Meet Amanda (‘Mana’) Paulsen | Designer/Owner of Mana Made

We had the good fortune of connecting with Amanda (‘Mana’) Paulsen and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Amanda (‘Mana’), why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I’ve spent most of my career working on the business side of the arts and never really considered myself an artist. Over the past decade, I managed several nonprofit arts programs then became a business planning consultant for museums and arts organizations across the nation. This work exposed me to a diverse range of artists, designers, and all-around creatives. It sounds cliché but being around art – and really the artists themselves that I encountered along the way – inspired me to further explore my own creative side. I spent a summer as a fellow at an artist residency program and that gave me a real glimpse – a “behind the scenes” – of the art world and opened my mind to becoming a designer/creator. Seeing creatives dedicate their life to making art really inspired me to pursue my own creative interest – jewelry design. This was something I explored the first time I took a break from the corporate world years back when I was re-figuring out “what I wanted to do”. I would spend much of my free time designing and learning how to fabricate jewelry from a friend – we would search for vintage beads and unique stones to transform into pieces. But I did not necessarily see this leading to a “career”. Instead I ended up pursuing my master’s degree in nonprofit arts management. I don’t think I really ever saw myself as an artist or an entrepreneur… so if I was not going to be one I thought why not support the arts and artists who did take that path.

Fast forward to leaving the corporate arts world, I once again went back to jewelry design but this time learning more about fabrication. I would say it was a pretty steep learning curve starting with metalsmith techniques then production practices, which allowed me to make enough pieces to sell outside of my early customer base of family, friends, friends of friends – all of who encouraged me to put my jewelry out in the world. While it was a gradual process over a few years, it all seemed to happen pretty quickly from the initial incorporation of ‘Mana Made’ to selling at pop up markets and then some larger design shows, which led to being picked up by my first store. That was probably the first time I felt like an official business – the start of a whole new career. That first stockist ended up offering me space in their shop for my very first studio outside my home. And now wholesaling to stores has expanded to become a large part of my business…my day job! Although…I do still take on a few freelance arts consulting projects each year. After all, running a business comes with so many expenses and incudes a good deal of investment along the way.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
After experiencing burnout from years of long work hours and nonstop travel as an arts consultant, I needed a break and wanted to explore different careers that offered more of a work/life balance. I’ve always been a really hard worker and think I got to where I am now with a goal of doing something that I loved but also having time to spend with family, friends, traveling, and just being able to have some down time to be creative. Being the owner of a small business is certainly hard work and during busy seasons I still put in long hours. But it feels different because it’s my own business so I can also make the call on when to slow down. On that note, learning to say “no” and not jump at every opportunity has been a huge lesson learned along the way. At first I would do a lot of pop ups and say “yes” to almost any opportunity that I thought would lead to building my brand. I recognized the need to really strategize and prioritize what I take on. Aligning myself to design shows, pop-ups, and retail stores that are the right “vibe” and a great fit for my pieces – this is something that is so important. Sometimes that old saying “less is more” really rings true. Full disclosure, the modern day term of experiencing “FOMO” (fear of missing out) definitely comes into play when I turn down opportunities so its not an easy decision but rather one that needs to be made in order to maintain some sort of work/life balance.

One last note, being a small brand committed to sustainability and ethically sourcing materials is both something that I have worked hard to achieve and am proud of. This commitment to carefully sourcing materials and using sustainable production practices is not the most cost-effective and quickest way to fabricate – this is why I produce small batches of jewelry and remain a small brand. Producing pieces locally also allows me to be a part of design communities throughout the US. And also makes for some great travel opportunities to meet with suppliers in amazing locations – this is actually how I was introduced to AZ! I started off going to the annual gem-show in Tucson and then was drawn to the arts and design communities in Tucson and beyond.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
The Tucson Gem Show! February is such a magical time of year in Tucson where so many gemstone and jewelry suppliers spend weeks displaying some of the most beautiful stones and unique objects from around the world. This is THE place to get design inspiration for the seasons ahead. And not just gemstones – I have found incredible vintage pieces that have inspired my designs through the years. I need to give myself at least a full week to explore all of the shows throughout the city (which have now spread to take place outside the Tucson as well.) Also the backdrop of the desert makes it a truly unique experience and a really inspiring place to create.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I credit the many artists and designers that put their work out in the world and had the courage to pursue their passions, many of who at some point sacrificed a “steady” job to do what they love (too many to mention here). I really look up to the informally trained and self-taught artists/designers – the dedication to learn on their own and the confidence to put work on display to the public has always been something I admired. This was really something I struggled with in my early days – I entered this field without having formal education and training in jewelry design/fabrication so at some level, while I believed in myself and my creative work, my confidence was not always there. I did not go to art school so was (and still am) encouraged by those who come from non-traditional backgrounds. On that topic, I did apprentice under some incredible jewelry artists. I even applied my experience in arts management at a local metal arts studio where I assisted in managing the studio and gallery space in exchange for bench hours and design advising sessions from their in-house staff of professional jewelry designers.

Website: https://shopmanamade.com/

Instagram: @manamadejewelry

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