Few garden flowers are as resilient as geraniums. The popular plant is known for its impressive regrowth capabilities and ability to withstand harsh conditions. While wind or animals can destroy their buds or break their stems, geraniums can regenerate and become whole again, making up for what has been lost.

This resilience is something Emma Mae Pourciau knows well. Her childhood was spent with her six siblings amongst the bright blooms of her mother’s garden. Now, as she battles chronic back pain, she is drawing from the lessons she learned from the flowers as she creates something beautiful from her pain.

Often bedridden, Pourciau began looking for a hobby that fed her creativity but didn’t have harsh physical demands. Thrifting unique accessories and reimagining the beads and embellishments in new ways, her interest in jewelry making slowly grew. Now, she has launched her own jewelry brand, MAED Designs, which features one-of-a-kind pieces released during limited drops announced on social media.

 

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The colorful necklaces, bracelets, rings and more that Pourciau often models herself on the brand’s Instagram page each hark back to her childhood and speak to the joy that goes into the creation of each piece.

“I love being outside and seeing colors and creations,” she says. “That has inspired me so much to create the pieces that I have, like the stripes on a leaf or the colors of a flower. All of my ideas circle back to being an outside kid.”

With the support of her family, friends and community, Pourciau says she is overwhelmed at the response she has received from customers. Born out of pain, MAED is the embodiment of the idea that beauty can be found in even the most difficult circumstances.

“The biggest lesson I’ve learned is to not give up once you mess up,” she says. “There are so many points in making a piece where you can do one thing wrong and be ready to give up and walk away forever. But you have to remember there’s no knot that can’t be undone.”