How My Creativity Blossomed
I started Budding Creativity in 2010. I wasn't doing much in my spare time and I wanted to do more than just watch TV and do dishes. The first product I ever made was a 100% cotton tie-able headband. I made tons of these and put them in a few shops in my town. Even though I wore them around and several people liked and wanted them, I never sold any. I tried not to get discouraged and found a few hat patterns I could use. The same thing happened, very popular with friends and family, but no sales. At this point I was frustrated and just wanted to give up. I had put all this money and time and love into this and it was going nowhere. So I took a break. I focused on other things in my life like school and work. I still crocheted, but not with any intent other than for gifts. Then one day I stumbled upon the blog Gleeful Things. I don't know what it was about this crochet and craft focused blog that spoke to me, but I became inspired again. I bought yarn and patterns, and got to work. I'm not sure how, but I found other blogs and sites that were all about crochet and other fiber arts the also helped to fuel my creativity. At this point I already had an Etsy page that wasn't getting much traffic and I decided to create a Facebook page for my 'business.' Everything stalled again, I was still making things, but there was little interest. Finally we get to this year
(2014) and specifically this summer. Once again I'm not sure how it happened, but things suddenly picked up! I became more active on the Budding Creativity Facebook page and hosted a giveaway. Someone across the country purchased an item from my Etsy shop. Things were going great and I was truly excited and amazed! I purchased a booth in a local craft fair, my first ever. When the weekend of the craft fair finally arrived I was incredibly nervous, almost scared even. By the end of the weekend I realized there was never any need to be scared at all. My booth was a huge success! Since that weekend more and more opportunities have been presented to me. I'm currently working on getting some of my items into my local Chamber of Commerce and I've been approached by a few other business owners about putting my items in their shops. So, it turns out that my hobby is turning into a wonderful small business!
