When I first started Beanmade Candles, I had no idea it would lead me to an art exhibition at the Hilton Hotel. Looking back, it’s a reminder that everything we do, even the things we don’t realise are shaping us, can prepare us for something bigger in the future.
My journey into art wasn’t traditional. I started painting with my hands, exploring colours and textures in a raw, intuitive way. But before that, I was deeply immersed in scent, experimenting with essential oils, blending fragrances, and creating candles that weren’t just decorative but designed to evoke feelings and memories. That love for scent never left me.
So when I had the opportunity to showcase my work at the Hilton Hotel, I knew I wanted to do something different. I wanted to make the exhibition an experience, one that engaged more than just sight. I infused my paintings with essential oils, subtly scenting each piece to add another layer of connection. I love that scent can trigger a memory or feeling, so can colour. Combining the two was where the magic happened.
To make the experience even more immersive, I set up a painting station at the exhibition, for guests to paint in a hands on style. Below the artwork the title was left blank, so guests could write their own names and a description of how the artwork made them feel.
It was amazing to see how different people connected with the art, each describing their emotional response in such unique ways. It turned the exhibition into a dynamic, interactive space, where the audience became a part of the creative process.
Visitors weren’t just looking at the art, they were feeling it, breathing it in, experiencing it on multiple levels. Some recognised familiar scents from their own past, while others were drawn to the way the fragrance made them feel in the moment.
What this experience taught me is that nothing we do is wasted. My time making candles wasn’t separate from my journey as an artist; it was part of it. The skills, the experimentation, the way I thought about sensation and emotion, all of it came full circle in ways I never expected.
So if you ever find yourself wondering if what you’re doing now will lead anywhere, trust that it will. Every step, every passion, every small thing you create or explore is preparing you for something ahead, even if you can’t see it yet.
The scented exhibition at the Hilton was a moment of realisation for me, a reminder that our past experiences are never just behind us. They shape our future in ways we could never plan, and sometimes they lead us to something even more beautiful than we imagined.
Trust the process. Everything is leading you somewhere.