Tell us a bit about yourself.
My name is Kat, and I was born and raised in sunny California. A philosopher had once stated that strange people are known to exist in two forms -- the rich as eccentric and the poor as whackos. I think it is rather fortunate that I am a whacko. I live with my parents and 5 furry siblings, two of which are human, and a suicidal hermit crab in a genetically modified pineapple under the sea. My neighbor is an angry squid that loves music.
Occasionally, I am a musician, but otherwise, I am a working student. I am studying the fields of the liberal arts, music, and art, and my taste in art is quite uncanny. I love all things vintage and all things strange.
Apart from creating things, what do you do?
I enjoy exercising at the local gym and taking strolls along a local dirt road. Sometimes I rekindle my relationships with instruments that I had formerly played frequently. Creative photography is something I enjoy, as well, but I haven't developed as much skill yet. I love to cook, and even if my cooking turns out to be a disaster, I don't take it too hard. I am working towards a bachelor's degree, and I work a normal college student-type job.
What first made you want to become an artist?
Thankfully, I've had such creative parents that have influenced me as a child. My siblings and I grew up without a ton of money, so my father always used old things to create something new -- he'd take a hamper and turn it into a wagon that was roomier and sturdier than a Radio Flyer, and he also made us bikes out of parts from the junkyard. My mother was a graphic artist for a short time, but seeing her work all around me really brought color into my life.
As I grew older, my work has been inspired by strange things, retro fashion, and toy foods that I grew up with, as well as miniatures that I used to see in Re-ment collections and doll houses.
Please describe your creative process.
I rarely sketch, and if I do, it's on a receipt or scratch paper lying around because I feel like I must hurriedly do it before I forget. I tend to see the finish product first and then think about how I will put it together, and oftentimes, I just create as soon as I get home from class or work, which has me working until the wee hours of the morning. Some things are a week-long process, such as glazing items in between work and school hours during the short time that I am home, or letting epoxies and glues cure during the hours that I am away from home. Once a product is finished, I go about making the packaging for it, or packaging it in something I have already made.
My mornings are filled with checking emails and taking packages to the post office, sometimes accompanied by a local delivery after work. I am always excited to see a buyer and taking in insight from them about new product ideas.
What handmade possession do you most cherish?
There is this tiny wooden chair that my dad had made me just as soon as I was able to sit up, pretty much. I believe he had made it from reclaimed wood, and he signed it to me and dated it. He also had me put a few large stickers on it to make it my own. I've had it for basically my whole life.
Name your top five books, movies, musicians, and websites besides Etsy.
Books:
Always Running [Rodriguez], The Catcher in the Rye [Salinger], The Pill Book [Silverman, 1994], Norwegian Wood [Murakami], Complete Guide to Symptoms, Illness, and Surgery [Griffith].
Music: Pretty much anything pre-1960s, 80's pop and rock, The Phantom of the Opera, Yanni, and some Metal.
Movies: I don't know -_-"
Websites: well, I do like tumblr...
What advice would you give to artists who are new to Etsy?
Don't give up too quickly and don't focus too much on promoting your items. The first sale always comes when you least expect it. Also, take good photos and write good descriptions.
at work, creating my line of winter stuff! and a narwhal. ♥
I love the business tips and reading about featured artists. I also like that my sold orders reflect much-need information. I think that the listing process could allow for some more tags.
How do you promote your work?
I use Facebook, and I sparingly blog. I also use Deviantart, which really gets my work out there. However, the best promotion is actually wearing my work. It's usually a great conversation starter that results in sharing a business card or two... and occasionally gaining a sale. :]
My melody hiding in my ruffles!
Healthy, hopefully married, hopefully still running a business and doing the things I love in a sweet fixer upper of a Victorian house, perhaps making furniture at this point, living with my precious husband and a dog.
