Lovina Shaw inspires creativity with Craft by Love
Published:Friday | July 5, 2024 | 12:06 AMKrysta Anderson/Staff Reporter
If love makes your soul crawl from its hiding place, then Lovina Shaw was on to something special when she embarked on her adventure into personalised journals and children’s books.
Her business, Craft by Love, focuses on incorporating love in stationery, apparel and craft items and personalising items that focus on love for oneself, others and God.
“I focus on creating books for children that not only entertains and educates them but also empowers them. That way, from a young age, their love for themselves, others and God is elevated so as to help with reducing the level of conflict we see in our nation,” she told Living, adding, “As it says in the Bible in 1 Corinthians 13:13, “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” This, for Shaw, shows the importance of love.
An avid reader for as long as she can remember, books were Shaw’s primary source of comfort. She was not only able to expand her vocabulary in the process but her creativity took flight as well. So it came as no surprise to others that she expressed herself in a literary way. It helps that she was able to put her artistic skills to good use as a designer.
Her first book, Confident Children Colouring Book, is filled with affirmations centred on empowering children. The interactive book seeks to build self esteem and boost self confidence. Sparking imagination, it is also an educational tool, presenting images of animals and their names, for example.
“It has been on the receiving end of so much love and has been described as groundbreaking, influential and a thought-provoking, inspiring masterpiece. It has been hailed for its originality. Persons love the content of the books and the impact that it has had on their children and themselves,” she added.
Since then, Shaw has created 11 books, exploring the themes of self-discovery, art and creativity, education and learning, self-help and personal development.
“It feels very encouraging to achieve this milestone, as it shows me that instead of keeping thoughts to myself, I can create the items that I would like to use to help make a positive impact on my country,” she asserted.
What stands out the most about her books is the emotional impact it can evoke, pushing one’s love for him or herself to the forefront, while bringing a deep sense of joy. “The interactive nature is also very important because my books involve the readers in a unique way, encouraging them to write down their own affirmations or love letters to themselves,” she added.
Balancing her creativity and marketability with self-doubt has proven to be difficult. But she overcome this ‘imposter syndrome’ by engaging in brainstorming exercises and writing down ideas as they come.
It was important to create these motivational books for both children and adults in order to inspire both generations to improve on their lives in a meaningful way, overcome challenges and achieve goals as the target personal growth.
“The most rewarding element about embarking on this writing journey has been seeing the influence and impact that my books have on children and adults. And seeing my creativity come to life on physical pages. The sense of accomplishment it brings is amazing. Then there is the enjoyment and passion which warms my heart from doing something I truly love,” she revealed.
Her hope is to broaden her creative horizons and offer an even wider range of products like T-shirts, greeting cards, notebooks and journals, with the option to personalise with motivational content.
“My advice to someone who wants to inspire others through books but doesn’t know where to start would be to identify their purpose and the audience they would like to reach, find their unique voice and perspective, stay motivated and persistent as they seek resources and read other inspirational books.” Shaw also recommended seeking publishing options and maintaining one’s belief in self as key. “They are great and they can do all things through Christ who gives them strength,” she shared.