Starting From Scratch

It was the winter break of my senior year of highschool and my family was exchanging gift ideas for Christmas. I had always considered myself a lover of crafting and DIY projects, but I couldn't help but notice that every time I walked into a craft store I would see all the strands of shiny and colorful beads and didn't know how to make jewelry. I always really admired and aspired to be one of those "hands on" people that knew how to take on various tactical projects, but I never really had a creative outlet for myself. Jewelry has always been something I have thought to be inspiring from a young age. There are so many different designs and styles and it just has a way of making people feel unique and confident in their own skin. While writing our holiday wish lists I vaguely asked for "jewelry making" stuff from my sister in law knowing it would probably be a hobby I would never follow through with, but I was still hopeful and excited about the prospect. Christmas day finally arrived and I received a package containing two very informative "how to" beading magazines, some strands of beads, some beading wire and a few other supplies to get me started. So I dove into this new creative outlet, reading through the magazines' various projects and tips I needed to get started. One of the magazines helpfully contained a visual display of all the jewelry findings you could ever need and the function of each, a built in ruler (I always thought this was so cool!), and different project ideas with step by step instructions and picture aids. My first project was a simple pair of dangle earrings while the second was a clasp wire beaded bracelet. I remember feeling so accomplished reading through my first projects, going to Hobby Lobby to purchase all of my supplies including five sets of pliers I didn't really know how to use, and then seeing the tiny masterpieces after the fact. It was such a gratifying feeling creating those handmade pieces, and knowing that this was going to be such a fulfilling outlet for me. Although I was still a highschool student that year, I was also taking some dual credit courses at my local community college, and it was such a help to have this new hobby for therapy and stress relief during this busy time. This was the beginning of my love for jewelry, and the foundation of many more ideas to come.

Throughout the rest of my senior year of highschool through the beginning of my freshman year of college, I really just enjoyed and marveled at the new projects I was teaching myself and my ability to learn more advanced designs. Jewelry making gave me a confidence I never knew I had about myself, because I finally had a way to express myself that was personal to me and it really made me feel confident in my ability to broaden my horizons, never forgetting my potential to succeed at the little things. More than the value of the actual products themselves, this new experience was teaching me how important creative outlets were in getting to know yourself and thriving as a human being. Jewelry making became my number one stress relief anytime I had some free time to myself, and it was something I haven't grown bored of even to this day because every design is different and unique. Growing up my "niche" was always cross country running as it was something I always excelled at and enjoyed, but I never really felt like I had my own creative escape. Now, my confidence and newfound inspiration grew immensely, and I started giving away these little creations as gifts to close friends and family. I really wanted my jewelry to be a source of inspiration for others because that is how it affected me personally. I started making everything from bracelets, to various earrings and keychains. The character and individuality of these creations lay in the diverse beads assortments I would consider and visualize as final pieces, which is by far always my favorite step in the process of creating. During my highschool graduation, each graduate was given a booth table to display the things that were most unique about them, and mine included a perforated picture frame that displayed my favorite earring creations. Beading was definitely something that shaped my final year of highschool, something that taught me so much about my own worth and confidence in that stage, and something that continued to reinforce and promote a positive acceptance of myself throughout college.

My first couple years of college were far from easy as I was adjusting to a new job and trying to figure out my place in this new season of life. I struggled with anxiety and depression a lot during this time, and when I was twenty years old I was hospitalized and diagnosed with bipolar disorder. This was a very confusing time for me as even though my medications were helping me significantly, they were accompanied by some pretty bad side effects, and I also experienced a lot of shame due to my diagnosis. During this season it felt like everything in my life was shifting for the worse, but my new hobby never failed to provide me new hope. Transitioning in this emotionally taxing time, family and beading were two things that drastically helped me cope. Just as it helped with the stress and anxiety I experienced in highschool, jewelry provided me the extra inspiration and encouragement I needed to stay positive and keep moving forward. It was something I continually turned to in the difficulties, and something that never failed to help. Being in a completely new stage of life now, it's so cool to network with other jewelry artists and see how it's something that provides them great emotional relief and wellbeing as well. I'm so thankful it's been such a consistent and reliable outlet for me in both the good and the bad.

