Today we’d like to introduce you to Gianne Presa.
Gianne, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My passion for creating stemmed from my mother. I was raised by a strong, independent, and nurturing woman who always encouraged me to create in order to express myself resourcefully using any media that I already had, old or new. My mother pushed me to work hard to earn things and most importantly, do everything with love and a positive attitude. That’s where the DIY-er in me was born. I used creativity as an outlet for relieving anxiety and stress, but to also celebrate life and love. I’d draw, write short stories and poems, scrapbook, crochet, cross-stitch, make jewelry, make anything out of everything and make gifts for loved ones.
I grew up in a household where my mother and father would slow dance whenever their song came on and I was always immersed in family gatherings. My grandparents, uncles and aunties on my mother’s side were very involved in the upbringing of myself and younger brother after my father’s passing. My father’s side of the family live in the Philippines but never allowed distance to let their love falter. My family-oriented upbringing taught me to be empathetic, emotionally intelligent and live artfully, where you create the life you imagine. In my favorite book by Sandra Magsamen, she stated, “Living artfully is expressing who you are through the moments you create. Living artfully reminds us to explore and experience life with more heart, meaning, purpose, and joy. It asks us to imagine, to dream big, to believe in ourselves, to celebrate the people in our lives, make each day count, dance when the spirit moves us, laugh out loud, and let our voices be heard.”
During college, I stumbled onto custom wire name jewelry after one of my best friends broke her bangle bracelets and I created wire name rings for the two of us with a pair of pliers. A few social media posts later, the inquiries started coming in from friends and acquaintances.
Shortly after I graduated from nursing school, I opened an Etsy shop specializing in wire name jewelry, ear cuffs and hand harnesses while studying for boards. Within that first year, I had jewelry consigned in a local woman’s boutique, participated in numerous trunks shows and fashion shows throughout San Diego, was featured in several marketing photoshoots and completed collaboration projects with other San Diego artists. In 2012, I was selected as a RAW: Natural Born Artist and was nominated as one of RAW San Diego’s Top 5 nominees for Accessories Designer of the Year.
I took a hiatus with GianneCREATIONS for a handful of years because I focused on my career as a Registered Nurse. I never stopped creating and after encouragement from family, friends and acquaintances, I decided 2020 was the year to come back. Now, I have expanded my business from jewelry to personalized handcrafted gifts and décor ranging from calligraphy/hand lettering on different media, home goods, party décor, and favors, to name a few.
The best thing about art and creating is that it is forever changing. Art and creating evolve with time; there are no limits. My daydreaming and brainstorming sessions often draw inspiration from listening or observing people and places and having the ability to see beauty in everyday things. As I go through different moods and different stages in life, my creations follow. GianneCREATIONS continues to evolve with pertinence to my life and my customer base.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It has not been a smooth road by any means. The biggest battle I faced was whether I should follow my heart, which involved being brave, taking a risk and pursuing my passion, or my mind, which involved doing what was logical, safe, and stable. I am passionate about so many things; I love to create/make things, but I also love to listen, observe, and take care of people, which is why I pursued nursing. I was at a crossroads after graduating from nursing school when it was rough passing my NCLEX and landing my first nursing job that I considered rerouting my career path to become a full-fledged business owner. At the time, I felt like I needed to choose one path to take and dedicate myself to that path. I am not the type of person that half-asses’ things so the logical left-sided brain took over and I put GianneCREATIONS on the backburner while I focused on my career as a Registered Nurse. Even though I took that path, my creative right-sided brain never let me stop creating.
I chose 2020 as my year to bring GianneCREATIONS back. I had the goal of doing a trunk show at least once a month, but the Covid-19 pandemic started. As a nurse, without hesitation, I was drawn back to work tirelessly to take care of patients. My mother and I are both proud nurses and makers/DIY-ers, so to strike a balance with both, we began making low cost masks and mask extenders after our shifts and on our days off, so they may be available to everyone. Our hope is that they help families feel safe during this uncertain time. While it hasn’t been the easiest, I am so grateful as this is the first time my two passions in creating and nursing finally merged.
GianneCREATIONS – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
My mission with GianneCREATIONS is to create affordable yet stylish and unique goods that embraces and shares the creative process with customers, encouraging customers to take active roles in personalizing their own creations. I specialize in personalized handcrafted gifts and décor ranging from calligraphy/hand lettering on different media, jewelry, home goods, party décor and favors, just to name a few.
My mantra continues to be, “Create what you love with love… It’s as simple as that.” Everything is truly handcrafted with love. All the little details, handwritten notes and level of personalization is what I take pride in most. When customers express their gratitude for bringing their vision to life, it adds so much value to my own personal life.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
GianneCREATIONS was something I started and built as a form of expression and release from stressful and anxious times. It was a way to take negatives and turn them into positives. I have a strong belief that things are predestined and happen for a reason. If an opportunity presents itself but is not taken, it’ll come again in another shape or form. Good or bad, it’s all about your perception and your approach through action to take something negative or “bad luck” and turn it into something positive. I took a five to six-year hiatus but could not deny that creating and sharing with others was a part of my being. I kept coming back to it. In business, I believe that you must have an open mind, be flexible, and take opportunities when they feel right. If you miss an opportunity, yes you can call it “bad luck”, but you must take that and grow from it. As Albert Einstein said, “There are only two ways to live your life. One is if nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” I choose the path of optimism, always.
Speaking of luck and things being predestined – quick shoutout to my husband Brian for being my rock, who keeps me grounded and focused through it all. I love you.
Pricing:
- Face masks $5-15
- Custom floor mats $40-60
- Custom zippered pouch $10
- Hand lettered greeting cards and prints $3-5
Contact Info:
- Email: giannecreations@gmail.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/giannecreations
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/giannecreations.fb
- Other: www.etsy.com/shop/giannecreations
Image Credit:
Jonnel Videna
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