By Elizabeth Faragi 

When society shut down in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, many people developed new hobbies, such as knitting, baking and reading. For sophomore marketing major Ava Strawther, nail art became her pandemic hobby. This blossomed into Divine Creations, a nail business for students at the University of Maryland.  

Strawther started Divine Creations in her freshman year as a way to spread love for self-care and nail art among college students. 

Divine Creations celebrated its first anniversary in October and offers services in gel-x, gel manicures and other forms of nail art. 

Strawther explained how she found herself at peace when doing her own nails and wanted to turn her passion into a business.   

“When I got to college, I was like, ‘You know what? I already do nails on myself, why not make this into a business to promote self-care and promote nails to college girls?’” Strawther said. 

Strawther started her business venture doing acrylic nails, but quickly discovered how much better gel-x nails are, she said. 

“I noticed [acrylic] had a chemical smell and it was smelling up my house,” Strawther said. “I started researching all these different nails, and I found gel-x.” 

Strawther explained that, while acrylic nails are more durable than gel-x nails, the latter are less harmful to the natural nail and use gentler products. At Divine Creations, Strawther only offers gel-x nail services, along with basic gel manicures.  

The first step to building Divine Creations was creating a real website where bookings could be made, Strawther said. Many student-run businesses that offer services don’t have real websites,  utilizing social media to communicate with clients instead. 

Strawther, however, doesn’t believe in that. 

“I’m not doing the whole DM to book thing,” Strawther explained. “If I were a client, I’m not DMing my nail tech every time I want to get a set … I want a website.” 

A visit to Divine Creations’ website shows Strawther’s service list, complete with pictures of her own work and an option to book appointments. Divine Creations’ Instagram account showcases more of her work to attract potential clients. 

As a marketing major, Strawther grew Divine Creations through word of mouth and self-advocacy. She is a huge believer in self-promotion. 

“You’re a walking billboard; you really are,” Strawther said. “[People] look at my nails and say ‘Oh my god, I love your nails.’ And I get to say, ‘I did it myself, I’m Divine Creations!’” 

Strawther additionally connected with a brand ambassador to help advance her brand. 

Siena Matthews, a sophomore public health major, has helped grow Divine Creations through social media.

Matthews met Strawther during their freshman year and got her nails done a few times. She had posted her nail sets on social media and told her friends about Divine Creations, so Strawther offered her a brand ambassador discount to help grow the brand.  

“I repost certain promotions on my social media,” Matthews said. “I consistently see her and give her updates on what people are saying, events that are going on, where she can do nails so that she can grow herself in her business.” 

Julion Harris, a senior business management and marketing major, gets his nails done with Divine Creations every three weeks. 

“She has a nice professional setup with lights, UV devices, all the tools, and more,” he said. “I only get a clear gel manicure, so it takes around an hour. I always ask questions about the steps she takes because it just looks so good, but my brain can’t keep up.” 

Strawther holds her appointments inside her apartment. She sets up in the living room and even drags her own personal TV out from her room to make clients comfortable. 

“I really care about the client’s comfort,” she said. “If they want to watch a movie, if they want to sit in silence, if they want to listen to music, I’m here for it.” 

“We listen to music or she offers to watch TV,” Harris said. “Whatever her customer wants, she provides.” 

In the future, Strawther hopes to open up her own spa to promote self-care. She wants to create an environment centered around zen, where clients can come and enjoy a peaceful experience when getting their nails done. 

“Divine Creations is beyond nails, it’s all about self-care,” Strawther said. “We need some love, we need self-care. It’s hard to give yourself a break. That’s what I want Divine Creations to be all about.” 

Featured Image: Ava Strawther holding the tools she uses when doing nails on Nov. 12, 2025. Photo by Anika Stikeleather.