Well fast forward to twenty five, single, thriving, and enjoying everything Austin Texas has to offer, I finally decided that I wanted to do more with my jewelry then just give it away. When I had started making jewelry initially it was for the excitement of learning a new trade, and I reached a point over the years where I was creating only to let all of my inspiration sit on the shelf and collect dust. Being someone who doesn't really wear jewelry, I have always enjoyed making it and gifting it to friends and family, but I now felt as though it wasn't serving much of a purpose. After months of planning, I finally started my little Etsy shop this last April, titled Inspiration By Mel. I chose this name easily because of how much inspiration this hobby has brought to my life, and how I've seen my creations inspire those I love most. I wanted more people to be inspired and encouraged by it as well, and going on three months I've been happy to see it do just that. There was definitely a little reluctancy before opening up my new business, but if jewelry has taught me anything it's to believe in myself and pursue new things, so that is the code I aspired to stand by at the foundation of my new business. I have been able to sell jewelry to so many different people, and it's always very rewarding to read the different reviews in my shop and see how my ideas have touched others.

After years of learning different design projects and gathering new inspiration, as a business owner I've had the fulfilling opportunity to learn about different types of stones and other crafting materials. Inspiration By Mel specializes in semiprecious accessories, meaning that each stone is high quality and made from genuine gemstone pieces. Some of my favorite semi precious stones that I have worked with thus far include Moonstone, Abalone, Agate, Freshwater Pearl, Amethyst, Quartz, Jasper, and so may more unique pieces. Stone content is so important to understand as a jewelry crafter because it determines everything you need to know about pricing. I try to focus on providing primarily semiprecious jewelry to my customers because these gemstones are much finer and of higher value then traditional glass or seed beads, and affordable pricing is also something I strive for. It's been very enjoyable learning about these rare stones. In order to provide the best quality to my customers, I now search for these gems at some of Austin's local beading shops. I've learned throughout the process of selling my jewelry that sometimes "semiprecious" stones from the more common craft stores are actualy artificial pieces, and it's much more reliable to go with the locals. Etsy and Instagram wholesale have also been great sources.

One aspect of my Etsy business that has definitely been a learning experience for me is staging and photography. While the photography has proven to be a little bit more black and white in my experience, staging involves a lot of different factors that can make or break your photo. For example, wind is always pretty bad here in Austin, and originally I was using custom scrapbook paper for photo backdrops, but since photos are almost always taken outside due to lighting, I had to resort to different options. I have learned that staging is a "learn as you go" endeavor and it is mostly subjective to the photographer. For me personally, I love to go to some of the parks along Lake Travis not far from where I live and work with the natural elements like the large stones that parallel the water. Bugs, dirt, surface shape and height can all be problematic factors to staging as well but you start to notice what works and what doesn't. In addition to staging and photography, two important skills that are crucial to successfully selling your creations on Etsy are advertising and networking. Through the use of my Instagram business page, I have been able to do many successful advertising promotions, bring more traffic to my store through followers, and network with other Etsy owners just like me, even those who live in the very same town. All of these new factors were definitely new territory for me, and I'm definitely still learning and perfecting, but it's so cool to see everything come together. Most of all, I'm just enjoying what I love doing most, and that's making jewelry.

I firmly believe that everyone has something uniquelly creative in them. My experience with jewelry has taught me that you just have to be brave enough to channel that inner beauty. It's important not to be afraid to try new things or underestimate what we're capable of. Follow hard after what inspires you and always believe in your ideas. Some people have expressed or asked me if I thought selling my creations on Etsy took the joy out of my hobby and only added to the stress and anxiety. I have to say I think that a little stress comes with the scope of pursuing something you love with all your heart, but you also get to see the fruits of your labor and how your hobby is serving such a meaningful purpose, so for me crafting as a business owner has only amplified the satisfaction I get from doing it. When you're an Etsy owner you also set your own limits as far as what you want to produce, how much you want to produce, and what your work dynamic is going to look like. I'm so thankful for the joy that jewelry has brought me in the highs and lows of life. It's definitely a labor of love and something that gives me a purpose I want to keep pursuing hard after. I'm very excited to continue doing what I love crafting business owner.