What is your craft of choice, and how long have you been doing that?
I am a web and graphic designer. I am also an avid painter but my passion lies in drawing children's art. I love to invent stories and I love the process... of having my story come to live in pictures. I have been sketching and drawing since I can walk. (lol)
How did you get started?
I don't remember exactly...I started drawing on my parents furniture and walls. My Mom told me later that I had made a mural on her living room wall with crayons, watercolor and pencil. She was torn between spanking me and keeping it, since according to her it was fun to look at. Then, I drew portraits of members of my favorite rock bands when I was 12. I loved charcoal drawing back then. I never thought of it as a career or a means to make a living until sometime in my 20's. When I moved from Germany to Los Angeles in 1990, I studied Art and Graphic Design. And that's how my creative journey started. After that, I worked as a web and graphic designer. In 2004 I founded my own greeting card company of whimsical hand embellished note cards. Things became hectic shortly after that. Although it was rewarding, to see it grow, when I became a Mom I needed to get back to basics and sold my card line. Two years later, I started "Indigorain" (my children's line of art prints).
What is your inspiration?
So many things inspire me. My daughter opens my eyes every day.. Her endless imagination and spirit is so magical to me. And the natural world I am living in. A trip to the zoo can produce a new idea. So does a flicker of a moment, a dusty memory or the texture and taste of a foreign place.
How long have you been on Etsy?
My Etsy shop is new. I just launched it in January. I guess I am a fledgeling.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
I hope to be able to make a living with my Etsy shop, creating children's art. I am planning on adding canvas art, and beautiful handmade baby books/journals. On a very humble note I would love my shop to be a playground for children of all ages and see my customers returning frequently.
What is the most challenging thing about having an online business?
Hands down the marketing/promotional aspect of it is daunting. It’s easy to get sidetracked and as much as I enjoy the internet for research purposes I can’t get myself to twitter all day. I enjoy the creative process but I don't enjoy selling myself. It seems nearly impossible to find the time for both - creating and marketing. I know people who manage both easily. I am not one of them.
What is the most rewarding thing about having an online business?
Receiving thank you emails from customers, telling me how much they (or their children) enjoy my prints and how special they are to them. I had a customer from France who wrote me the sweetest letter saying how much my print meant to her and we ended up discussing the story attached to it. It was my “Where do wishes go? piece and we had a real dialogue about it. She said the sparkle added an amazing touch and we are still emailing each other back and forth. That to me is special.
How does your internet business fit into your life? Is it your job or do you have another job as well?
In a nutshell, I am Mommy. A the moment I work as a part time freelance designer as well. I am also a wife, daughter, sister and friend. SO i have a lot of responsibilities. Every spare moment that I find, I invest in my creative work. My daughter loves anything artsy, sometimes she even critiques my work . She is 3 ! (lol)
When you are not crafting, how do you spend your time?
I love to spend time with my family. We play a lot of tennis. My daughter is a real champion already! My husband hopes to see her at Wimbledon. She is 3! (lol) I also write children stories, poetry and love to cook. I'm passionate about yoga and when I still find a free moment. I let myself dream.
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