From Norway to Shlegovo: How Creativity Guides Margareta Through Life’s Labyrinth

The Kajak.mk team continues its search for stories about local heroes whose small acts make a big difference to the development of local tourism. Today, we’re taking you to the charming village of Shlegovo, near Kratovo.

There, we met Margareta, who returned to village life and creativity after spending eight years in Norway. She makes dolls, reindeer, gnomes, bags and decorative items.

While living in Norway, Margareta imagined several different lives. She wanted to paint and make dolls and decorations. She dreamed of living in the countryside, caring for animals and growing her own garden. She was also drawn to the idea of living by the sea, on a secluded beach where she could swim for hours.

“It’s hard for me to describe myself,” Margareta says. Yet her path is easy to trace through the dreams she carried within her for years.

Over those eight years, different wishes and ideas took shape within her. Gradually, so did the desire to make things by hand.

“I love people—I really do—but I prefer to be alone. I like dressing unconventionally, yet I want to go unnoticed. Both at the same time,” she says.

Margareta mainly uses recycled materials to create one-of-a-kind dolls, reindeer and gnomes. Her work also includes leather bags, decorative cushions, and bags for slava bread and fair days. Using decoupage, she decorates bottles and jars, transforming everyday objects into handcrafted ornaments.

“Living in the countryside has a magic of its own. You don’t watch the clock—you get up and go to bed whenever you like,” she says.

Shlegovo offers Margareta peace and inspiration. She describes it as a picturesque village, where the clean air and fertile soil also offer the potential to grow organic food and make products for her own use and for sale.

Support from her children, her partner and family, as well as from fellow artists in the region, is an important part of her creative journey.

For Margareta, the greatest joy comes when an idea takes shape as a finished object she can hold in her hands.

“My greatest achievement is holding in my hands a creation that once existed only in my imagination.”

Her message to young people is to spend time in nature whenever they can, pursue their dreams and, above all, be kind.