a little bit on the beginning.So the story goes, I was 14 years old and in year 9 at school doing my Duke of Ed Bronze award, you have to complete three side components to achieve the award. A recreational sport, learning a new skill & volunteering. For my skill I chose sewing. I also take textiles as an elective at school and absolutely love it! Anyway...
My Mum works for a screenprinting supplies shop called Leapfrog Inkspot and one of her customers, Nerida from Kitchen Ink Sydney, offered to help me out. So every week for 3 months I would go to Nerida's house for an hour and work on my sewing skills and in that time I managed to make a skirt. Once the skirt project was complete Nerida then suggested to make up a design to screenprint for fun. The design I came up with was the Aztec Beach. My Mum said jokingly when she saw the design, "you should start your own buisness and you could call it JLT Designs, ha ha ha ha!" and I thought you know what why not? I need to start making some money and it's a great way for me to get my designs out there and show everyone. And so JLT Designs was born. But let me tell you this process of starting JLT has not been all fame and glory. It has been an extremely long, hard and tough journey through the unknown. There has been a lot of blood, sweat and tears literally! I had a lot of trouble trying to get my name out there and make sales. And it has been tough trying to manage school, all my dance that I do, screen print, sew, create a website, post pictures on my Instagram and Facebook page and get school assignments done and in on time, plus finding time to hang out with friends and family. I have had people that would constantly put me down; they would always be criticising me on my every move and telling me what I should and shouldn't be doing. A lot of the time the pressure would build up and I would cave in and let it get to me. I would break down and everything around me would start to crumble and break away. I would think, if I can't please this small amount of people then I may as well give up on JLT and quit now. But I had to realise the big picture that I have my very own buisness at 15 years old and this is just the first design of many more to come and not very many people can do this and I'm doing something that I absolutely love! So I have kept soldiering on and ignored the comments and started focusing on the positives. I'm still working on building the business up and I have lots of ideas for new designs. I'm so glad to say that I have an amazing family and bunch of friends that have supported me the whole way through. It sounds cheesy, I know, but I really couldn't have created JLT without them. Lots of Love Jacinta xxx
Alicia
4/5/2015 07:55:58 pm
HI Jacinta, Well done on your website and following through on doing something you love. Your website is lovely. I love the pillowslip you gave Amelia for her birthday. I would like to purchase something from you so I will do so through your site or get Amelia to talk to you about what I would like. One of my nieces has a birthday this week and one of your designs will make a great gift. Alicia (Amelias mum) xx Comments are closed.
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