‘Journey of self-love’: Handmade earring creator hopes to send a message of individuality, inclusion

Written by Jessi Bang
June 15, 2023

ST. GEORGE —This artist’s line of earrings is doing more than adding beauty, it’s sending a rippling effect of love and acceptance throughout Southern Utah.

WOMIN Studio owner Diana Smith takes a photo wearing her handmade polymer clay earrings, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Diana Smith, St. George News
WOMIN Studio owner Diana Smith poses for a photo wearing her handmade polymer clay earrings, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Diana Smith, St. George News

Diana Smith is a full-time legal assistant who’s studying to attend law school. But that’s not all. She’s also the owner of WOMIN Studio, an earring and hair clip business she started one year ago. The purpose of the business is to help her own healing journey and spread an important message she feels others need to hear.

“Being plus-sized, I always have a hard time finding things that fit me or finding things that I feel good in,” Smith said. “So earrings are kind of a universal thing, and I essentially started making them to help me with my journey of self-love.”

The“I” in WOMIN reflects the “I” in “Individuality” and “Inclusion” – something Smith said she personally struggled with growing up in Northern Utah. Unlike those around her, her family wasn’t religious. She was also plus-sized with tattoos and that made her feel like an instant outsider.

“With these unrealistic expectations of perfectionism, you become really hard on yourself,” she said. “Everyone is so unique in individual ways that make them so cool, and I want to spread that message.”

Uniquely designed polymer clay earrings by WOMIN Studio featured pressed dried flowers, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Diana Smith, St. George News
Uniquely designed polymer clay earrings by WOMIN Studio featured pressed dried flowers, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Diana Smith, St. George News

She first started her creative outlet using resin, then added flowers to create “milk bath earrings.” While she liked working with resin, she found it to be less moldable and limiting. When she discovered polymer clay, she loved its versatility and hasn’t stopped using it since. Recently, she started adding pressed, dried flowers into the polymer clay, creating unique styles and designs.

Each set of earrings is created in hopes of allowing others to express themselves and create a sense of confidence in each person’s individuality. As part of her mission for inclusion, Smith recently set up a photo shoot that included a male wearing her earrings.

“I just thought the concept was so cool,” she said. “Because how many men do you see wearing earrings in Southern Utah? He had his beard, his stubble and it was the perfect shoot.”

A male model sports earrings by WOMIN Studio, an all-inclusive brand, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Diana Smith, St. George News
A male model sports earrings by WOMIN Studio, an all-inclusive brand, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Diana Smith, St. George News

On top of being an inclusive brand, she said she makes everything as sustainable as possible and every item is hypoallergenic, allowing for everyone to wear them. Each order comes with a card that holds wildflowers inside. Instead of throwing the card away, her hope is that customers will plant them and grow their own wildflowers. 

“It’s really allowed me an individual expressive outlet for myself and helped me on my own journey and I hope it helps other people,” she said. “That’s the goal.”

Smith said many of her earrings are inspired by the desert landscapes of Southern Utah and she loves to create funkier designs you wouldn’t normally find anywhere else.

A pair of rainbow earrings by WOMIN Studio are pictured, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Diana Smith, St. George News
A pair of rainbow earrings by WOMIN Studio is pictured, location and date unspecified | Photo courtesy of Diana Smith, St. George News

Although WOMIN Studio is a business, Smith the message is far more important to her than the profit. She’s been able to give back in many ways, including the creation of a breast cancer line and a Pride line released last June to support a family member.

“It’s just been really cool to take these ideas of what I find important in my life and what’s helping me grow and hopefully helping someone else,” she said.

Smith is thankful to her husband for supporting her in her business and looks forward to what the next chapter of life holds.

Shop WOMIN Studio in person at the Modern Farm and Artisan Co-op at 55 N Main St. in St. George or online here. Visit WOMIN Studio on Etsy or message @womin.studio on Instagram for specific pieces and questions. 

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2023, all rights reserved.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jessi Bang was born and raised in Utah and has a passion for nature and the great outdoors. She graduated from Kaplan University in California with a degree in criminal justice. She has extensive experience in marketing, content creation, photography and copywriting. You can find her showcasing outdoor adventures through her blog, “The Rambling Raccoon.” In her free time, she enjoys climbing mountains, trail running, working out and cuddling her two lovable pups.

Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @STGnews

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