I am Shelly, a believer in the good old ways of slow living.
Professionally, I am a post graduate in Commerce from the University of Allahabad and I did my B.Level course from DOEACC. Though I cleared the examinations I didn’t submit my final project after I married. I taught for some time in a computer institute and BCA students in United Institutes.
After I got married I trained to be an architectural visualiser and started working with my husband who has an Architecture and interior designing firm.
The story of Shelly’s started, after my daughter was born and I took a break from work and stayed home. I was looking for a pair of booties for my daughter which would keep her feet warm but were cute too. But I couldn’t find even one such pair in the market here. The ones available were either made of rough material or too flashy for my taste. So I decided to knit her one myself. (I was mesmerised since childhood looking at how my grandmother used to make beautiful hand-knit things from yarn balls.) I started knitting clothes n booties for my daughter n started learning crochet online through videos. Around the same time the online selling was just in the initial phases in India n I got onto one such platform just to experiment n it clicked. People started appreciating my work n started referring me to others. It’s been more than 15 years now. Now we make a variety of hand knit n crochet products from baby sets to toys to home decor n flowers.
Gradually, I started roping in ladies from the economically weaker section too, who know the craft, want to earn, but cannot leave their houses. I train them, help them earn while taking care of their families too. That, to me is success. The smiles that I see on their faces when they finish something n get money with dignity.
The challenges so far have been not getting good raw material being in a small city. But now internet has solved that for me. One of the other challenges is to compete with the cheap products available online which are either imported from china or the artisans are exploited here to keep the prices low. I refuse many bulk orders where the buyers want to pay peanuts for the long hours of hard work that my team puts in. But there are also people who value handmade goods and are willing to pay accordingly, and the tribe is growing, I must admit.
Milestones for me, so far, have been starting alone and now generating employment for others. Sending my products all over India and to other countries as well. People buying once n then becoming regular customers and also referring to others.
Now, about me. I am a believer in the slow n sustainable way of living. I love reading, listening to music, spending time in nature n with animals. I am a volunteer with local NGOs n try to rescue n help animals when I can. Even my pet Bella, is a rescued dog. I have helped about 50 dogs get spayed with my own earnings n many more with the help of Nagar Nigam. So every time someone buys from me, they are contributing to help an animal too.
Though I don’t feel anyone needs an advice but if I have to give a message, it would be this: we are meant to live in harmony with nature. These days we are running too fast. AI, Data centres, deforestation, mining n everything that is destroying the earth. No wonder we are a generation with happy faces n sad souls mostly. Lonelier than ever, even though we are constantly bombarded with notifications. Try to slow down, learn a craft that keeps you busy without technology. Life will feel much better.
