Meet Holly Kuhlman | Reverie Works LLC

We had the good fortune of connecting with Holly Kuhlman and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Holly, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I started my own business as a part of a larger evolution of myself as a person. I wanted a way to bring the passions that have been burning in my subconscious to life. I felt that this would be a creative process and one that started with learning new skills. I have had the desire to make jewelry for a long time, but I had never attempted it.

Six years ago, I transitioned from a career in localization program management to being a stay at home mom. I now have two children, ages 6 and 3 years old. Before having children, the main focus of my life was getting freedom from my career that felt life-draining. Due to unforeseen circumstances, when my first child was born I decided not to return to work for a period of time.

Going from life in a typical 9-6 work environment with no children, to being a stay at home mom was a big transition period. Days became entirely focused on someone else and it gave meaning to life where I had previously felt empty. It was easy to lose myself in the process, but I was happy to embrace that selflessness.

A few years later, I welcomed a second child. At four months old, my child started having a serious medical condition that had us in the hospital consistently for the next year. As the condition lingered, I started feeling very lost, hopeless, and anxious. I felt the loss not only of the life I envisioned for myself and my family, but the loss of any type of normalcy in the culture we live in. I felt isolated and resentful. I felt angry.

We were able to thankfully get to a stable place with my child’s health after a very difficult first 1.5 years of his life. Although care for my wonderful children is and always has been my number one priority, I was able to see that I needed to make some room for myself to heal and find joy again. I was longing for a deeper relationship with myself and my own needs than I had ever been able to tap into before.

I started with taking time for myself in the form of various education – exercise classes, art classes, martial arts and self-improvement work. In exploring different forms of movement and creativity, I have been able to find my version of clarity, growth, and peace. A whole world opened up and I have enjoyed finding new areas to explore. I’ve met new opportunities with excitement and discovered a lot of limiting beliefs I had been carrying all of my life. It has been this area of exploration and freedom that led me to open Reverie Works, LLC. I wanted to challenge myself to do something different. Something I have always wanted to do, a way I wanted to feel with accomplishing something outside the norm. I have a larger vision for what Reverie Works can offer, but right now, I am starting with whatever feels good in the moment; that has been creating jewelry and other handmade items that bring a lightness into my heart.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
My art and jewelry are reflections of the peace and creativity I have been able to uncover by prioritizing my mental health and presence in life. My message in my work is that perfection is not the goal. Doing your best in the moment is all that matters. Sometimes, that is just about showing up consistently. Other times, it is about working hard and evolving. It is important to me that nothing has to be any certain way in order to be worthy. I love creating pieces that inspire me in the moment and I don’t work with any plans at the outset; I let my creativity flow. I am learning as I go, and it brings me great joy to embrace this passion and fearlessness to create unapologetically. My brand is created on the basis of honoring oneself. I could not have grown into the person I am without my children being a big motivation to play and explore. I hope one day to have a wider variety of offerings to help others feel more present in life and be able to embrace new states of being and fulfillment.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
The best part about Colorado is the wild and unparalleled beauty of nature. I would take a visitor sightseeing, which is really only possible with a road trip. When I was a little girl, driving through the Rocky Mountains sightseeing was a favorite activity of my late father’s. I’d love to revisit places as an adult and create more memories. I would suggest places I know well and are very meaningful to me – such as the Trailridge Road in Rocky Mountain National Park through Estes Park. We would spend time exploring the small town and seeing the local wildlife. We’d then make our way through the beautiful Rocky Mountains perhaps stopping in Grand Lake, Avon/Vail and all the way to the Aspen and Marble, CO areas to make it to the scenic Maroon Bells. After that, perhaps if we had more time… I’d want to visit places I haven’t been to round out the trip with new experiences – perhaps Palisade or Pagosa Springs.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to recognize my two children, ages 6 and 3. It is with their sheer existence and encouragement that I have been able to really grow and evolve as a person. I am a better person for them and because of them. Children are very interesting – they can really inspire you to evaluate your priorities in life. I love seeing the world through their eyes. I also appreciate my husband, for giving me the immeasurable gift of time and financial stability to be with our children every day and explore new passions. I never would have been able to explore and grow without all of the support and love.

Website: https://reverieworksbyholly.etsy.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reveriewrks/

Image Credits
All images credit and provided with care by myself – Holly Kuhlman at Reverie Works LLC.