Lesley Seselja has found her niche and is living her dream on a ten acre property in Nanoose Bay that she shares with her husband, Mike, her three sons and her three rambunctious chocolate labs. The owner and operator of the Bumble Bees Creative Studio, Lesley also produces and publishes the Nanoose Business Service Directory, a flyer featuring local businesses that is distributed monthly to over 3,000 residents. As if that isn’t enough, she is the host of the annual Art in the Garden art and craft show that takes place on the couple’s property, displaying the works of over 70 local artisans. Lesley and her husband generously donate the proceeds of the show to the Nanoose Community Services (NCS).
“It’s always been my dream to teach art to children and I always wanted to make a place for art to be seen and appreciated”, Lesley says. She teaches local children art, crafts and pottery in small cottage-like workshop beside their house, which is loaded with art supplies and the finished masterpieces of the little tykes she teaches. She trained and worked in graphic design and desktop publishing in Vancouver in her early years.
She and Mike have become an integral part of the community since moving to their place at the corner of Northwest Bay Road and Stewart Road 10 years ago. Before that, the couple and their three boys lived in the upper part of Nanoose Bay.
“We felt isolated and wanted to be closer to transportation routes for the boys”, she explained. Now the couple is part of a network of like-minded ‘friends’ who help one another with various events that raise funds for not only the NCS, but local sports teams and school activities such as the dry grad.
Noting that it’s important to give back to the community, Lesley says her family has always been involved in helping out and that many hands make the effort a lot easier and more fun. “It’s all of us… my family, friends and neighbours working together that make these things happen” she says.