In my interview with Diana, she talks about how a city girl found herself enjoying time alone in the wilderness, the challenges and joys of being a small and black owned business<\/a> owner, and the story behind her \u201cYibambe\u201d line honoring King T\u2019Challa aka Black Panther<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Scroll down to read the interview!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Note: Answers have been edited and condensed for length and clarity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Shannon Moreau: You\u2019re a filmmaker and a sign language interpreter. The pandemic hits, and the first thing you think is to start making jewelry? <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Diana Gaitirira<\/strong>: This is the most unexpected roller coaster ride that I have been enjoying in a good way. And you know me, I am a city girl, I like to be with humans. I find myself in Santa Fe in the mountains making jewelry. I never guessed I would find so much peace of mind, so much relaxation\u2014I feel like my soul is so full and fed by being in the wilderness. I would have never volunteered to do that, and that is where I found myself. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Every year I challenge myself to do something off of my bucket list and something out of my comfort zone. This was one of those years I\u2019m gonna do five things, just to keep my sanity. I have a really awesome friend who lives out there [in Santa Fe], and she’s an artist, and she was like \u201cHey. It\u2019s just me up here. You are welcome to come, and enjoy the space, do whatever you want.\u201d So at first I would go and just be in the silence. Just being out there had me being creative and doing things with my hands and the next thing you know \u2013 boom! I have a jewelry business. Now I\u2019m preaching, \u201cGo into the wilderness, go find yourself on top of the mountains!\u201d [Laughs.] <\/p>\n\n\n\n Get out of your comfort zone. Do the things you wouldn\u2019t normally do.<\/p>\u2014Diana Gaitirira, owner of Rough Love Jewelry<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n SM: How do you get your supplies?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n DG<\/strong>: That\u2019s a tricky one because in the beginning it was just for fun. Then when I said OK this is legit now, I would hit up my suppliers and they said we can\u2019t keep up with that kind of an order. Or some of them closed. It\u2019s hard to do anything in COVID, especially business. And then the postal service, God bless them, they\u2019re dealing with a lot. You know, people sitting at home, shopping\u2014I\u2019m one of them. The poor post office is trying to get those packages out. I have put on my website, \u201cI apologize in advance, it\u2019s going to take me 10 days to get things to you.\u201d Because I have to wait for my suppliers to get things to me, and then when I ship it out, sometimes the post office is behind. It\u2019s not anybody\u2019s fault. I blame the \u2018Rona. \u2018Rona is to blame. For everything. [Laughs.] We live in this culture where people are like [finger snaps] instant gratification. In every package I try to give people a free gift of some sort just to say, \u201cI see you. Sorry this might be late, but, I love you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n SM: Your business name is a unique one. What\u2019s the story behind the title of your business?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n DG<\/strong>: To make these things and be creative, it\u2019s very relaxing and therapeutic for me. Every time I make something, I feel encouraged. And I want my customers to feel the same way. And this is for people who feel down, because I started doing this in a place that was low. I didn\u2019t feel so good, you know. I lost a beautiful uncle to COVID. So this is for myself and for people who\u2019ve been mistreated, who have been oppressed, who have been discriminated against. This is for people who are crushed in all capacities but then you say, I\u2019m gonna stand up, I\u2019m gonna get back up. My logo is fashioned after a cactus. There are some heart-shaped cactuses. So I am a cactus and I am growing out of this. There’s nothing around me to give me sustenance, but I\u2019m still growing. If there\u2019s a little bit of rain, I\u2019m going to hold onto it. I\u2019m going to do whatever it takes to survive. So it\u2019s a company about perseverance, being an underdog. A lot of my pieces are very inspirational. I have Hope bracelets, Black Lives Matter, a new Pride bracelet. So it\u2019s kind of a cactus-meets-survival-meets-\u201cthis world is [crap], but you\u2019re not.\u201d You\u2019re amazing. You\u2019re beautiful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n SM: How did you come up with the idea for the King T\u2019Challa Tribute? <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n DG<\/strong>: Well, I have to rewind back to before Black Panther<\/a><\/em> even came out. I saw a trailer for it and I went into full nerd, stalker mode. I was stalking the director, I was stalking who was acting in it. I literally had a countdown: what are you doing in two years?? Let\u2019s go see this movie!!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Growing up as a minority, you don\u2019t get to see people of color, or dark skinned people, or people with natural hair. But as a kid it would\u2019ve been so uplifting to see a role model, especially me, because I love sci-fi things. I love things that traditionally Black people aren\u2019t allowed to be cast in, or not considered worthy to even audition for. So here\u2019s a superhero movie with super powers, a hero from Africa and it was like [mimics angelic visitation]. To a regular Joe this might be like, \u201cIt\u2019s just a superhero movie.\u201d No, it\u2019s not. It\u2019s not just a superhero movie. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It is about not just the actors. I\u2019ve done some acting and a little bit of modeling, back in the day when I was a young\u2019un\u2019, and it was so disappointing to go on set and these professional, licensed, certified hairstylists and make up artists say \u201cI don\u2019t have your makeup\u201d or \u201cI don\u2019t know how to do Black skin\u201d or \u201cI don\u2019t know how to do Black hair.\u201d They\u2019re like, \u201cYou figure it out.\u201d While your co-stars who are not minorities get the full treatment. So to see [on the Black Panther <\/em>crew] the wardrobe stylist is of color and the people doing hair are of color, so there\u2019s nobody going, \u201cYou have to do your own hair, sorry, but I\u2019m gonna still collect the paycheck.\u201d So it went on so many levels. <\/p>\n\n\n\n We are here, we are real, people want to see us.<\/p>\u2014Diana Gaitirira on the Black Panther<\/em> impact<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n As a filmmaker, we made a trip to LA a few years ago to pitch shows that featured Black people. At first they would tell us that they love the concept but then we would go to marketing and they\u2019d be like \u201cNobody\u2019s going to watch that.\u201d Then Black Panther<\/em> comes out and it is one of the highest grossing movies of all time. It made $650 million. So we can be leads, we can command the box office. We are here, we are real, people want to see us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n ‘Black Panther’ Broke More Box Office Records As It Topped ‘Avengers<\/strong>‘ – https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/scottmendelson\/2018\/03\/26\/black-panther-more-box-office-milestones-as-soars-past-the-avengers\/?sh=1ce7ffee61d3<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n ‘Black Panther’ Sails Past ‘Titanic’ to Become No. 3 Title of All Time in U.S.<\/strong> – https:\/\/www.hollywoodreporter.com\/heat-vision\/box-office-black-panther-sails-past-titanic-become-no-3-title-all-time-us-1100758<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n I don\u2019t want to tell people how many times I\u2019ve seen this movie. That movie\u2019s a part of me. I\u2019m T\u2019Challa. I\u2019m Wakanda. That movie\u2019s in my blood. And then to see him pass away at such a young age. So I just had to do it, I had to make that for him<\/a>. Because I love him so much, I love the characters he\u2019s played, I love him as a human being. I saw a lot of the stunts people say that he was such a beautiful and hard-working person. He meant so much to me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nInterview with Diana Gaitirira, Owner of Rough Love Jewelry<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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