It’s been a while since I’ve written a personal post. The last few years have been a little rough and I feel like I’ve been barely treading water to stay on top of life and my business.
It’s not all doom and gloom, there have been many highlights too and I’m so excited to have this space to share all the ups and downs, sad times, good times, successes, and failures with you.
Oh, where to begin…
I have been self-employed since 2011. Before I was self-employed I was a doll maker for a company called Little Souls. We made one-of-a-kind soft sculpture dolls that were pretty big in the 90’s. Demi Moore owned them, we were featured on Oprah and Al Gore visited our studio on his presidential trail. This was my foundation job, I learned about selling wholesale, showing at the New York Gift Show, I was a buyer and was introduced to the quilt market and it was where I had my first experience with licensing and SURTEX. Unfortunately, there was a fire that burned our entire building and a 5-acre business park down to the ground and I was faced with finding a new job. Oh, what to do? I was a doll maker and didn’t think I had any skills to be out in the design world. So I enrolled in art school in my thirties while very sick with undiagnosed Lyme Disease. That’s a whole other story. I pretty much lost my thirties and forties to a mystery disease until I was finally diagnosed. After college, I got an internship for Lenox that turned into a full-time job as a senior concept designer.
After Lenox, I worked for Kathy Davis Studios, a greeting card company as a brand designer until I left to start my own business. The truth is, I was so sick and depleted, that I just couldn’t do the full-time job with commute one more day. I started freelancing and a year later I started creating my art with the goal of licensing. I started my licensing business at a good time. Surtex was still doing pretty well, and it was still in the days when people didn’t share their secrets, so the industry wasn’t flooded with artists the way it is now. There were more opportunities for sure. I was a part of the first wave of artists that started sharing and helping other artists. It was the early days of Instagram and everything was new and exciting.
One licensing deal turned into another: I committed to showing at my first SURTEX, found my agents and we have been plugging away ever since. I have been fortunate enough to work with over a hundred manufacturers, have countless products with my art on them and my licensing programs have earned over a million dollars in royalties. Licensing is my main source of income, but to be honest, it is starting to wane a bit. The industry is changing every day. So, I have been trying to mix things up and have more diversity in my streams of income. It’s the artist’s hustle. I love it and hate it. The thing that I love the most is the freedom, being able to create art every day, and get paid for doing what I love. That’s a gift. I especially love my role as a teacher and mentor. Getting to meet so many of you through my classes has been such a blessing.
Life has been challenging since COVID. There have been a lot of really hard days sprinkled with good ones. I haven’t been completely focused and my business has suffered a bit. I’m hoping that 2024 will have more grace.
I am excited about this coming year. We have plans for new courses and products. I am rededicating myself to my licensing work and plan to share that journey with you. I’m trying to also go with the flow more and course correct when necessary. Self-care is high on my list too.
Gosh, I really went on a bit there, didn’t I?
My point of writing this was to say hi, and let you get to know me a bit. I’d love to know more about you too. Feel free to respond to this email and tell me about yourself. Where are you finding ease and where are you struggling? Are you an artist, a collector, or an appreciator of all things creative? How can I help you along your path?
Let’s keep the conversation going.
- Find my art, as always, here on my website. I’ve got some collections, prints, and originals I am really proud of just hanging out, waiting for you.
- My level 1 course for learning Intuitive Watercolor Florals is going to be opening up again early in the year. So if you’ve been curious about dabbling in watercolor or expanding your floral practice, make sure you’re on the waitlist here to get all the news (and discounts!!).
Be Well, and big hugs,
