By: Tracey Ugwueru

A woman who found inspiration from battling her severe gynaecological conditions set up her own Amore Designs crystal and handcrafts business.

Sheryl Hanger suffers from dysfunctional uterine bleeding as part of her symptoms and doctors believe she may also suffer from other conditions such as endometriosis and pelvic inflammatory disease.

She is still waiting for an operation after several years as due to the side effects of her condition the operation kept getting postponed.

She said: “It’s a physical condition which in 2011 took my soul and life’s purpose away. But in the midst of all the chaos, I found a passion for crystals – using a complementary holistic approach, which gave me a therapeutic outlet allowing me to get creative, have fun aiding my journey to healing, recovery and spiritual discovery.”

Sheryl said the process includes handcrafting her pieces and working directly with semi-precious gemstones which provided her with clarity and brought her peace.

The positive energy she received from the crystals while working with them she said “empowers and enables me to share a little piece of my heart returning much love into each piece as I create them.”

She explained how it allows her to contribute and give back to her society for pure satisfaction. When people like her work it gives her motivation to do more and more each day.

She also said the hand crafting contributed to easing her depression.

“I started handcrafting my pieces to help me with my anxiety and depression. I was very fragile.”

People have different ways to create self-peace such as yoga, meditation and going to the gym but Sheryl said: “I use earth’s natural healing powers transmitted via the crystals to bring me that Zen and balance that my mind, body spirit and soul craves.”

She is very appreciative of everyone who supports her business and said it wouldn’t mean as much if people didn’t interact with her products, as she states in her Impressum: “Without you I wouldn’t be in the place I am now.

“I wouldn’t have been able to grow and reach for the stars as you all provided me strength to carry, giving me a purpose in life again.”

By: Tracey Ugwueru

The Black History Experience is an annual event that happens in October and is open to DMU students who have an interest or passion for modelling.

Organiser Akeel McIntosh said: “I had to enable young creatives to be given a platform to showcase their talents and small businesses owners to be given the chance to promote themselves and create continuous custom.

“Their mission is to promote, empower and educate – promote businesses and artists, dancers, models and other creatives, empower and spread the ‘CAN DO’ attitude, and educate, allowing the audience to understand who we are as a people, where we have been and where we are going.”

He added: “Models do not need previous experience just a willingness to learn as we have model choreographers that train models for a few months leading up to the event.”

The Black History Experience, he said, is very inclusive and from a model perspective is easy to get into.

The artists and designers aim to do well within their craft and have the wow factor to draw the audience into what is being showcasted.

The Black History Experience is his team’s only event, but they plan to progress in the future, and also have their own Freedom Photography and Freedom Model Agency.