Candles are subtle but powerful tools of symbolism. They depict the concept of light in the darkness of life and convey sentiments of hope. Candles can also act as symbols of spirituality, purification, and can even help create an environment conducive to expressing our sensual desires. Jenna Ferreira understands all the powerful symbolism and imagery associated with candles, and this prompted her to start her brand, Lumière, in Trinidad & Tobago.
Although candles have powerful visual imagery, the sensory activations that are derived from the scents are another alluring characteristic of candles. Jenna’s Lumière offers a wide array of scented candles and she is keen on educating her potential and existing clients on the emotional invocation that each scent has. To adapt such a nuanced, informed approach to the marketing of her candles is admirable. Scents such as eucalyptus and peppermint evoke emotions of alignment; wild jasmine evokes feelings of vulnerability; while lavender and rosemsary evoke feelings of rebirth. All her candles are hand-poured, scented candles made with love.
Lumière does not only focus on the creation of scented candles but also handmade visual art. Jenna Ferreira’s art could be easily classified as abstract expressionism. There isn’t much evidence of form and obvious human elements in her paintings. Instead, her pieces focus on symbolism through the use of color and other rudimentary principles of art. The paintings are conceptually congruent with the brand as they are still made to inspire hope and positivity from a visionary’s perspective. Pieces like “Kaleyedoscope” are an exceptional example of the hope Jenna intends to inspire with her work. It’s a piece she created during a difficult moment in her life and she was transparent about how it’s process of creation alleviated some of the stress she was facing at the time.
Jenna traces her love for creative expression back to the formative years of her upbringing. She reminiscently expressed: “I attended Savonetta Private School and that was a really artistic school. We were given the liberty to wear whatever we wanted to wear as opposed to having a uniform. We could wear whatever shoes we wanted, even nail polish. They really encouraged us to express our individuality and our true selves. I also had a fantastic art teacher. Her name was Joy Jahoor. She was amazing because she never told you any art was incorrect. She pushed me to join an art competition called “Sanfest” when I was age 10, and I won. That environment gave me fuel to want to explore creativity outside the context of school. Other than painting and drawing, I also make my own Monday wear for every carnival.”
Once we duly acknowledged Jenna’s creative upbringing, we inquired about her transition into creative entrepreneurship with Lumière – starting with where her love for candles stemmed from. Jenna shared with us that: “I always loved candles, but I observed myself and my response whenever I light a candle. I feel very still and I associate candles with relaxation and serenity. My love for it grew during Covid-19. I had just graduated university this year and I was feeling very lost. My first instinct was to get a job, but I kept on getting rejected because nobody was really hiring at the time. That put me in a dark place because I had never really been without work. I landed my first job when I was eleven years old, so I was accustomed to always working as I had never been without a stream of income. Apart from the lack of income, I was had nothing to do with my time and that’s what made it unsettling; so to calm my anxiety, I started lighting candles like crazy. As I lit all my candles , I would read my books or journal and I fell in love with that because it brought me a lot of peace.”
Jenna’s practicality and business savvy led her to realize that: “Being obsessed with candles is an expensive addiction. So eventually I told myself that I could start making candles for myself. I researched how to make my own candles, and once I realized it was something that I could do I thought, “Why not make candles for myself and others?” Candles have brought me so much joy, so I wanted to share that joy with others.” Jenna Ferreira is not a woman impressed by superficiality and she was abundantly clear that she wanted the branding of the candles to have meaning, stating that: “If you look at the names of my candles they have a deeper meaning to them; for example ‘Rebirth’, ‘Alignment’ and ‘Peace of Mind'”. Truthfully, the idea behind having these names was an attempt to give persons an insight of the vibe of each candle and what they could possibly resonate with based on what they are seeking in their life. Creative Entrepreneurship, which is guided by the desire to bring joy to others but also the desire to create a revenue stream, is usually more sustainable and it is upon that premise we believe the Lumière brand and Jenna Ferreira’s industriousness will continue into 2021 and beyond.
