This summer marked 5 years of being a full time jeweller - of putting my whole heart and soul into my business and of celebrating the highs and weathering the lows. How time flies by us without warning.

As with any experience in life, I've undoubtedly learned many lessons along the way and I thought it would be a wonderful time to reflect upon these lessons. Perhaps it'll shed some light on some answers to questions or uncertainties you may presently have. Or perhaps you'd like to simply read about my ramblings and thoughts that swirl in my mind as I'm falling asleep after a long night of creating. 

So, away we go!

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LESSON 1: AUTHENTICITY IS THE MAGIC INGREDIENT

It's not a revolutionary concept but I have seen time and time again what a difference being truly authentic can make. Running a creative business means that we are making connections through our art, our creations acting as an invisible string tying us to those who are touched by it.

As long as you are honest with yourself as an artist and true to your craft and style, the right admirers will find you and connecting with them will come oh so naturally.

I'll ask myself: would I wear this? Do I love this? Would I buy this? And that has been my very basic internal compass for whether or not to proceed with a design! Make what speaks to you, what makes you excited. I promise you can then never go wrong.

LESSON 2: REST IS PRODUCTIVE

We can all feel when we need rest - mind, body and soul. But rarely do we drop everything and listen. In a society that rewards overworking and exhaustion, we become so unfamiliar with the feeling of true rest.

Sitting down, taking deep breaths and most importantly not thinking about our to-do lists!

But over the years I've realized one thing: I'm not productive when I'm tired anyway. I forget to cover my pieces in the oven, causing them to burn. I forget to buy materials I needed weeks ago. I ship orders to the wrong address. Etc etc etc.

Which then makes more work for me, essentially nullifying my productive hours. When I go to bed early, and stop as soon as I feel tired, things tend to fall into place beautifully. Deadlines are met, projects are finished, and it seems like a little miracle but actually it's just because...I slept 8 hours.

So yes, rest IS productive!


LESSON 3: EXPLORE DIFFERENT WAYS OF MAKING MONEY

Years ago I tried many different avenues to make money in hopes that it would make my business thrive by doing it all. In turn, I burnt out and decided I should just pick one, closing the door on all other options.

I went ahead and focused all of my attention on selling on my website, foregoing markets and wholesale altogether. This worked for some time but as the digital landscaped changed, so did my online business. I wasn't getting seen on the platforms that used to provide almost all of the traffic on my website, and sales were slowly dropping.

I realized that I couldn't have all my eggs in one basket and committed to one market a month to supplement my income. It worked out incredibly well and surprisingly, I felt a surge of motivation and inspiration from chatting with so many beautiful people and hearing their kind words about my work.

Now after some time, I am dabbling with the idea of wholesaling my jewelry again but with select pieces. I once offered my entire catalog which is how I got to the point of burn out, so with that knowledge under my belt, I've become a lot more selective and smart about my offerings.

With 3 different ways to generate income, I feel incredibly at ease about continuing on a full time basis and look forward to every new month! I even welcome the challenge to hit my revenue goals because I know I have many ways to get there, and it's all about being creative with your plan.

LESSON 4: NICHE DOWN

As tempting as it is to do it all, I've come to realize how much attempting to appease every audience hurts my business. What we want is for someone to see our work and say, "Yes, I love this!" instead of, "What exactly is your business about?"

At one point I tried to incorporate too much - too many styles, too many products, and I was losing my head over which thing to focus on. And as much as we'd like to deny it, others feel when we are unsure of which direction to go in, so they don't know how to follow.

Many family and friends (and the occasional stranger) will ask me, "Do people actually buy that many earrings?" And the answer is YES! My entire business is built on earrings.

So, don't be afraid to choose one thing and do it well. Niche down!

LESSON 5: SELLING ART REQUIRES THE RIGHT AUDIENCE

I recently attended two of the worst markets I've ever been to. This is not to say that it wasn't well organized or that it was the fault of anyone. I simply wasn't in front of the right audience.

As I stood at my booth, smiling at the hundredth person to walk by my table without stopping, I took a moment to observe the demographic of the attendees. I realized that I was not at all at the right market for my particular work or style.

Art is very subjective, and it needs to be in front of the right person to be recognized and appreciated.

So, don't take it personally when your art isn't as well received as you thought. It's all about choosing the right places and spaces to showcase your work.

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That's all for now. I hope these mini lessons help you in some way or other to see the value that you and your art bring into this world.

What are the lessons you've learned as an artist and business owner? Please do share with me and anyone else who may stumble across this blog post!

I'll also just take this opportunity to thank all of my incredibly customers and supporters for keeping Wildberry going for 5 whole years now. Hopefully I'll be around another 5, just chasing my bliss and learning as I go.

With love,
Hillary xo