My Journey as an Artist 

Transparency is important to me. In this business and in my life. I aim to be honest within this community we are a part of - including all of you who love and wear my designs; my peers, who are also in pursuit of an ethical lifestyle; and those who’ve stumbled upon the collective. I like to be open about who I am, as a designer and as a person.

I’ve worked hard to ensure that I purchase the raw materials used in my designs from ethical and sustainable sources. I've even expanded my green ethics to my marketing material and packaging. 

​I’ve always dreamt about being an artist. I’ve been doing artistic things, like making jewelry, since I was a little kid. It’s always been an important part of my life. But when I went to university, I studied biology. I thought I needed to be practical and developing an artistic career didn’t seem to be a viable way of making money and supporting myself. But even so, I did continue to make jewelry in my free time.

Things changed when I got an opportunity to sell what I’d been making at a market and started interacting with the public. A few people actually bought my pieces! The first piece I ever sold was a pair of earrings at the Squamish Farmer’s Market in 2012. Others were coming by the booth to look and talk with me about what I had made. I realized that there were a lot of people out there who wanted to support local artists and their creativity. I realized that if I put myself out there, I could be supported as an artist too. I felt appreciated and valued and confident to continue with my passion.

Q and A with Bayoush:

What are your favourite materials to work with?

I love working with fine materials and creating life long lasting jewelry. In recent years, I have started working with recycled 14kt gold and precious stones like ethically sourced diamonds, sapphires and emeralds. I am enjoying creating unique pieces that create conversation and last generations. 

What do you listen to when you work? 

My music tastes vary widely, I enjoy most genres. But my ultimate favourite is to have a podcast on in the background, usually something inspirational. I also love watching my favourite reruns in the background. It’s nice to have something familiar and not distracting when I am at the bench.

Where do you get your inspiration from? 

From so many places. From the get go my inspiration has always been nature that surrounds me. I have always loved the outdoors and I even have a degree in Biology. I love nature. Some of my favourite moments have been in the middle of a forest, on top of a mountain or a deserted beach with no cell phone service. I feel lucky to have travelled to many places in the world, for the beautiful things I have witnessed and the wonders I experienced. 

I am self taught for the most part, so I am quite proud of the evolution I have had as a jeweler and artist. I started creating composition jewelry, large statement pieces and my artistry and skills have evolved over the years. 

Looking back, I don’t know if I felt that I was truly good at anything but this. Making jewelry and running this business is such an exciting process for me, and I feel very grateful to be doing something I love. I trusted my gut in deciding to become a jewelry designer, and my experience so far has reinstated my faith in intuition. I am also continually reminded that hard work pays off.

I am so blessed to have such a supportive community! Make sure you join us on our journey by subscribing to our newsletter, checking out the blog, and following us on social!