Amsa Yaro Studio

I have been busy. Very busy. Still busy though but I had come back here. I have been away for too long. But like every good friend that has been with you from the beginning, once you meet each other again, its like there was no distance in time or space and you just pick up and move with the high fives and pats on the back or “borrowing” clothes or jewelry and never returning them back. That is how this blog is to me. An old friend that I can come back too. I hope she forgives for being too busy to check up on her. But by the time I show her why, I know she would love me for life. She is a girl and loves jewelry. And good for her, because I make jewelry.

Yes, yes. One of my many gifts and talents. Not trying to brag here but surviving pushes you to dig up old and forgotten hobbies and make them something of value to give you the chance to raise your head and hold it high again. This is what Yarolli is doing for me.

It all started when I was working in my Dad’s office because NYSC ( For those who don’t know, it’s a youth scheme by the Nigerian Government that is meant to teach young graduates unity, survival and leadership skills and also to open their minds to the diversity of Nigeria. Seriously good intentions, really bad implementation. This is for another day) didn’t get the list my name was on and I had to stay at home for a year…like the extra year I stayed in school caused by strikes wasn’t bad enough. So well, since I was free labor for my Dad, beaded jewelry just fell on my lap. It was a young girl girl from church who came over to my house and was making a necklace with simple tools and I got jealous and said to myself “Hey, if she can make such and she had to pay for lessons, I am gonna make and not pay for lessons.”  Of course, with free labor, comes good benefits. INTERNET. I probably doubled how much my Dad had to pay for his internet due to all the downloads of tutorials I did and finally, I started making them, signed up for exhibitions, made some money (my Dad bought most of them and sent them out to the women in his life, you know, sisters, moms).

NYSC finally adopted me for a year and there I learned so much more. but this time in media work. And I enjoyed every minute of it. It was hard, tasking, lots of tears in the mix but it was a place to be. I got to meet all types of minds. Those that just keep on coming and spew out brilliance and those that make you wonder why they are not extinct yet. But even then, my little pieces of art found a way of showing themselves. I remember when I was part of a production team and we had to multitask and play various roles. My little earrings at least got to primetime NTA. I mean, that was great..even though that didn’t last long.

And now, I am here. Another life, another location. Pushing to have relevance in fast paced society that most just pass you by. Or sometimes you feel that you are not even heard. But at least now, I can be seen. Through my jewelry.  My Yarolli. Its just starting. Just booked a few events to get the waters flowing. Hoping and praying for the best. Its hard. No need to lie about it. After searching for a long time for something, I can finally say a part of me has found solace in something. Not all of me, no. Why? Because I know that this is just the beginning for me. There is so much to conquer out there and I intent to. Yarolli is just a beginning, most definitely not the end…for me.

Oh yeah. And believe me…I am back!!!