Artist Spotlight, Jessie Pruden

Jessie Pruden
PoCo Inspired: Tell us a bit about yourself

Jessie: I am a queer, disabled Metis woman from Winnipeg, though my family is from Stony Point. I live with my amazing partner and our five furry friends.

PoCo Inspired: When did you first start making jewellery and what was the first piece you ever made?

Jessie: I first started during the first quarantine, in 2020 (Februaryish?)
I was bored, and sad and wanted to feel more connected to people.
My Aunty is an incredible beader, so I thought this would be a really nice way to feel closer to her and my family.
My first earrings TOOK 12 HOURS !
Here is a pic:
earrings

PoCo Inspired: What inspires your creativity when making a new piece of jewellery?

Jessie: I’m inspired mostly by people. I generally come up with new concepts when working on customs made for a specific person. I always try to capture the aesthetic and spirit of a person, and in doing so have come up with some cool dynamic pieces. But I also feel inspiration from nature, movies, and photography.

PoCo Inspired: What is the single most important skill you have learned and why?

Jessie: The most important skill I’ve learned honestly, is the importance of boundaries. Amassing a large following on social media creates more demand, and I’m a people pleaser, so I always have a hard time saying no.
But there was awhile where I was working everyday for 12 hours and losing why I started doing this in the first place.
This year I’ve had to learn to slow down, and remind myself that beading is a slow practice meant for you to focus and work intentionally.
That means ensuring you have the space spiritually and emotionally to do so.

PoCo Inspired: What challenges do you face in your work?

Jessie: Mostly the hard time saying no haha.
I always want to make everyone happy but that’s impossible.
Also focusing. I have so many ideas and so many plans and I’m often easily distracted.

PoCo Inspired: What is your biggest achievement so far in your business?

Jessie: Getting to show at Paris Fashion Week.
I never in a thousand years could have imagined we’d be here.

PoCo Inspired: Where can we find you to shop online or in-person?

Jessie:
Website: beadnbutter.ca
Instagram: @bead_n_butter

bead_n_butter


bead_n_butter

bead_n_butter