Dear friends, clients and followers,
Today I appeal to you about something which keeps tormenting me for days now: the name of my "brand", Wilwarin Designs. Without going straight to the point (because I really like the rambling), I'll start by explaining the meaning of this name.
"Wilwarin" is a word invented by JRR Tolkien, author of "The Lord of the Rings", a story that has conquered so many of us, not only for what we've seen in the movies, but also for this gentleman's great imagination and devotion. Tolkien had a great passion for languages (he knew about 16 languages!) and drew on his knowledge to create whole new tongues and writing systems. Nowadays, his most famous are the Elvish languages: Quenya, based on Finnish, and Sindarin, based on the Welsh tongue. Well, "Wilwarin" is a Quenya word. It means "butterfly" and is the name of a constellation in the world of Arda (Tolkien's "secondary world", which features the famous Middle Earth). This constellation was created by the Queen of Stars to welcome the Elves when they first came to the world. It is presumed to be related to the constellation of Cassiopeia, perhaps because of its shape, which resembles a butterfly flapping its wings.
Today I appeal to you about something which keeps tormenting me for days now: the name of my "brand", Wilwarin Designs. Without going straight to the point (because I really like the rambling), I'll start by explaining the meaning of this name.
"Wilwarin" is a word invented by JRR Tolkien, author of "The Lord of the Rings", a story that has conquered so many of us, not only for what we've seen in the movies, but also for this gentleman's great imagination and devotion. Tolkien had a great passion for languages (he knew about 16 languages!) and drew on his knowledge to create whole new tongues and writing systems. Nowadays, his most famous are the Elvish languages: Quenya, based on Finnish, and Sindarin, based on the Welsh tongue. Well, "Wilwarin" is a Quenya word. It means "butterfly" and is the name of a constellation in the world of Arda (Tolkien's "secondary world", which features the famous Middle Earth). This constellation was created by the Queen of Stars to welcome the Elves when they first came to the world. It is presumed to be related to the constellation of Cassiopeia, perhaps because of its shape, which resembles a butterfly flapping its wings.
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| "Rivendell", an illustration by John Howe. |
The butterfly, in turn, is associated with the spiritual nature of Man as a symbol of the soul, lightness, transformation and new beginnings. As the caterpillar is born to later become a butterfly and live a whole new life, flying and watching the world from a completely different perspective... We too go through certain situations in our life that provide us opportunities for learning and inner growth, letting us go further.
It was precisely this symbolism that inspired me to name my "brand" and fan page. But the mere word "Butterfly" sounded too trivial to me, and I could not find any related expression which pleased me. So I turned myself to Quenya (not that I know the language! :P) and decided to use the word "Wilwarin" for its imaginary and dreamy aspect - just like my small world of jewelry. It was a whimsy word, different from most I have seen, and I simply like(d) it.
It was precisely this symbolism that inspired me to name my "brand" and fan page. But the mere word "Butterfly" sounded too trivial to me, and I could not find any related expression which pleased me. So I turned myself to Quenya (not that I know the language! :P) and decided to use the word "Wilwarin" for its imaginary and dreamy aspect - just like my small world of jewelry. It was a whimsy word, different from most I have seen, and I simply like(d) it.
However, something I had never thought of has happened... Initially, my small world started to grow and expand, far beyond my expectations. It was no longer the "little corner" it used to be in the beginning... people
started asking me what name I used and what was the address of my blog; and everytime I answered "Wilwarin Designs" I would always get an answer which sounded like "Hmm... excuse me?". Especially from my portuguese clients and followers, because we don't even use the letter "W" in our language... so the word "Wilwarin" can be really hard to read sometimes. A small knot began to pinch my chest as I saw myself more and more forced to spell this name, letter-by-letter. And,
truth be told, I have reached a point where I shudder at the
thought that tomorrow someone might ask me (either for the first or
fifth time) how to spell the name of my jewelry business!
