Neverland to Fantasyland

If you want to be more creative, be less certain.

The following is a plea to follow that statement because I promise it will lead somewhere grand…

All my life, I’ve felt as though I had greatness within; I just never knew where to channel it. As a child, I would say to my mother, “I am destined for grandness.” Then again, aren’t we all? But I have learned that it is those of us who take the leap who rise.

I come from a family of talented artists. My aunt is a performer and amazing painter, my cousin a beautiful dancer, my grandfather a musician, and my mother an interior designer. I have always been a storyteller, and I am the only person in my family who decided to push my art of storytelling to the limit.

I’ve been obsessed with it my entire life. From a young age, I kept journals of poetry that told stories of teen angst, heartbreak, and feeling stuck in a small-minded town.

In my teens, once I began to travel, the doors of the world opened. The inner workings of Walt Disney taught me that the way you present things makes all the difference. I was amazed at the world Disney created, how Walt Disney could whisk people away to Neverland, to Fantasyland.

I vividly remember being in awe of the pastel colors in “It’s a Small World” with its multitude of moving parts. This concept of storytelling taught me that I wanted to present my stories to the world, allowing others to build on what I present and have their own experiences that ignite their imagination.

Fast forward to my 20s... Escaping has always been vital to my survival, whether in my head or literally going somewhere new. I knew my ability to draw in miniature, mixed with my love of storytelling and obsession with jewelry, was my answer to a never-ending escape. To sell jewelry to others so that they could be whisked away as well. I knew staying in New York would not quench my need for this, so I decided to be less certain and move to Bangkok, Thailand, to study at the GIA.

As I dove into the Thai world, the realm of colored gemstones was revealed to me. I realized that gems are like little flames which ignite the storyteller within me. Walt Disney, Hans Christian Andersen—I wanted to be like the great storytellers but use jewelry as my medium. And without closing my eyes and diving right into a sea of uncertainty, Unhada would not exist.

unhada selene diamond necklace and Aquamarine Nimbus earrings

Twenty years later, it was the best decision I EVER MADE!!!!! Just like Walt Disney, no matter how many times I hit the wall, I will never give up on this dream I so deeply believe in.

So, if you want to be more creative, dive right into a sea of belief with plenty of uncertainty. You never know what wonder you can create if you don’t…

Xx Jocelyn

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