Hello! I'm Paulina, the founder, and owner of Mystika.ca. I am a growing spiritualist, herbalist, and naturalist. I deeply enjoy working with all things that are born and grown from our dearly beloved planet earth. I love to craft together magickal products that provide spiritual effects on the mind, body, and soul, and leave you more inspired, knowledgeable, connected to your highest self, and in-tuned with your spirit.
What are your big 3? I’m a Libra sun, Taurus rising, and Cancer moon.
Do I have any Pets? Yes, I have 2 precious cats! Their my familiars and help protect my home.
What does being a Maker mean to you? Being a maker to me means using your creativity, knowledge, and love to inspire others to chase their goals and believe in their abilities to manifest their dreams, through my support and my creations. It means to be authentically yourself in a world that has so many societal standards.
What motivates you to create? My motivation is the dreams my free-spirited inner child has always had. To not fail the inner parts of me that believe in me, as well as the passion I have for what I do, keeps me always wanting to create more! My family, my friends, and especially all the fantastic soul connections I’ve made with my followers, really inspire and motivate me to continue on and not give up, as much as I may be hard on myself they have always been there cheering me on.
How have you developed your skills? I've been an active practitioner and spiritualist for over a decade now and have been passed down knowledge on magick and herbs + properties from an early age. I’ve been surrounded by psychics, astrologers & witches for the majority of my life, and have learned from them as much as I could to help me advance In my skills and spiritual + herbal path. However when it comes to my spiritual apothecary, I’m completely self-taught! I’ve learned how to make candles, soaps, herbal infused oils, etc all on my own, and I infuse both my spiritual practices with my products to create an overall energetically enhanced item that serves a purpose.
Where are you from and how does that influence your work? I am from South America but was born in Florida, USA. However, I currently live in icy cold Toronto, CA which really influences me to further appreciate the seasons in which the sun is strong and the earth is blooming. It helps me be more in tune and connected with the equinoxes, the elements & to appreciate the abundance of nature around me. That is my time to thrive and when I gather the most herbs/flowers for my workings and products. When it becomes cold and dark, it allows me to integrate what I’ve learned in the spring/summer months and allow for a death/rebirth process so I can bloom again next spring. I base a lot of product launches on the seasons, to help you shift and transform alongside the sun.
How have your life experiences shaped your art? My life experiences have definitely played a big role in my art creations because I’ve had to be in survival mode a lot growing up, and it took me a long time to really heal out of the traumas I had as a child. So now when I’ve learned to really take care of myself energetically and spiritually, I try
How has the pandemic impacted your creativity? The pandemic has kept me indoors a lot more than usual, even when it’s beautiful out. So I feel like because I’m not exploring, I’m not traveling, I haven’t been able to explore and gather a bunch of inspiration from nature and from things I see. However, being alone and at home more Its allowed me to turn inwards a lot more and try to create from things I’ve learned in the past & from things I’m learning now. Whether from books, socials, or from close friends, it definitely does not compare to the beauty of the outdoors.
How do you apply your creativity to other aspects of your life? I’m naturally a very creative girl, my father is part of Ontario’s society of artists, he’s a contemporary artist and sculptor. So art has been a part of me my entire life. Everything I do I find myself being as risky and explorative as I can be, even with cooking and baking. But I’ve noticed as I’ve grown older, how much being creative allows me to venture into new hobbies with confidence, like photography, graphic design as well as advance in my artwork ( I paint as well).
What themes do you pursue in your work? I tend to pursue all-natural and organic, spiritual, and occult themes in my work. As well as authentic and beneficial to those who embrace my products. I work energetically and intuitively, and value-creating for and with a purpose and intention. Another theme is honoring the earth and all that she gives us, using her beauty as a theme itself for my shop aesthetic.
What is your favorite thing you've created and why? This is definitely a tough one! Because I always strive for excellence in all my products especially my candles! I like to impress myself each time I create something new and I try to make it better than the last, so honestly, I would say if I could only pick one, my favorite things I’ve created as of recently are my new Valentine’s Day soaps and candles!
Tell us about your first sale My first sale was for a few bracelets I used to create in my first year of business. I launched a collection so I actually managed to get a few sales that day and I remember being so ecstatic to get everyone’s orders ready! Just knowing what I made by hand will be delivered and received by another special human meant and still means so much to me.
What is your dream project? My dream project is definitely one that I’m working on already, it’s a spiritual bath and body care line. I’ve really had visions to incorporate spirituality into skincare as well as crystals for extra metaphysical properties. I’ve always loved everything bath & body but wanted to find a way to incorporate my themes of business into that without becoming a cosmetic brand. My goal with this is to really help others enjoy their self-care time, embrace the skin that their in, heal and repair their precious bodies through natural and organic body care. I want them to feel magickal and beautiful!
What type of art do you like to consume? I enjoy music a lot, I find old-school songs are such a work of art! But I do enjoy art that typically has a lot of history and meaning to it, something that creates emotions of curiosity in me.
Describe your creative process I’m most creative when I’m alone or outdoors, I usually get inspired or a random vision and then follow that. I always call them downloads, it’s like my mind has just received my next project through universes guidance and I follow my intuition to help me follow through with what I seek to create.
How do your interests shift from one project to the next? Typically I go by seasons, special astrological events like eclipses and moon cycles, and I do enjoy incorporating the holidays into some of my product launches. I feel my interests shift depending on what themes I’m looking to pursue.
Describe your latest project I’m currently about to launch my zodiac candle collection for the year which is a pretty big project because it’s all 12 zodiac candles plus our new 4 oz candles and zodiac perfume rollers! I've created 36 different products for this launch which is so far the most I've created for one launch.
How do you know when you've finished a project? I tend to be a perfectionist so I normally have a list of exactly what needs to be done before my project could launch. I like to have everything labeled, clean, properly packaged, and ready to sell. However again I do work very intuitively so I like to make sure I feel content and my soul feels complete with what I’ve made.
What are your long-term goals? One of my long-term goals is to expand mystika and to be in stores. I would love to eventually open up my own walk-in store, it would really be a dream come true. Ever since I was a little girl I dreamt of having a spiritual shop so it would really fulfill that goal of mine. I’d also love to have a growing garden in the back and teach meditation and yoga classes!
What steps are you taking to ensure your growth as a maker? I try to be very consistent with my launches so I can keep my supporters interested and engaged. I always like to create more and more and I love the learning and growing process trial and error brings. I also love to show the behind-the-scenes of creating as well as being authentic and open with my supporters so I can continue to develop genuine connections with each person. I think never giving up and always looking to do and learn more helps ensure my growth.
What inspires you? Magick, witchcraft, spirituality, Mother Earth, the beauty of nature, and the power of community are big inspirations for me and for what I do.
What initially drew you to your craft? As I mentioned before, I’ve been a practitioner of magick for a long time and I’ve always wanted to share my knowledge and creations with the world so following my path really led me to start with my business and craft.
What three adjectives would you use to describe your work? I would say natural, vibrant, and spiritual.
What story do you want to tell with your work? The story I would like to tell with my work is that you’re never too old to tap into your inner child's creativity and to always continue moving forward. By being honest and genuine you can go so far, and staying true to who you are will really show in your products. I think most importantly though is that we’re all magickal spiritual beings and I encourage through my products to tap into those aspects of yourself so you can evolve into your highest and best self.
Why are humans creative?
We all experience a different reality and accumulate creativity in different ways. The way we express it varies on who we are, and I find it beautiful seeing how humans can distinctively show their creativity in such unique ways.