My Story.

Hi, I’m Rebecca! I’m in my early 30s, living in East Sussex with my partner Dan, and I’ve always been a creative at heart. I believe having a creative outlet is one of the best things you can give yourself, a little space to experiment and simply enjoy creating something just because you can.

In my early 20s, I started Willow & Ocean from a small idea and a lot of excitement, and began selling my handmade pieces on Etsy. Seeing people choose something I had made with my own hands made me so unbelievably happy (and still does!). I was incredibly grateful for every order, every message and every person who supported my business.

But, as is often the case, making a living from something you love isn't always as easy as you'd hope. I struggled to earn enough to get by, so in 2019 I took a part-time retail job to give myself a bit of financial security while continuing to work on Willow & Ocean on the side. It seemed like the perfect balance.

Then 2020 happened. Like so many people, life took a rather unexpected turn. I found myself working more and more hours until eventually I was full time, and over the next few years I worked my way up to becoming a store manager. It was something I was genuinely proud of, but if I'm honest, it wasn't where I'd ever imagined I'd end up. Life has a funny way of steering you down roads you never planned to take.

Somewhere along the way, Willow & Ocean became quieter and quieter. I was too busy, too tired and too caught up in everyday life to make things just for the joy of making them. And slowly, without really noticing, I felt like I'd lost a little bit of my spark. I missed that version of myself who was always dreaming up ideas, making things and getting ridiculously excited about a new project.

So, after a lot of thinking, reflecting and probably a fair amount of overthinking, I decided it was time to do something about it.

In April 2026, I took a huge leap of faith and handed in my notice. I left the security of my job and took a gamble on myself. And now, for the first time in years, Willow & Ocean is my full time job. ✨

I'm under no illusion that it's going to be easy, but I'm incredibly excited to see where this little adventure takes me. More importantly, I want to find my creative spark again, to make things I'm proud of, try new ideas, make mistakes, learn as I go and remember why I started all of this in the first place.

So that's where I am right now, starting again, taking a chance on myself and seeing what happens. And if you've found your way here, I'd love for you to come along for the journey. 🤍