– Maria, where did you live before moving to the USA?
Before moving to America, we lived in Israel for 2 years. Israel is an amazing and unique country, where everyone can find something for themselves in it. For two years I led a creativity circle for kids in a Russian children’s club. I practiced with the children. It was good artistic experience.
– How did you end up here?
We came under the family reunification program and waited 15 years for our visa.
– How has your lifestyle changed after moving to Texas?
After moving in February of 2020, we almost immediately were put under quarantine and we had to start living a different lifestyle, which felt very unusual for active people. But you can’t stop us! And here we are, we made it through.
I went headlong into felting. It turned out to be my salvation. I have been trying to find myself for so long and have tried many different techniques, but always came back to felting. And so my puzzle came together. I reorganized my day, set up a studio, and made my work schedule around my family. I found a teacher at an online college of traditional felting, Irina Avramenko, and paid for the course. She helped me to systematize the knowledge that I had gained in my own experience for 10 years, and I learned how to use felt, what goals to set, and how to improve the quality. And it was up from there! Life gave me a chance to start fresh!
Working with felt gives me great joy. My shoes are made in one breath. I know exactly what color it will be, what kind of leather insert I will use, which embroidery – it’s almost like poetry, an idea somewhere in the head made into a miracle!
I read a lot of business literature, listen to trainings, am constantly studying, and take various courses in leatherworking. I opened a store on Etsy. The next step is Amazon. I have a lot of plans and ideas, and proudly move forward. I want to become a versatile feller. And the most important criteria in my work is high quality felt products that do not deform over time.
I got myself a notebook of ideas and, like Salvador Dali, I am struck with ideas and write them down at night.
– What traditions do you uphold in your family?
In our family, we uphold Russian traditions. We eat homemade food. I cook a lot. For every birthday I cook a family cake with the recipe of my great-grandmother Agrippina Stepanovna.
– Please tell us about your family.
We have a wonderful family. We are very positive and open to new things. We have many friends scattered in different parts of the world and we keep in touch with them all. We are very active, even with the illness of our eldest son (AMD), and we travel a lot. We have driven through all of Europe by car, and have flown around half of the world by plane. After the pandemic, we plan to travel around America. I am very proud of my children, they are great. We studied Hebrew for two years, and now for a year in English. They go boldly towards the unknown. I think this is a good experience for what to expect in life, it will certainly help in the future!
Once I heard my eldest son say to someone: “Moving to another country is a piece of cake, you just sell your things and buy a ticket.” I think this is an important lesson to learn in life! Because everything is solvable!
– Tell us about your hobbies.
I am a very creative person, I have tried myself in different techniques and hobbies and I am constantly expanding this list. I decoupage furniture and bottles, paint with oils and acrylics and work with gold leaf, paint walls. Nowadays I have been interested in psychology, I think that we are the main forces of our own lives.
I love to cook, and am excited to try any new recipe. I make cakes, bake gingerbread, make macaroni, and homemade ice cream. I maintain a healthy lifestyle, eat right and exercise 5 times a week. I love singing with a guitar, I love bard songs, I grew up on it, and I had left my guitar in Israel to return to.
– What initiatives would you want to participate in?
When you are happy yourself, you want to share your happiness with others. I can lend my positive shoulder to those who need it. I plan to teach courses on felting for adults, it is a great pastime and is good for your mental health, as well as a great chance to learn how to do things with your own hands!
Contact information:
Maria Gershkovich
Tel. 832-955-9442
4716 Hickory Branch Ln, Sugar Land, 77479
Website: www.etsy.com/shop/MyZenWool
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maria.gershkovich1