Living the Dream - The Story of Ema Gilih

Ema is the first member of my photography project In Their Elements, through which I want to show a person in their element, which means that I want to convey the inspiring story of that individual.

Ema went to art school and has always loved drawing and creating something creative. She started crocheting in 2020. One night she dreamed that she was crocheting, and the next day she decided to try it by turning on YouTube and typing in the basics of crocheting. With persistent work and many attempts, she learned to crochet.

During the summer of 2025, she realized that she had the ability to crochet according to a drawing and that it was her special gift. As a single mother, it meant a lot to her that through her creativity she could make her own child happy and at the same time build something of her own. Her son started drawing toys for her, and she started making toys for him according to his drawings.

She also likes to crochet outside because her head is full of the house and she likes to change her surroundings. She crochets on a park bench or at fairs while selling her products. She used to crochet on a bench while her son played on the playground, and she would get compliments from older people about how surprising and commendable it was to see today's younger generations doing handicrafts.

She expanded into taking orders by posting on her Facebook what she was making for her son, and she soon realized that people who saw the posts were interested in orders. Accordingly, she opened her own craft and launched her TikTok, where she also started posting her works.

She loves the possibility of turning a child's drawing into an eternal childhood memory. What is a few hours of work for her, is worth much more to them and lasts much longer. Ema has a teddy bear that her dad sewed for her when she was a baby and she still has it today.

From this whole experience, she learned that she wanted to become independent, that is, work for herself and be her own boss so that she could control her time. Along the way, she did what made her happy — the desire for freedom combined with creativity. This has also allowed her to spend more time with her son and to always be available to him.

Her message to all of you is: if you feel like you can do something and you really want something, even if people tell you that you shouldn't don't listen to them but follow your heart and make your dreams come true.

To check out her work and maybe order something for yourself check out her social media below.