Meet Caitlin Bruce

We were lucky to catch up with Caitlin Bruce recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Caitlin, thank you so much for joining us today. There are so many topics we could discuss, but perhaps one of the most relevant is empathy because it’s at the core of great leadership and so we’d love to hear about how you developed your empathy?

What were the conditions that allowed you to develop your empathy?

I think that by nature of being a creative person, you must develop empathy. Creativity is a way of looking at a project, looking at the world, and seeing it in a different light. It takes fighting through the frustration of what ‘should’ happen to learn how to work with your medium to bring your creation to fruition. It takes curiosity to examine the ‘should’ and the way we can impact the world through creative expression. Empathy requires looking at the world and seeing that what ‘should’ happen often has no bearing on the reality of our existence. Empathy asks us to examine the shortcomings and reach out a hand to bridge those gaps.

I’ve been a volunteer from a young age. My mother raised me to be the one helping to set out chairs or bring plates of food to those who needed it. I’ve worked at nonprofits and in service positions. It taught me to be curious of the world and the ways in which the systems we have in place fall short, the ways in which a community can strengthen and help one another. My values were formed in the service of others and in the expectation that if we all did the same, the world would be a kinder place.

There’s an earnest truth in how much the average person just wants to be heard. I’ve listened to life stories shared with me quickly in the grocery line. I’ve had folks stay at my vendor table for twenty minutes to share their journey with me simply because a patch or piece of jewelry I created resonated deeply with them. There may not be a solution to their hard times but there’s so much support in listening, in standing next to them, in reaching out your hand. To see their ‘should’ and work for that final, hopeful, brighter day.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

My favorite thing in the world is watching folks find a piece of my work that calls to them. I like watching the shock on their faces when I tell them the necklace they picked out was made from a broken teapot. I love connecting with people over a patch I’ve embroidered that references popular culture; more and more folks are appreciating my nerdy offerings.

I think it is beyond easy to fall into uniformity in life. I hope my jewelry, my embroidered patches provide people the chance to decorate themselves, to brighten their days. Even if it’s just a quote from a TV show on a patch, it’s a way to find friends in the world who recognize that same piece of art.

As comfortable as I am with making shiny jewelry and silly patches, I find the advertising part of the business to be difficult. My goal for 2026 is to revamp my website and social media presence. I love to build community and I need my brand to reflect that in the coming year.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Curiosity is the quality I lean on the most. It takes practice to learn to lean into mistakes, to seek a new way to make something happen in the face of failure. I would never have reached to create jewelry or learn the skills necessary if I hadn’t spent time wondering how jewelry was created and what stories our accessories tell. I have learned so much about the creative process by asking friends what they were making or to teach me more about their favorite craft. Make those connections and lean in on the relationships that feed your creative curiosity.

I find passion important for turning a love of crafting into a business. You have to enjoy the creative process in order to put effort into the parts that might not come as easily that are a necessary part of running a business. It has to fulfill you enough to drive you forward so that you can continue to create, make enough stock, and grow your skills in the business side of things.

Beyond curiosity and passion, I’ve run up against knowledge gaps that I’ve needed to bridge to support the business side of my hobby. I am still learning how to take product photography or how to best advertise my website. My skills in graphic design and photography grow by leaps each time I take a moment to learn from fellow creatives. I will never be an expert but I can look at my early posts and see how far I have come.

How can folks who want to work with you connect?

I absolutely love to create custom embroidered patches and I’ve got a goal to see my patches on screen. Maybe you’ve got a background character who needs a logo embroidered on their jumpsuit or you’re a content creator who wants a personalized patch, I would just love to partner with you to make that happen. What a kick! Please connect with me on instagram and let’s chat about your project.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linnybeecreates.square.site/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/linnybeecreates/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/linnybeecreates/