Today we’d like to introduce you to Valeria Illiashenko.
Hi Valeria, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Hello, my name is Valeria Illiashenko, and I was born in the beautiful city of Khabarovsk, which is located in the Russian Far East. It is so far away that there is a 15-hour time difference separating me from my parents, now that I live in Colombia. To begin with, creativity has been a part of me since a very early age. During my childhood, there weren’t as many choices for toys and accessories as there are now. Therefore, thanks to my grandmother, Tamara, and my mother, Tatyana, I learned how to create them myself.
I tried my hand at many different forms of art, but my focus eventually turned to making brooches, dreamcatchers, knitting dresses, scarves, and cross-stitching paintings. Each of my hobbies has its own story, but I would like to emphasize the most significant one that led me to a small but very important success: the story of my dream catchers.
I think it all began during my school years when I watched the famous movie “Twilight.” I believe many people, especially girls, watched this film and remember that the main actress had a dream catcher. I was so impressed that I wanted to have one just like it. However, online shopping was less common at that time, and I was a schoolgirl with no job and no savings. So, I had no choice but to try to create a dream catcher from scrap materials I could find at home. And yes, I made it. It may have looked a bit rough, but it was mine.
Later on, I decided to make dream catchers for my family and friends. A few years down the line, when I had honed my skills in designing dreamcatchers, I decided to open my own group on the Russian social network VKontakte. Many years have passed, and I’m still in touch with my first client from that time. I crafted a dreamcatcher for him featuring the Subaru logo for his car. Simultaneously, I used a dream catcher to raise funds for the treatment of one of my brother’s classmates who had cancer.
A couple of years later, I was fortunate to win a scholarship to study in Turkey, where a new chapter in the history of my dream catchers began. I was surrounded by many good people from different parts of the world. I was delighted to leave a small mark on their memories by gifting them dream catchers. Each dream catcher had its own unique character.
As you can imagine, my dream catchers can now be found in countries like Spain, Germany, Hungary, Turkey, Afghanistan, Indonesia, Yemen, Palestine, Sudan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Tunisia, Algeria, Syria, Chile, and Brazil.
During the same period, I created Instagram and Facebook page and also set up my account on the Turkish online store Miamano. Thanks to this platform, my dream catchers are now spread throughout Turkey. Even after moving to Colombia a year ago, I still receive orders from Turkey from time to time.
Speaking of Colombia, fate brought me together with my current husband, Jhon, who is Colombian, during my time in Turkey. He gifted me a website that he created himself for our relationship anniversary. There, I was able to showcase my work and gradually began to sell my designs.
In Colombia, my other talent flourished, and I started making brooches for clothes and bags. These unique works have already found owners not only in Colombia but also in the USA and Mexico. I enjoy creating unique pieces and bringing beauty into this world. I am proud to have my work in almost every corner of the world. This is my small contribution to our vast and beautiful world.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Yes, I did encounter some problems along the way, especially when I lived in Russia. Materials for creativity were very expensive there, and there wasn’t always a variety of choices, especially a decade ago. The most challenging part was finding the right feathers – it was not easy to locate feathers in the correct color and type.
Additionally, at the beginning of my journey, I faced difficulties with weaving the web for a dream catcher; the threads would constantly tear due to over-tension, which was particularly discouraging when it happened towards the end of the work. Moreover, I struggled with achieving symmetry and a consistent style. However, through perseverance and a drive to improve, I was able to develop my skills, and now I can create eye-catching dream catchers.
Another significant obstacle on my path was finding a buyer and convincing them that the price of the product was fair. Unfortunately, in both Turkey and Colombia, manual labor is not always appreciated.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a very versatile person, and I have achieved small victories in various areas. For example, in 2016, I participated in a swimming competition where I swam 3 km in the Black Sea. In 2017, I translated a book from Turkish into Russian titled ‘The Syrian Plan of the Great Powers’.
How do you think about happiness?
What makes me happy is the feeling that I am doing something well, and this brings benefits and joy to a person.
- Contact Info:
- Website: https://valamur.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/valamur_co/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/valamur.co