I came to the conclusion that "Wilwarin" is indeed a beautiful, different word, with a wonderful meaning - but a complicated one. It was a good word when I used to work more for myself than for others, never thinking that someday I would go so far... if you know what I mean! ;) But now that I've reached the "small business" level, I find an original and, simultaneously, appealing name extremely important. So now I'm considering a simple (or not!) alternative: a name change.
Considering the pros and cons, a name change at this date may eventually bring some (if not quite) confusion for those who are already accustomed to see this site as "Wilwarin Designs." It would involve some boring changes like changing the address of this blog, closing my current Etsy shop to create a new one (since Etsy does not allow store renaming), a new e-mail. Finally, my biggest dilemma would be my Facebook page, in which case URL changes are not permitted either (although I can rename the page itself) - but frankly, that page means too much for me to simply delete it and start all over.
On the other hand, I believe that my small business needs a name that has to do with the business itself and not just me. The name must be the face of the jewelry I create and not just simply mine... so I'm considering the following name: Belladonna (Designs).
I came to the conclusion that "Wilwarin" is indeed a beautiful, different word, with a wonderful meaning - but a complicated one. It was a good word when I used to work more for myself than for others, never thinking that someday I would go so far... if you know what I mean! ;) But now that I've reached the "small business" level, I find an original and, simultaneously, appealing name extremely important. So now I'm considering a simple (or not!) alternative: a name change.
Considering the pros and cons, a name change at this date may eventually bring some (if not quite) confusion for those who are already accustomed to see this site as "Wilwarin Designs." It would involve some boring changes like changing the address of this blog, closing my current Etsy shop to create a new one (since Etsy does not allow store renaming), a new e-mail. Finally, my biggest dilemma would be my Facebook page, in which case URL changes are not permitted either (although I can rename the page itself) - but frankly, that page means too much for me to simply delete it and start all over.
On the other hand, I believe that my small business needs a name that has to do with the business itself and not just me. The name must be the face of the jewelry I create and not just simply mine... so I'm considering the following name: Belladonna (Designs).
"Belladonna" is featured in the scientific name of the belladonna lily, Amaryllis belladonna. It is a bulbous plant that can bloom more than once a year and is closely related to virtues such as pride, elegance or grace. It also features a wordplay in portuguese, since "bela dona" means "beautiful lady". In the end, I believe this word conveys what Wilwarin Designs
is all about - the natural elements (since we're speaking of a flower) and the exquisite
Vintage flourish (related to the symbolism of this plant and the wordplay itself)...
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| Amaryllis belladonna. Photography by Dmitry Baranovskiy |
Therefore, and since this business is not only about me, nor my jewelry, but about all of us, I send you this plea. Until the evening of this Wednesday, the 25th, I'm open to your opinions and suggestions. I've created a poll on Facebook where you can reply directly to the question "Keep the name 'Wilwarin Designs' or change to 'Belladonna Designs'?". You can also post directly on my page's wall. If you do not own a Facebook account, feel free to send your opinion by e-mail or simply leave a comment on this post (do not forget to sign up!).
By helping me with this small "dilemma", you will be qualified to win a 10% DISCOUNT coupon for a future purchase! As an acknowledgment, after the decision is taken, I will award 10 coupons via the website random.org, from the names of those who give their contribution (portuguese and foreign alike).
I therefore hope you'll take a moment in the coming days to reflect on this (long) text you've just read so patiently ;) and the meaning of both names which are in dispute over here. A thank you in advance!
By helping me with this small "dilemma", you will be qualified to win a 10% DISCOUNT coupon for a future purchase! As an acknowledgment, after the decision is taken, I will award 10 coupons via the website random.org, from the names of those who give their contribution (portuguese and foreign alike).
I therefore hope you'll take a moment in the coming days to reflect on this (long) text you've just read so patiently ;) and the meaning of both names which are in dispute over here. A thank you in advance!
Much love,
Wilwarin Designs.
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