Words stir emotions; ignite revolutions, fuel anger, calm fears.
Words evolve, changing us and the world we live in.
Words bring renewal to replace decay.
Words of liberty allow us to inhale the sweet fragrance of freedom
and exhale the foul stench of oppression.
Excerpt from “Words Breathe Life”, a poem by Christy Sholola
For over two decades, Christy has used natural or organic beads (wood, coral, shells, bone, and horn), as well as African trade beads, Ethiopian silver, brass, and other beads from around the world as sources of inspiration and creativity for the jewelry that she designs. For her, it is not enough to merely gaze at the beads, she needs to creatively connect with them by reflecting on their origins and their stories, and then she can visualize how she plans to incorporate them into her designs. So, the emerging designs are more like artistic pieces instead of simplistic jewelry. For Christy, beads are art sources, presenting a story of their origins – one bead, one culture, and one era of humanity at a time. Over the years, she has facilitated workshops designed to teach others the cultural and historical significance of beads and how they can use beads to fashion their jewelry, discovering that beads are deeply rooted in their lived experiences through the stories they create.
Christy, a Louisiana native, grew up during the turbulent decades of the 1960s and 1970s. This transformative period, culture, and climate influenced and nurtured Christy’s resilience, her artistic passion, as well as her passion for creative writing and poetry. She recognizes the immense power of words to provoke change and empower a community, a nation, and the world. So, it’s no surprise that Christy has spent much of her personal and professional life writing and editing.