Just a couple more days left for this blog series... Hope you've been enjoying it.
Today's questions revolve around the same theme which is, essentially, how I got to where I now am.
Question from Lexi: "Were there any specific notable events that led you to starting your company?"
Question from AnnMarie: "Did you go to design school?"
Question from Jenna: "Any advice for those of us just starting a creative business?"
Answer: Here's my story, in a nutshell (a kind of large nutshell)...
I
was raised by two teachers. My father is a research scientist, physicist,
and college professor of material science + engineering. Smart guy.
My mother, now passed, was a well-loved grade school teacher and came from a
family whose business and art was crafting and painting Italian
furniture. So, as a child, the only things I ever wanted to be was a
teacher and a rainbow fairy, with secret wishes of living a life of a happy
artist.
In college, I ended up with a more "practical" degree in Social Work and Psychology, but only stayed in that field for a short while. When I was working with children, a very awesome woman who ran an art center I took them to had pulled me aside and suggested I explore a career in teaching art. After some thought, I decided to get my masters in Art Education.
That, ultimately, led me out to California, where I worked with children and taught art in homes and in schools. During a portion of that time, I was also working as a production assistant for a television and film broadcast studio. It was here that my skill sets started to expand and my entire perception of how I could make a living shifted. I started thinking about other creative possibilities.
In college, I ended up with a more "practical" degree in Social Work and Psychology, but only stayed in that field for a short while. When I was working with children, a very awesome woman who ran an art center I took them to had pulled me aside and suggested I explore a career in teaching art. After some thought, I decided to get my masters in Art Education.
That, ultimately, led me out to California, where I worked with children and taught art in homes and in schools. During a portion of that time, I was also working as a production assistant for a television and film broadcast studio. It was here that my skill sets started to expand and my entire perception of how I could make a living shifted. I started thinking about other creative possibilities.
At
one point, I was regularly wearing a ring I made in a studio class back in
Boston (a sterling silver band with lyrics from a song stamped on it) and after
a few friends saw it, they suggested I start selling my jewelry. And that's how
it began... totally unexpectedly. Then, a few years in, I began receiving
inquiries into the flowers I wore in my hair... some I had bought, some I made
myself. This changed the course of my current business and I went from
full time teacher/side time hobbyist to full time business owner. When I
began adding hair flowers to my online shop, my customer base expanded into the
bridal market; which was a great notch up for me.
But... BUT do note: There were (and still occasionally are) major bumps in the road. Since my actual education + training was not specific to jewelry + textile crafts, I have had to spend many years and many more long hours teaching myself how to effectively construct my wild ideas. This is where an engineering degree prompted by my father would have likely come in handy. For the most part, and full embarrassing disclosure, I had no clue what I was doing and messed up many many times in the process. My websites and photography needed a lot of love and care (understanding technology was a skill set that I hadn't yet even come close to mastering). Looking back at that work, I cringe... yikes! But that massive learning curve just built a stronger foundation for where I am now. I never took out a loan or borrowed money for the business, I've worked slowly (read: often too impatiently) and was dealt my share of blows....
I'm pretty sure this is where my passion for dreaming and my core of idealism really came in handy. I so wanted this to work... to create art and have a creative business alongside my husband's was long a dream of mine and I wasn't prepared to quit (though, and let me be completely honest here, I wanted to many many times.)
My advice: Don't quit. If your creative dream is almost all you think about (like it is for me), then do not quit. Just don't. Sebastian told me something a while back that has been the one thing that keeps me going when times get tricky: the difference between those who succeed and those who don't is those who succeed don't quit. That's it. It ultimately comes down to your very own choice + nothing else.
If you are just starting off, I highly recommend using Etsy as a tool to start with . They have a ton of resources on there (here's a good place to start: http://www.etsy.com/community/online-labs). I do have an Etsy shop, but use my main site as my primary one, so I'm not on it as much anymore. I also recommend the sweet blog, A Beautiful Mess. I haven't checked it out in a while, but I know if you peruse through their sections, you'll find a lot of tips and some really inexpensive e-courses for businesses. These are good starts and I encourage you to look into them.
If you are just starting off, I highly recommend using Etsy as a tool to start with . They have a ton of resources on there (here's a good place to start: http://www.etsy.com/community/online-labs). I do have an Etsy shop, but use my main site as my primary one, so I'm not on it as much anymore. I also recommend the sweet blog, A Beautiful Mess. I haven't checked it out in a while, but I know if you peruse through their sections, you'll find a lot of tips and some really inexpensive e-courses for businesses. These are good starts and I encourage you to look into them.
These days, I like to think I did a pretty good job of realizing my childhood dream of becoming a rainbow fairy, working with crafting colors all day an' all.
It's my own kind of something special to feel happy about...
If you have any other specific questions not answered here or need more tips on how to start and expand a business, feel free to ask in the comments below or email me. OR if you have suggestions you think others can benefit from, feel free to share them, too!
