mojomade: Giveaway: Lotus Mendes Jewelry

The incredibly inspiring and ridiculously cool jewelry designer Victoria Cheatham, of Australian label Lotus Mendes has opened up her goodie bag for a special giveaway for one lucky reader of my blog! You could win a ring and necklace from her collection - Woohoo!!
Here, she shares some thoughts on her passions, jewelry design and desires...

ALL ABOUT LOTUS MENDES.

Words with designer Victoria Cheatham

facebook.com/lotusmendes

"I want to be able to make every woman feel powerful, strong, beautiful and believe she can do anything she wants that ultimately motivates me the most..."

Something that keeps me motivated...

I exercise every day. This keeps my creative energy flowing and allows me to switch off from my crazy world for a moment. It is very important to have a healthy mind, body and soul. My creative and design process can be very demanding and draining at times so I also create positive quotes and affirmations that I put up in my studio. These personal messages and affirmations keep me fresh, empowered and strong and remind me of what I am setting out to achieve.

When I was a kid...

I wanted to be a nurse or a doctor, then an ambulance driver, a teacher, a psychiatrist and the list goes on! I think I wanted to be everything!! Haha!! But my career basically chose me. I didn’t say to myself I want to be a designer it just happened.

I started making jewelry because...

I couldn't find anything I liked and if I did I didn't want to wear it because I didn't want to be wearing the same thing as anyone else, so I started to create one off earrings, necklaces, bangles and rings. This allowed me to create my own individual style and it then became my solace – my escape from reality - a way to release my emotions. To me jewellery is magical and the feeling of creating a design and then wearing it is amazing. Every piece I create has a meaning and a purpose for being here.

The name Lotus Mendes comes from...

I am very influenced and inspired by Ancient Egyptian jewellery so my label name was inspired by this love and admiration. The name Lotus is from the Lotus Flower. The lotus flower is known to be associated with spiritual awakening, faithfulness and beauty. The flower is considered pure as it is able to emerge from murky waters and be perfectly clean. The name Mendes derives from King Menes, who was once a very powerful ruler in Ancient Egypt. He was very active in communications and arts. Hence LOTUS MENDES was born. I love it because people think I my name is Lotus Mendes. That’s how I wanted it but I am in the background as the creator and her mother.

Life is the greatest inspiration of all...

Everyday I am inspired by what I see, feel and believe. Through these emotions I then create pieces that mirror what I feel, believe and want to teach. I have an amazing support system around me which helps incredibly, but Its like I have a force inside of me that just makes me create and design. I have no choice really as I am creating even when I sleep. To know I have had a positive effect on someone is the reason I create. It’s the best feeling ever and really gives me a purpose.