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Meet Jacquelyn Wells of Oohjacquelina in Back Bay

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jacquelyn Wells.

“Jacq of Trades” is a nickname Bostonian, Jacquelyn Wells, has acquired. An artist her entire life, her current passions include but are not limited to: her handcrafted Jewelry Line, Oohjacquelina, writing/making music, yoga & mindfulness, activism/non-profit work, event planning, and managing the Boston Artisan Bazaar, a new collective/gallery popping up this holiday season in Back Bay.

Jacquelyn took classes at various studios around New England and New York learning new techniques and came out with a bridal jewelry & headpiece line along with an everyday wear fashion jewelry line. They are still both going strong today with the help of her team.

From the beginning of Oohjacquelina, until now, Jacquelyn has expanded into exploring other passions she has, including working for Korea peace activism non-profit, Women Cross DMZ, with renowned feminist Gloria Steinem, and going through an intensive training to become a Registered Yoga Teacher.

She is currently becoming certified as a healing practitioner to help people with PTSD and trauma. She enjoys learning about mindfulness, the journeys of Korean Americans and trans-racial adoptees, helping creative start-up endeavors, entrepreneurial spirits, and non-profit organizations, mentoring, and of course, making music. She currently resides between Brooklyn, NY and Boston.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Jacquelyn went to school for art and music business at Northeastern University. Her first passion was music: she started playing piano and singing at 5 years ago and has been writing, recording, and performing music on the side for her entire life–on and off. But this passion of hers was not making money, nor was profiting from music her goal.

After working at a record label and sitting behind a desk for her 6month internship, she realized that this type of life was not bringing her happiness. She started her jewelry line, Oohjacquelina, as a side project in 2010 while also waitressing, teaching music to children, and working at a high-end bridal salon. It was very difficult to make ends meet for years, and she considered going into the corporate world, but something inside told her that was not the right move for her.

At that point in time, mindfulness, meditation, and spiritual awareness were not super popular, but she was steadily doing yoga as a form of exercise. Making jewelry during the day or on her days off was therapeutic for her during her work in the fast pace restaurant industry at night. The road was not always smooth, but thanks to the support of her friends and family, she was able to stay afloat.

Jacquelyn credits her entrepreneurial success to growing Oohjacquelina slowly over the years which taught her responsibility, how to start and run a creative business, and lead/work with others. It gave her a rock to fall back on when she was doing other jobs she didn’t find as fulfilling.

Going into the non-profit/activism world as well as getting her yoga certification were challenged Jacquelyn took on that were both intimidating at first, but then extremely rewarding. She hopes her new project managing the Boston Artisan Bazaar and repping artists and completing her training to become a practitioner of healing for people with PTSD are both endeavors that will challenge and excite her.

Finding time now for all the different passion projects and social endeavors prove taxing and at times extremely stressful, but her yoga practice (which has become more than just exercise now, but a way of life) helps her to juggle the responsibilities and (try to) remain grounded. Jacquelyn takes a lot of time to reflect on gratitude and giving back to her community as much as possible. She says without her small team and support system, she would never be able to thrive.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Oohjacquelina – what should we know?
The Boston Artisan Bazaar is a local collective of “Uniquely Handcrafted and Curated Art by Local Makers”! From fine paintings and sculpture to candles and locally made scarves, shirts or prints, this new location in Back Bay is the perfect place to spend a few hours perusing, meeting the makers, and getting your holiday presents.

Oohjacquelina is a jewelry design company that specializes in bridal jewelry and accessories and minimalist everyday wear and will be one of the designers at the Boston Artisan Bazaar.

What sets Oohjacquelina apart is that it is designed and handcrafted in New England/Brooklyn NY, using high-quality hypoallergenic metals, and a lot of the pieces are one of a kind.

Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Hands down, clear, honest and loving communication paired with deep listening and a desire to understand others.

I’m very proud to be an entrepreneur, a woman of color, and artists of different trades. I used to let people dim my light and try very hard to fit into the box of what I thought society wanted me to be. But now I am working on being okay with shining and helping those around me shine as well. I have a tireless work ethic, passionate mind, and love to be with people, but really it is my communication skills that have proved to be the most vital to my success and lasting relationships in my different fields of work.

In all my artistic and entrepreneurial endeavors I strive to create a safe atmosphere, where people and can shine, be happy, and speak freely and openly and be heard.

Contact Info:


Image Credit:
Jeehyun Kwon, Juno Salter, Rena Carrillo, MK Byrne(?), Vitaly Berg

Getting in touch: BostonVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.

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