Etsy Interview with Creative Art and Soul

I inherited my entrepreneurial spirit from my father. As many kids, I started out with a lemonade stand on the corner of our driveway around the age of 5. As I got older and wiser at the age of 7, I recruited anyone walking down our busy sidewalk to play the TV game show Let's Make a Deal...offering them whatever was in shoe box #1, #2 or #3, but it would cost them a dollar to play. Sometimes the player walked away with an old doll's shoe, a peanut, or even their original dollar back, as that was the chance they took. To help pay for college, I bought and sold everything from used furniture, imported rugs, brass knick-knacks and piñatas. I even dressed as a giant red chile with a green-stem hat and sold chile ristras (strung dried chiles) on the highway! After college, I gave up most of my entrepreneurial ventures for a career as a wildlife biologist. I was passionate about my work and loved working outdoors. After about 15 years of working for various government agencies, I decided I needed a change and a hobby, so on a whim I purchased an industrial sandblaster. I blasted holes and etched into everything with a smooth surface that I could get my hands on: rocks, granite slabs for pet memorials, glass panels, ornaments, vases, bottles, and even wood toilet seats!

How and when did you start making jewelry and your other items?

I had started trying to sell my sandblasted glass and stone creations in 2005 under the name Creative Art and Soul and quickly realized a few important things: 1) loads of glass at craft shows in the wind can be a bad thing, 2) rocks are expensive to ship and cumbersome to carry, 3) making pet memorials of deceased animals makes me sad, and 4) there isn't a huge market for sandblasted wood toilet seats.

One day the following year, I was in San Francisco buying a jeep-load of glass vases and I came upon some bins of lovely smooth stone beads and immediately knew that I had indeed stumbled on something great! I purchased a few and began to rethink my entire business model. I did lots of research on symbology to find and learn about symbols and icons that people are attracted to and can relate to. My pendant themes include traditional African adinkra symbols, Reiki and healing symbols, icons of Buddhism, Taoism and Zen, Asian designs and Kanji characters, Celtic, Pagan and Wiccan symbols, Christian symbols, cross-cultural symbols such as the Tree of Life, animal totems and peace and love. I also started to create some of my own designs and began to develop my signature style. The entire process turned out to be a full fledged soul-searching experience! What an enjoyable trip it has been!

When and how did you originally find Etsy?

I had sold miscellaneous items on Ebay for many years, but I was reluctant to begin selling my jewelry there. I had hoped that there was another venue out there that was more specialized for handmade items so I Googled "sell my handmade items" and found Etsy in 2006. Once I visited the fledgling site I knew immediately that this was where I belonged. It has been nothing less than fun and inspiring to continue to grow my business while Etsy has been growing at the same time.

What is unique about Etsy and what about the website do you like the most in regards to your shop?

I love being a part of a huge community of creative, intuitive, talented and diverse people that have come together from all over the world. I love the clean look of Etsy which gives the seller the ability to create a shop and showcase their items in a personalized fashion without a lot of extraneous clutter. The Etsy sellers' fees are inexpensive which allows me to be able to post a large inventory without a large listing investment, keep my prices low and allows my business to grow. I'm amazed that I am but a tiny fish in a huge ocean of astoundingly talented jewelry artisans on Etsy, yet customers continue to find my shop.

What inspires you the most in regards to your creations?

That's easy! My customers are my main inspiration. I am so thrilled when I am able to connect a customer to a piece that is very personal to them, that touches their heart and makes them feel good. In turn, I get to create a personal connection with every one of my customers and that makes me feel fabulous! This is why I continue to create pendants with designs and symbols that convey an emotion, an affirmation, a statement, a story, a belief, a history, an interest, a moral, an achievement, a sense of community or belonging, a reminder, or a personal sense of being.

What is your favorite piece you've created and why?

OK, that's a hard one! I would have to say that the African adinkra symbol pendants are my favorite as they have such beautiful stories, morals or beliefs behind each symbol. For instance, one of my favorites is the beautiful Sankofa which can be illustrated in two forms, one is an embellished heart-shape and the other is of a bird looking back. Sankofa symbolizes the concept that one must leave behind the bad and take or retain from the past that which is good and introduce it into the present to build a positive future.

Another favorite of mine is the Aya which illustrates a fern frond. The fern is a delicate but hearty plant that is able to prosper in harsh environments. Therefore, the wearer of this symbol suggests he/she has endured many hardships and adversities and is a survivor. A triumph that many people in this world can relate.

Some of my other favorite pieces are my own abstracts which usually don't mean anything to anyone but me and they are such fun to make!

What do you want to accomplish with your online shop?

I want to continue to make my customers feel good, to really connect with my customers and to provide the best customer service I possibly can. I generally don't create goals for myself, such as getting a certain number of views or hearts on Etsy, or even a certain number of sales. My intention for my business is clear that the important thing is creating that connection between my customers and a piece they adore that they can cherish and wear close to their heart.

Do you have any new creations in the works? If so, what can shoppers expect to see from you soon?

New creations! Yes! I am working on a top secret project! Shhhhhh..... I'm learning a new technique to incorporate into my creations and I hope to be able to offer some incredibly new and different pieces sometime within the next 8-12 months. However, in the meantime, I am always coming up with new designs for my current line, so keep an eye out!

Where can readers find out about more information regarding your jewelry and other creations and possible special offers (including additional websites, blogs, facebook, etc)?

Etsy Shop: http://creativeartandsoul.etsy.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/creativeartandsoul
Twitter: http://twitter.com/creativeartsoul
Blog: http://creativeartandsoul.blogspot.com

There is a place on my blog to sign up for my monthly newsletter and my monthly giveaway and each subscriber will have a chance to win one of my signature Tree of Life pendants!