! My husband named it Groleena, a mix of Grogu (baby Yoda), Lee (my middle name) and Goblin (lol). It was perfect, to my eyes. It turned out just the way I wanted it. No pressure of having to make it perfect, the handmade look made it even more special. I was so happy, and my inner child was thrilled. I made my own doll! A dream comes true.

 

    What started as a gift to my kids, is now a new beginning. I thought that my art was done for good, my inspiration had disappeared, but I was wrong. It was actually reborn! Life works in mysterious ways, magical ways one would say. Just when I thought of giving up and letting everything go, a spark appeared. In that moment I realized the power of love and support. Without my kids, my husband, will I be writing this? Will I be healing my inner child? Will I be giving my business another opportunity? Will I be believing in me and my talents? There's no way to know, but there's no need to find out. I'm truly happy here, doing what I love the most and that's ART.

   

    It's a new beginning in Bruja Nativa and I want you to be part of it. Dive into this mystical world with me! Discover amazing creatures, make new friends and eventually you could even adopt your favorites! Give your inner child the childhood gift you deserved. I sure am by creating these magical dolls. I'm growing, imagining and healing through every single stitch I make, through every doll. There's no such thing as being "too old" because we only have "now". Stay creative and be true to yourself.