Amy Occhipinti / Amy’s Place

December 4

I have always followed the desire for creative pursuits in many  disciplines because the process of creating something gives me a  great sense of satisfaction and confirms my own identity. Also, I  believe that it is important to find a way to get what’s on the  inside out – no matter what gifts an individual has been given (and  we are all gifted in some way) your voice can be best heard by  using what you naturally have.

When I was beginning my career in communication + design, I wanted  to find a way to thank all those who passed their work, experience  and love on to me throughout the year. So, around Christmas time  one year, I decided that a unique and appropriate gift would be a  candle. What was appealing to me was the idea that on a cold winter  night, a simple candle could bring light and warmth into the home  of every person that I was grateful for.

Since then, every year around holiday time, my kitchen is  transformed into a candle-making workshop and each year, Amy's  Place has evolved with the addition of various items. A few years  ago, someone said to me, “Alright. When are you going to start  selling these things?” And that’s when I seriously considered the  idea of creating a real business out of my love for making soy  candles and wellness items. Something I enjoyed so much had started  to come full circle; people started buying my candles for the very  same reason I started making them in the first place – to give to  people in their lives that they were grateful for.

www.amysplace.ca