We recently had the opportunity to speak with Caroline Monda-Dartey, an artist from Ghana in West Africa. A 35-year-old jewelry designer, Caroline is part of an ever-expanding network of over 1,700 artists worldwide whose work appears on the Web site, NOVICA.com. In partnership with National Geographic, NOVICA is an online global marketplace that makes it easier for people all over the world to enjoy the work of talented artists like Caroline. During her recent trip to the US, we spoke with Caroline about why NOVICA is a good thing, what it's like to have customers in every corner of the planet, and why she's passionate about her art. It was wonderful to hear Caroline talk about her love for what she does and the way she balances her life. Hers is one of the many inspiring voices that make our shared world such an enriching place.

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GoodThings (GTS): What kind of art do you design and create?
Caroline Monda-Dartey (CMD): "I use locally produced beads made from different recycled materials to design necklaces, earrings, bracelets, beaded bands, and candle-holders."

GTS: Why do you do what you do? Describe the passion you have for your art.
CMD: "It just makes me really happy to create things that people appreciate. People don't really know a lot about African art -- you actually realize that you are educating people. The fact that you are creating and people are appreciating -- people understand more about your culture and where you're from and the tradition of your people. You're doing a service -- it's good to know you're helping keep it alive."

GTS: Tell us something about the beads you use.
CMD: "To make the beads, artisans crush glass, bake them, and they take them out. They're like ceramic beads. They'll have put cassava sticks in each one of them so when it burns out, the hole is left. It's really labor-intensive. They work in groups with a master craftsperson and polish the beads for us."

"I also use bauxite and bronze beads. The bead-makers use something called the 'lost wax' method. They make the original design from beeswax, and they put it in a clay container. It is an age-old tradition you also find in Ghana, Ivory Coast, Benin, and Nigeria. Chieftains and queen mothers in Ghana wear webs of these beads. Traditionally, more powerful chiefs had the original designs in pure gold. They're typically Ghanaian beads."

"I also use old beads called 'trade beads.' They were brought from Europe to Africa in the 16th century and used in trade. European traders gave them to African traders for palm oil and different things they needed. They even used them to buy slaves. There's a whole history about that. You get a whole lot of those beads in Ghana."

GTS: Sounds really interesting. Seems like beads are a big deal in Ghana.
CMD: "There's a whole trade in beads happening on the west coast of Africa. There are actually itinerant traders who just live off of trading beads so it's a really big industry. The ones who can afford it go from town to town. They take Ghanaian beads and take them to different cities. In Accra, you can get beads from as far as the Gambia, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Dakar, Mali, and even Kenya."

GTS: What do you like about selling your art through NOVICA's Web site?
CMD: "NOVICA is good because most artists either can't afford or don't have the time to get a Web site up and running. it's always better to have somebody else help you. I heard what they were doing, and I approached them in Accra. They took photographs of our work and put them online. It works very well."

GTS: What kind of feedback do you hear from people who have bought your art through NOVICA? Do you think NOVICA has a way of making the world feel smaller?
CMD: "I get good feedback from people who are excited and like the fact that each bead is made by hand from natural materials. And they like being able to read my story and read about my art. They can see artists from Brazil, from Ghana, from India -- all creative people, and because of NOVICA, people can see what they're doing. It puts a face to the art."

GTS: Clearly, the Internet is helping you make a living. How else is technology improving people's lives in Ghana?
CMD: "The first thing that comes to mind is e-mailing. Not many people can afford to buy a computer or have Internet access because it costs like $450 a year. That's even for like four hours a day. Now there are several Internet cafes with 100 computers. I can go in and communicate with my mom in Kenya. It's much cheaper now, much faster, and you don't even need to own a computer. It helps people who are applying to colleges or doing work or communicating for business -- it was really crazy before. "

"There's a company in Ghana -- this seems to be a trend -- that's doing data processing for companies in the US. They're doing it a lot in India and Asia. They train people to process data and now are employing over a hundred people, which is really good because there are more people looking for traditional jobs than there are jobs available."

GTS: What does it feel like to have your work, story, and photograph on the NOVICA site? Are there any surprising good things that come from it? CMD: "It's really encouraging. People always ask me, 'What are your latest designs? What are you showing?' I have a friend in the US who asked, and I was able to send her to NOVICA. They'd just done a new feature on me, and they'd taken a picture of me in my studio with my son. She hadn't seen him before, so she was really excited."

GTS: Are you able to balance being an artist with being a mother? CMD: "Yes, but it's the hardest thing a person does. It's really hard, but it's really rewarding. Children are really a fresh breath of air. They keep you hoping."

GTS: What keeps you going and engaged in your art? CMD: "Most people say, 'Oh, Africa, you have a lot of problems.' But there is still a lot that gives you strength for being an African. I think if you do your level best and try your level hardest, you'll succeed in what you're doing."

:: GOODTHINGS

Kenyan by birth and an artist for 15 years, Caroline makes her home in Accra, Ghana, with her husband and three-year-old son. She trained at the University of Nairobi (Kenya) and the University of Science and Technology (Ghana). Her favorite goodthings? "My family. My work. The fact that I'm alive and able to do what I like to do. Gospel music and jazz. Watching movies and going to the beach as a family. Reading. The fact that I'm African and that I have a very rich tradition."

(Thoughts on this GoodLetter? Inspired by what you've read? E-mail us -- don't forget to tell us your name, where you're from, and if we can use your words in a future GoodLetter or on our Web site.)


TALK ABOUT IT
How has the Internet changed the way you do business? How has it increased your awareness of different things around the world? Share your stories and ideas.

LEARN MORE ABOUT IT
:: More about Caroline Monda-Dartey and her jewelry on the NOVICA Web site.

:: Accra, Ghana
:: More on Ghana

:: What's Caroline reading?
Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom: Creating Physical and Emotional Health and Healing, Christiane Northrup, M.D.
Says Caroline: "It's written by a female gynecologist. She talks about how women have an intuition about their bodies, that there's a link between the mind and body. That's very strong in the African tradition. We believe that if your spirit is sick, your whole body will be sick."

DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT
:: Check out Caroline's jewelry on the NOVICA Web site and explore the work of other artists from all over the world.

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