Today we’d like to introduce you to Jasai Madden.
Jasai, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
I am a teacher of mindfulness, a practice I came to because I desperately need “something” for my life (and my nervous system). Early on it it came in the form of silence, stillness and fasting. Most recently it has presented itself through the practice of waistbead wearing which has changed my life and spun itself into an amazing business in the process.
Can you give our readers some background on your art?
I make waistbeads; an wholistic, ancient African technology that acts all at once as lingerie, a waist and weight management tool, and ancient scale and a mindfulness tool. Waistbead strands are worn for several purposes including adornment, attraction (partner, resource, energy), weight management, body/posture awareness and correction, and energetic shift through intention.
My focus is on the beads as another tool for mindfulness. They act as a reminder towards presence. Waistbeads sit between the second and third chakra in the center of the body. This is where the outward, engaging, creative center and the ego center meet. This is also the space in which we understand and express ourselves in the world and heal our personality. This orbit resonates with an uncommon power when we set intentions and place them there.
Alaiyo strands are all inspired by nature. As a result, they hold a vibration that solicits the manifesting power of Mother Nature and all of her forces. This vibration helps remind and navigate us towards getting our needs met. Certain colors call forth and support certain energies. I work with women to give voice to the energies they would like to amplify and then create strands that will work with them. The custom beads you see in our catalog are all pieces that come from my own inspired creative energy and express animal, vegetable, mineral and cosmic qualities that women can embody to gain confidence and strength at their center.
I chose to make them because the process presented itself as therapeutic for me. When I began posting them on my personal social media pages, women wanted to buy them and that’s how the selling began.
Artists rarely, if ever pursue art for the money. Nonetheless, we all have bills and responsibilities and many aspiring artists are discouraged from pursuing art due to financial reasons. Any advice or thoughts you’d like to share with prospective artists?
spend less money than you make. make big sacrifices. know that what is for you will find you. trust the universe and the timing of your life; all of the big platitudes go here. but they also all work. the most important thing to understand though is that time and money are not actually different. If you are wasting time you are wasting money and vice versa.
What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
Our entire catalog can be seen at our website, alaiyo.net. we are also on Instagram @alaiyowaistbeads and Facebook as well as Pinterest. we even have a work-in-progress youtube page.
Contact Info:
- Website: alaiyo.net
- Phone: 8182074003
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @alaiyowaistbeads
- Facebook: Alaiyo Waistbeads
Image Credit:
Andrew Clifton Thomas
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