About Us

 

Hello and thank you for visiting!

My name is Molly Degardin. I was born and raised in the Okanagan Valley. Creative from the beginning, I had lost touch with that side of myself and when I became a solo parent right before a global pandemic in 2020 (you know the one), I was craving a creative outlet.  Heart & Solace was born!

But wait, didn't I start pottery in February 2021? That's right, Heart & Solace started out as a candle company. I knew I wanted to create something, and I had lots of experience with essential oils, having worked for an aromatherapy company for over 6 years. I worked hard at creating a beautiful line of naturally scented candles, set up a website and signed up for my very first market in April 2021 - the Penticton Farmers market. Using my sharp nose I created blends including lavender, neroli, patchouli, wild sweet orange and sandalwood (my favourite blend is still the neroli, wild sweet orange and basil blend). 

I started learning about the Chakra's the summer of 2021, as a good friend of mine had recently become an energy worker and I took a workshop of hers, and then a workshop series. I learned that each chakra vibrates at a different frequency, and then shortly after that I found a book that talked about the different frequencies of essential oils. This inspired me to create a line of candles specifically for the Chakras, to be used alongside a meditation practice focusing on balancing the chakras. I had a really good time smelling oils, learning about their frequencies and also using my pendulum to help guide me to the perfect blends. 

Around the same time, I started selling pottery alongside my candles at the Farmers Market. I was still in the early days of creating pottery and I had more failures than pieces I was happy with, but my pottery was so well received that I just kept going. The more I did the easier it became. Pottery was something that if I'm being honest with myself, I always wanted to do, ever since I was a kid. I followed many potters on instagram and envied them for living a life I never in a million years thought was possible for me. Envy is funny that way - the emotion is not a waste if you understand that it's really just telling you about who you are. Years and years of thinking about signing up for pottery classes and backing down because there was always a reason not to (money, time, courage). It wasn't until a year into being a single mom and working on my self worth that I realized I was 100% worth investing my money into. 

Now 2 years later, I have created a successful business out of a passion of mine that supports my son and myself. My hard work has paid off 1000% from the first classes I signed up for. I continue to work on developing my skills as a potter and an artist and continue to follow through on those creative insights that always seem to come when I least expect it (note to self: its not while scrolling). 

While I no longer offer my line of Chakra candles (it took some time for me to realize where my effort was best spent), I'm not sure I'm 100% ready to say no more candles. Perhaps in the future I will offer limited editions of some of my favourite blends I created. 

I want to say a special thank you to those of you who purchased from me, or gave me words of encouragement in my first year of business. Imposter syndrome is a real thing and for me it was at an all time high during that time. Your purchase, or kind words helped me massively to overcome the worst of it. Never underestimate the impact kind words can be to some one putting them selves out there. Thank you.

 

Molly