HOW OFTEN does one walk away from a secure, promising career to follow one’s passion?

Yasanyah El, 33, believes her decision to quit nursing and become a jewellery designer was divinely inspired.

Eight years ago, while completing her degree at the College of Science, Technology and Applied Arts of Trinidad and Tobago (COSTATT), El said she embarked on a journey of self-discovery that literally changed her life.

“I was at that point in my life where I was just getting into holistic activities such as yoga, shiatsu and reiki. I was at a point where I wanted to find out more about myself, where I came from, who I am and who I am supposed to be,” she told WMN.

El said she spent a lot of time reading, holding conversations with like-minded people and even more time in nature, just observing.

During that period, she developed an appreciation for plants.

“Nature motivated me to observe plants in a way I never did before, a part of the natural make up, the stages in which plants grew was so fascinating to me. That was how I comprehended the process of birth after death and now if you look at my designs you will find a lot of spiral work which symbolises Rebirth.

By the time she graduated from COSTATT in 2017, she was already “head deep in love” working with wires, crystals and shells.

“I was determined to use my intuition to curate spiritual adornments that not only looked pretty but were meaningful and healing to women. To be honest, I used my knowledge of nursing and applied that manifestation to my talismans (objects with inscriptions that are thought to bring good luck).”

El, who grew up in east Trinidad, is now a full-fledged jewellery entrepreneur and has no regrets about her decision to quit nursing.

“Business has been a beautiful journey from start to present. I have been an artisan for seven and a half years and it has been a real journey in growth and development.”

She started off making only loc hair accessories, and at the time, wanted to be the top loc hair accessory provider.

“I was able to connect with a couple hairdressers and started supplying them with the accessories and this had me busy. But with anything in life we must grow and my growth happened in a few months.”

El gradually moved away from loc accessories.

[caption id="attachment_1090243" align="alignnone" width="585"] An Yasanyah El creation. - Angelo Marcelle[/caption]

“I wanted to adorn women not only with their hair items but with earrings, rings and anything that symbolises Venus energy.”

Venus is recognised as the planet of love, beauty and pleasure.

Saying her spiritual journey was pushing her to do more, El said she literally sat down and gave herself a motivational speech “which was needed because I did not know how to start to make an earring.

“After my talk, I picked up my tools and my wire and I simply made an earring, then a ring, then a choker and I could not stop.”

She resolved then that “everything we do in this physical realm has lessons we must learn and we are offered opportunities for grow