Born from passion for ceramics, designed to elevate your slow life moments: these are the curvy creations by Soulty. Their handmade candles got everyone head over heels here in Lithuania, and of course, we wanted to share the good stuff with our sisterhood, too. So meet Soulty — our newest addition to the "Made By Our Friends" section — and its creator Guostė.
Guoste, tell us about your brand. How was Soulty born?
Soulty was born organically, out of pure desire to unleash my inner creative child. It was all about the creativity and experiments. At the point when Soulty was born I was having a pause in my life from all the projects and gave time for myself to figure out where I’m heading and if it really makes me happy. I put my career on hold and took a gap year. First thing on my wish-list was ceramics class. So I went, met a ceramics teacher that was extremely supportive in my experiments and it all began.
Where do you draw the inspiration from?
When I think about my sources of inspiration, I realise that they trace back to my childhood. I was always very much connected to nature in my life thanks to my parents. We lived in the suburbs surrounded by the forest and river and would spend our summers barefoot at the seaside. Looking back I realise what a huge impact it had on me. Being in nature I get that feeling of freedom and space which is the key element for me to create. It’s so abundant and always changing! You just can’t get bored of it. Relationship with people I love is also something that makes me feel connected to what I am doing and tap into my creative impulses.
Photos by: Rūta Floral
Can you share a bit about the process, how do these candles come to life?
Every Soulty candle is handmade, and when I say handmade I mean that it all starts with a lump of clay. All the shapes arise intuitively - I let the clay fall and form itself, see where it goes naturally. Sometimes I let myself experiment a lot and that’s how new Soulty shapes are born - through play. Ceramics need a lot a patience - after carefully shaping the clay, it has to dry for a few days, then goes into the kiln for the first time. After the first firing I glaze every piece and fire it the second time. You have to learn to trust the process so much! Clay has its own character and when opening the kiln your’e surprised everytime. It almost feels like Christmas (smiling). When the bowl is ready, I fill it with the wax, trim the wicks. Then I take a small flower blossom and decorate the candle. Now I know that a new Soulty is ready to find it’s home.
How would you say sustainability ties into your brand?
When Soulty came to my life, it brought a special mood with itself - slow, made by hand, one-of-a-kind. A ritual inviting you to find your inner home. Apart form a fact that Soulty is made in small batches only and filled with natural waxes, we emphasise a reusability of Soulty a lot - after the last burn it can be refilled with wax again or used to store some precious little things. Soulty brings a message that it’s not just a candle, but an inseparable ritual of your home which lasts forever.
What’s the hardest thing about managing a small business?
The hardest thing when managing small business is that it requires being a jack-of-all-trades and there are so many things to take care of! Everyday I’m surprised how enriching this journey is - with knowledge, new people, new feelings. Feeling deeply thankful.
Where do you see Soulty going forward? What’s the ideal plan for the future?
My big goal at Soulty is to grow a brand which would speak beyond the quality product and aesthetics. The big message at Soulty is to communicate the importance of our inner world through tangible things. Like our candles that are not simply a home accessories, but bring a feeling with them. I want people to get inspired by the way our brand talks and looks. Soulty was born out of this feeling in the first place. Also, bigger ceramic pieces is something I am really passionate about. We are now starting to share more of our custom peaces like huge candles, vases and sculptures. Having this variety makes it possible to beautifully combine all Soulty ceramic peaces in the interior. We also have another news coming shortly that I am very much excited about. Will share at Soulty shortly!
What would be your fav pick from The Knotty Ones?
My absolute favourite from The Knotty Ones is Kalvos vest in Striped Grey. It’s that good feeling I get when wearing it. Always with me no matter what season it is.
