Today we’d like to introduce you to Katherine Yazbak.
Katherine, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I have known since I was little that I wanted to do something in design. It started with drawing triangle dresses and learning how to sew around the age of seven. There was a spark I felt and I knew it was my purpose.
I went to design school and worked for a few years in the fashion industry but not in design. I decided to leave NY and come to Nashville and found myself back in the service industry.
In 2020, I decided to take the leap and try starting a business making jewelry. The rest has been quite a journey watching it grow into what it is today. It’s exciting getting to watch it evolve.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It ebbs and flows. The road to getting it started was not the easiest road.
There is a whole side to the creative process where it feels really vulnerable to share your work with people. Walking through that and letting go of it has been one of the biggest rewards of all this.
I no longer judge it the way I used to. Also, letting go of what I think it should all look like. I am learning how to run a small business and it’s not always going to be easy. It usually is not!
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I make small batch jewelry and bouquet preservations. I work with a lot of resin. I love the way something can transform once the light hits it. I am proud of taking a medium and using it differently to create these beautiful visions.
I have always loved statement jewelry, but it almost always is so heavy and uncomfortable. I took this into account when the first of my bigger pieces came out heavy and started playing with my materials. I now build a lot of my own molds. I want the wearer to feel comfortable and not have to think about what they have on.
I know when I put on something I absolutely love and I feel confident, there is this magical feeling that radiates out of me. I want to pass that on through our pieces. We call it “spreading the love”.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
Walking through fears and challenges, and giving myself grace. I can’t stop just because something isn’t working. I try to listen and pivot to what the next steps might be.
I realized I needed to be open to whatever this is supposed to be. When I keep it in a box, I will always be fighting change. I have to let the ideas and the business evolve to what it’s supposed to be.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.yandlight.com
- Instagram: @Y_AND_LIGHT
- Facebook: Y & LIGHT
