A pale, red-haired woman walks into the room with a calm and grace about her that not many people possess. Her attitude towards money is different to others; focusing her time on living her life comfortably rather than slaving away for an exorbitant wage.
She works with her hands; an idea that has been lost on the generation surrounded by technology and the internet – and she is all the better for it.
Olga Klimovich is a dreadlock artist from Russia who came to Ireland three years ago to begin a new life. As an economics graduate, she is a far cry away from where she started her career; both in the geographical and sectoral sense.
The 30 year old has made a complete turnaround in regards to how she lives her life since leaving her home country. Looking at the slender woman – who dresses in mostly hand-made clothes and often goes barefoot – no one would expect that this gentle and soft-spoken person used to work in banks and debt collection agencies.
“I got my first job in a bank when I was 18 or 19. For the first 3 months I worked in customer service, but later I went on to deal with debt collection. By the time I finished my degree in university I had three or four years’ experience in a bank, and all doors were open for me,” said Klimovich.
Klimovich never had any difficulties in finding a job in a bank or a company related to the field due to having a total if nine years of debt collection experience, and in her words she “love[d] these [type of] jobs”.
“I left my job in the bank and moved back to St. Petersburg at 21. I began working for a company that was related to banks, and although it was a small company the debts were much bigger. We even had our own detective agency with photographers and spies. It was just like in the movies!”
As she did in fact enjoy her work in the monetary sector, it is surprising that she decided to make such a drastic change in both her professional and personal life. Klimovich came to Ireland in 2013 in order to live with her partner, Miguel.
“I would never have moved if I hadn’t have met Miguel,” she said, “but everything happens because of love, and here I am.”
After moving to Ireland she realised that she would not be able to continue on her original career path. “Words have huge power (especially in debt collection), but I can’t use this power speaking in English.”
As her degree is not recognised within the European Union, Klimovich decided that instead of using her head to make a living, it was time to switch to using her hands. She tried knitting at first but it didn’t work out, and ultimately decided on becoming a dreadlock artist after having dreadlocks herself for many years.
“I started making dreadlocks when I came here just to have some extra money (I had full-time job at that point). Around a year ago I decided to make dread[lock]s my main activity; I left the job I was in and started [to] actively promote myself online.”
Dreadlocks, and especially Caucasian people with dreadlocks, has become an issue of late due to the idea of cultural appropriation. Klimovich on the other hand doesn’t believe that people wearing dreadlocks is an issue.
“Honestly I believe in the idea that it’s just hair. Although, just by looking at [the majority] of dreadlocked people you can guess what their mind[set] is. [Most] of them are vegetarian or vegan, they care about people and about the environment.”
Klimovich now works from home making natural and synthetic dreadlocks for the public, and for television programmes such as “Vikings”. She also works at some of the Dublin markets; in particular “Fusion Sundays” in the Dublin Food Co-Op.
“My goals are to work at the festivals in the summertime, and ultimately have my own shop,” she said. “I’m not looking to be rich, just to make a living for myself.”
Olga Klimovich left the world of money and finance behind her, and has gone back to traditional skills to make her way through life. Her extreme career change and move from her country of birth should be a lesson to us all; that at the end of the day, love and happiness should always – and will always – prove to be the most important aspect in our lives.