A Spark Can Ignite Anything! The Story Behind This Space

Nothing is ever perfect. Some days flow beautifully. The lessons are done, the house is calm, and creative energy is in abundance. Other days are just a constant battle to get Riy to do her lessons, keep up with the house, while also being pulled in every direction. Both kinds of days are real, and both types of days are okay. If you ever felt that tension, you are definitely in the right place. This blog is going to be an honest space for the good, the bad, and everything in between. But before we get into all of that, let me introduce myself and the people who make this what it is. 

For those of you who haven't met me before, my name is Nyssa. I’m the creative designer and maker behind Spark of Nature. I am also a homeschooling mom, a wife, a homesteader, and a creative small business owner. Dave is my husband and my biggest supporter. Riy is our daughter, who is a bright, curious, and creative young girl. She has a huge love of art and nature.

Now that you know a little about us, one of the first things people ask is why we homeschool. It's actually a very simple answer. This decision was made before Riy was even born. Dave and I have always loved traveling, and we wanted to continue doing so and share that love with our daughter. Our original dream was to do road-schooling after Dave retired. Our plans have changed quite a bit, but that's for another day. Homeschooling for us as a family has always been about the wonder, exploration, and learning through real life. To me, homeschooling means passing down my love of learning. Homeschooling is deeply woven into who I am, but so is making jewelry. The two are more connected than you might think. 

If you want the full story of how my bead maille came to be, you can read all about it on my About Me page. What is the short version of this story? I let my curiosity get the better of me, tried a chainmail kit, and just fell in love. And the jewelry? Well, it all starts with a name.

When I decided to rebrand in 2017, I knew I wanted to keep my focus on nature and incorporate it into the name. I began to think about how I wanted my customers to feel when they heard the name and saw the jewelry, and I realized it wasn't just one feeling. I felt multiple things about my jewelry. It was like a spark igniting inside of me, filling me with a multitude of emotions!  This made me realize that the name should be "Spark of Nature". 

As I began working on this blog, I realized that Spark of Nature doesn't just describe my jewelry, it describes my life. Spark of excitement, of curiosity, of wonder, of creativity! All of that is a part of my life, not just as a jeweler, but as a mom, a homeschooler, and a wife. And the spark isn't just in my life and jewelry; it is a part of my daughter’s life as well. The spark of curiosity that drives her love of learning, the spark of excitement that she feels when doing art, and the spark of wonder that she feels in nature. 

Spark of Nature was always bigger than the jewelry. I just finally figured out that it is truly part of my life, too. Which brings me to why this blog exists in the first place.

The whole reason I created this blog was to share that people aren't alone. We all struggle, especially when we're trying to juggle multiple things in our lives. I myself am juggling not just my business but also homeschooling, home life, being a mom, a wife, and a homesteader in the making. It can be a lot to tackle, but you don't have to do it all at one time. What you need to find is the right rhythm, but not someone else's rhythm or schedule or how they do things. Knowing those things can help you create your own because you get to try things that others have tried. So remember that what works for one person may not work for you. That there's no perfect homeschool day, no perfect creative business, and no perfect homestead life. There's only YOUR life, lived with intention, and a bit of spark. This blog is a space to figure that out, not just for myself but hopefully for you as well. 

So, if you're still here reading, you're probably wondering what you'll find on this blog. It's part of my jewelry website, but this space is about so much more than jewelry. You'll get a behind-the-scenes look at the making of my jewelry, my process, my inspiration, and works in progress. Homeschooling is such a big part of my life, so expect a lot of that too. The real days, what works, what doesn't, and what Riy and I love. Woven through all of it will be our love of nature, the changing seasons, seasonal rhythms, outdoor learning, and the slow, intentional life we're building together. And art! We talk about art a lot around here. Riy has a huge love for it, and it's one of the biggest parts of our homeschool. We try to carve out time for it every single day, whether that's painting, doodling, or everything in between.

One of my favorite parts of this blog will be including Riy's voice. Whenever you see italicized words, they're from Riy, not me. She loves being part of my creative life, and I wanted this space to reflect that.

And that’s what this whole space is all about. Sharing our lives with you.

Thank you all for sticking with me throughout this introduction. Whether you have been following me throughout the years or you just stumbled upon my blog, I'm glad you found the space. 

I want to end with a few questions for all of you.

What does your spark look like? What is it that IGNITES you?

Are you a fellow homeschooler, a maker, or someone just trying to find your rhythm? I'd love to know! Leave a comment below with your answers.

I hope to see you all soon!