Today we’d like to introduce you to Cynthia Longwood.
Hi Cynthia, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
For as long as I can remember from the second grade, being creative has always been a part of me. From writing stories to making my mother special cards for special occasions. I’ve always found joy in making something simple into something beautiful for someone special. I am certain I get this from my mother. I started working with flowers in March when my Ohana (family) was affected by COVID19. Our son had a drive-thru mini graduation ceremony and I decided to make his teacher a carnation lei to show my husband and I appreciate her contributions to our son’s growth. Seeing her reaction brought me so much joy. Besides ohana, wine, and food during a pandemic, I couldn’t think of anything else that made me happier by spreading aloha with flowers. My ohana and I started coming up with ideas during our late-night hangouts around our kitchen table during the quarantine and that’s how the idea of my leis branched off. With my husband and ohana by my side during this new journey for me, they have been great support to assist with making Creations by Maile more real. I started collaborating with Polynesian friends across the states to improve my lei skills and I also took virtual lei courses in Hawaii. Though I was out of work during the pandemic making leis wasn’t about making a lot of money it was more about spreading aloha and making someone’s day during the time of need. Since March of 2020, I have been spreading my work through social media and with the help of my supporters they love to share my work with others.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
I didn’t have the fresh start on the new year like some would call it. I still had weight on my shoulders from my previous year of challenges my ohana was facing when my uncle passed away. He was the next closest person to me and my ohana after my stepdads passing. I was lost for a while. It affected me at home where I was also having my own personal life challenges. Doing my daily routine from working in hospitality, being a mom and wife was tough doing with a heavy heart. My ohana was also dealing with a lot of pain and anger and I allowed myself to get caught up in. When COVID19 happened, I was probably one out a few that enjoyed the pause in my life. I was able to stop working and take some time to breathe. I utilized the time to work on myself to heal and forgive, it was a spare moment in my life I will never take for granted. When I discovered working with flowers helped me it allowed me to find peace. However, my toughest struggle when I started launching Creations by Maile was virtual teaching our keikis(child). I asked myself every day when I woke up, how do teachers do it? When report cards came out and I read the teacher’s comments, I cried and never felt so proud of myself and our keikis. I told both our keikis that I felt like I was graduating the 2nd grade and PreK all over again. My challenges not only help me find a new hobby but it helped me better my parenting skills and gave me the time I really needed to focus on my marriage. It’s taught me that self-care and finding your own happiness are so important in life. I still have challenges finding balance with my full-time job, our keikis and home. However, I still find peace in all the chaos when I start creating what I like to call magic in my leis.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Creations by Maile was established in March of 2020. I hand make leis or lei po’o (flower crowns)out of fresh flowers, greenery, money, candy, ribbon, or shells for any and all special occasions. This is what separates my work from a lot of talented floral designers in Texas. My goal is to be able to spread aloha through my leis with good mana (energy) and creating fond memories with people and their stories. Having the ability to have some knowledge of the Hawaiian culture and share it with others is what I take the most pride in. Being able to bring a little more culture and diversity to Texas thrills me. There is already so much art and culture in Texas I love that I am able to share some aloha too. Besides being a lei maker, I am striving to learn more about the floral industry to be able to expand my creativity and designs to do more than just making leis.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
I’m a risk taker to a certain extent. I don’t like taking risks that will affect my family in bad ways or hurt the ones I love. But I do love to take risks when it comes to testing my creativity skills. There has been a few times when I have taken a risk to take last minute lei orders and there was a point when it became overwhelming. During graduation time for class of 2020, I had lots of lei orders for all the graduates. I took a few last minute orders after I had already ordered all my flowers from Hawaii. I was afraid I wasn’t going to be able to deliver on a few orders after I had promised them leis for their graduates. I started overthinking well what if I don’t have enough flowers or materials for my leis. However, I made sure I found a way to still get the job done. It just goes to show that sometimes in life risks are worth taking for people who believe in your work. Everyday, we sometimes wonder and overanalyze how will things work out for ourselves or others by making a decision that makes us feel uncomfortable. If we don’t make uncomfortable choices in life how would you ever grow? Risk-Taking is a choice for our own personal growth. Whether if we make the wrong or right choices as long as you are learning from it is what counts. I don’t look for a reward in the risks I take, I look forward to the lesson it teaches me and the way that it can make me more humble for what I have and can do.
Pricing:
- A single strand carnation lei starts at $35 for one color
- Double strand Carnation lei starts at $60 for two colors
- Lei Po’o (Flower crowns with greenery) start at $65 adult size
- Lei Po’o (Flower crowns with greenery)start at $40 keiki (child) size
- Standard Candy lei start at $15
Contact Info:
- Email: CreationsbyMaile23@gmail.com
- Instagram: creationsbymaile
- Facebook: facebook.com/creationsbymaile/
Image Credits
Andrew Calvio, Jennifer Rose, Kassidy Jefferson, Cynthia Labatad, and Nancy Herrera
