‘Get out of your comfort zone’

Yallahs, St Thomas:

With a conscious decision to exit her comfort zone and market her talent, Taleya McFarlane of Yallahs, St Thomas, boldly launched her first cushion collection with a red-and-white theme for Valentine’s Day in February.

She admitted that though she had taken sewing classes and knew her way around a machine, she hadn’t really produced anything in a while before her cushions.

“My cousin and I were talking about the importance of not burying talents given to us by God when she made mention of the idea of me making and selling unique cushions.

“Though I was excited by the idea of making them and creating an additional source of income for me and my son, I was a bit hesitant when I thought of what others would say about my products. I couldn’t show my cousin that I was having second thoughts, though, because she had already gone in full planning mode,” she said.

McFarlane told The Gleaner that upon agreeing on the designs, she began putting together all she would need to make the dream come true, and a few weeks later, her first batch of cushions was made.

She reflected: “Many nights I stayed up until morning hours trying to ensure that the cushions were of good standard, and while I tried to meet the ‘deadline’ my cousin and I agreed upon.

“Sometimes I would hiss my teeth and tell myself that it’s not going to work, but when I thought about how much I would need the money for my son and how disappointed my cousin would be, I pressed on,” she said.

The 33-year-old women explained that to her surprise, people fell in love with her work and began placing orders almost immediately.

“We decided to treat the items as a Valentine’s special with reduced prices and a gift of roses and chocolates. The people loved it! To be honest, the support was overwhelming and I feel thankful about not giving up in times when it got hard. I’m now working on releasing my second line, which I’m praying will receive the same level of support that batch one did. The best part about all this is how proud I am of myself,” she told The Gleaner.

McFarlane added: “To those who are sitting on their skills and interest, I was once like you, lazy perhaps, and mostly afraid to step out of my comfort zone. Making cushions isn’t a new thing in the market, I know, but it is big enough for everyone. Put your unique touch on your craft and watch it work for you,” she encouraged, adding that she waits desperately and works tirelessly for the day when she will be able to employ others to the business she now calls Taleya’s Designs.

Her contact and work can be viewed on Instagram at taleya_designs.