WEARING JOY

When Irish artist Louise O’Hara started working with polymer clay nearly 30 years ago, she never imagined it would lead to a career in jewellery. It wasn't the original intention at the time.

“I was simply exploring my creativity and quickly became drawn to how playful and endlessly versatile the material was,” she says.

Like many polymer clay beginners, Louise spent years rolling beads purely as a hobby. However a couple years later, her obsession with statement earrings began and she got to create and learn more – by making pieces for herself, friends and family.

Louise’s hobby officially transformed into a full-time career in 2020. Since then, her practice has continued to evolve, while the magic of the medium remains.

“Polymer clay allows a level of control and color exploration that I’ve never found in any other material,” she explains. “The textures, the finishes, the possibilities! It still gives me the same childlike joy today that it did all those years ago.”

While her early work was centered around beads, Louise was determined to explore every possibility the moment she moved into slab-making. As a result, her initial experiments were quite scattered, but over time, through daily practice and constant trial and error, her work naturally evolved into something that feels more like her. 

When we asked how her style has evolved over the years, Louise defines her current aesthetic through clean lines, intuitive color palettes and a sense of restraint. 

“I’m drawn to an aesthetic that is either boldly geometric or quietly organic, rather than anything overly decorative,” Louise says. As her style has become clearer, her confidence has also grown right along with it. 

“There’s a real comfort in knowing what feels right for me. I don’t feel the need to try every single technique anymore; instead, I focus on the corner of the craft that I truly love and continue to refine it.”

Louise's personal style is the heartbeat of her designs. To her, there are no rules – clothing and jewelry are simply forms of self-expression.

There are days when Louise would go all in with colours from head to toe: “I’m obsessed with earrings, so I make pieces I genuinely want to wear. My wardrobe tends to lean towards muted colours and clean silhouettes, and I really love the contrast of bold, colourful earrings.”

Working with polymer clay has completely changed her perspective of the world around her. “I see earrings everywhere now! Colour combinations and shapes jump out at me. I’ve become far more aware of textures and finishes, and have a deeper appreciation for materials and for how things are constructed.”

While jewellery once felt mostly decorative to Louise, she now fully understands the transformative power of form, balance, and proportion.

Earrings, in particular, feel almost medicinal to her. They are a simple way to shift your mood and offer a wearable dopamine boost for the day. She views them as an uplifting accessory that can instantly change how you feel about yourself. On the other hand, statement jewelry offers a sense of empowerment, allowing people to express themselves in a bold yet accessible way. As Louise says: “That idea sits at the core of my work. I make what I want to wear, and I want to wear what makes me happy!”

In her early years with polymer clay, Louise created at the kitchen table, constantly moving between various makeshift setups. Since transitioning to a dedicated studio in 2024, the shift in productivity from her own purpose-built space has been an absolute game-changer.

The space is simple but thoughtfully arranged. One desk holds the tools she reaches for most often, while a large counter across the room gives her space to spread out pieces she’s working on.

Recently, the space has even become collaborative: Louise’s assistant now helps with conditioning clay – a task that was previously quite time-consuming, which allows the creative process to move much more smoothly.

Louise’s favourite time to be in the studio is early morning. Before the day fully begins, the space is quiet, the light is soft, and there are no distractions yet. It is the moment when her mind feels the clearest and she can fully focus on creating.

A bright, calm, and well-organized environment is essential for her mind to function at its best, helping her stay balanced and focused.

“The studio feels very much like my own personal retreat,” Louise reflects. “It’s a space where I have everything I need close to hand, and where creativity and making can happen without interruption.” 

For Louise, running a small business in Ireland has been an absolute dream – though she admits that it has been much more challenging than she ever imagined. Still, she wouldn’t trade it for anything. “It’s the kind of hard work that is difficult to fully understand unless you’ve experienced it yourself,” she says. The challenges feel worth it. Whenever she sees her jewellery out in the world, being worn and enjoyed by others, she is reminded of just how far she has come.

Louise’s journey began selling online on Etsy, but after a few months, she felt the need to create a space of her own. Transitioning to an independent e-commerce site was a steep learning curve – with no prior experience, every technical step felt like uncharted territory. However, what started as a challenge has blossomed into a part of the business she truly loves.

Her website has become a creative space where she handles everything from photography and styling to the visual storytelling that brings her brand to life.

As an introvert, Louise finds that the online world offers her a unique way to connect thoughtfully with her audience. “Selling online allows me to present the work exactly as I intend it to be seen,” she explains. “I can control the pacing, the imagery, and the context around each piece. That sense of intention suits both the work and my personality.” 

While her magic begins in the quiet of her studio, selling in person is the absolute highlight for Louise. Retail events offer a vital opportunity to step out from behind the screen and fundamentally build her community, connecting her deeply with customers, fellow makers, and business owners alike.

For Louise, the most rewarding part is the immediate, face to face feedback. After spending a lot of time in her studio, most of the time working alone, seeing a customer’s reaction when they see her piece in person is an incredibly valuable moment for Louise. 

For an introvert like Louise, stepping out from her comfort zone to sell in person was quite a challenge. Yet, she pushed herself to start with small local markets and gradually worked her way up to larger trade events. Louise shares that this progression has been a life-changing experience.

Today we see an artist who once hesitated to step into the public eye, now exhibiting at international trade events and genuinely looking forward to every moment of the experience. "You never know what a quick chat at your stand can lead to," she says.

The ongoing challenge is to find the right balance. Louise openly admits that there are never enough hours in the day, and when her focus shifts heavily towards one area of the business – whether it’s wholesale, marketing, social media, another inevitably needs to be put on hold. “Learning where to place my attention at different times is an ongoing process, and one of the realities of running a small, creative business.”

The one thing she wishes she had known earlier was to allow herself to truly feel her success and take a moment to realize, “I actually did it.” She found that the nerves she built up in her head were far more intimidating than the reality.

Her secret is a shift in mindset: to remind yourself that people are just people. We are all human, and everyone is simply doing their best. Louise avoids over-rehearsing or relying on a scripted pitch, preferring instead to be fully present.

While she admits by saying “easier said than done”, she believes that breathing and speaking naturally goes much further than anything else.

And her final piece of advice? Don’t wait until you feel completely ready. “That moment rarely comes. It’s normal for it to feel scary at first, but once you’ve done one show, the fear softens. The best way to learn is simply to get started, you’ll never have it all figured out, no one does!”