Meet Arielle Napier

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Arielle Napier. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Arielle, thank you so much for agreeing to open up about a sensitive and personal topic like being fired or laid-off. Unfortunately, there has been a rise in layoffs recently and so your insight and experience with overcoming being let go is relevant to so many in the community.

In 6 years time I’ve been laid off twice. One a thirteen year job in technical support and ended by a major company ending their contract. The other I was selling wedding dresses for four years and it was ended by the businesses lack of revenue during covid. Both were devastating to me and my family, however the first one hit harder. It was the highest paying job I had ever had. I had worked my way out of regular retail work at big box stores and into tech support. Through those 13 years, I had some very rough times with horrible management, coworkers, policy changes and I stuck it out. There were sweet sides, like the birth of my child. I supported my family. That day we were told, my coworker and now friend insisted that she be able to tell me to lighten the blow. She was and Is a great cheerleader. All this time she had seen me bring artistic things to work on. She had seen me create new things for my Etsy shop and she was always elated at seeing new creations. When she delivered what I thought was devastating news at the time, the last thing she said was “now is your chance to focus on your Etsy shop, while you’re looking for a new job” and I did just that. I moved on to my next job a little while after working a local bridal store. I was nervous because I never worked in a sales position before, that really wasn’t my thing or my style. I just dont really agree with a business pressuring someone to buy something. However, I did need a new job. I wanted one that was closer to home so I could be close to my family. My baby was now a 7 year old. I needed to be close to home. Surprisingly I was good at selling formal wear. More so with prom dresses and suits than wedding gowns, but I still surprised myself. Covid came along 4 years in to working there. Our world shut down for 3 months. So I again took my friends advice and focused on my business. Which was crazy successful since everyone was shopping from home. I did expand my Etsy shop by making custom masks and did very well at it. I started branching out and making shirts and home goods as well as Jewelry. It was great. My husband and child were great inspiration and support systems. We would send out over 40 packages a week. The holidays were wild! My husband was so proud everytime he went to the post office.
When the 3 months were over and we went back to work the bridal boutique was taking a hard hit with prom dress refunds. Covid hit in the middle of prom season. Weddings were being canceled right and left. People weren’t picking up and paying for their items because they no longer needed them. The owner had to lay people off and I was one of them.
I didn’t know what we were going to do, but I didn’t freak out like the first time. When I told my husband all he said was “it’s your time. You do what you are best at and what makes you the happiest. You weren’t meant to work for someone else, you need to work for yourself”. That’s what I did. I created until I had an enormous stock of items. It was too much to put in my online shop, so I took to vending at local craft fairs and makers markets. Thankfully I had experience doing these types of events with my mom as a teen. We would face paint at small town festivals.
I was in heaven. I was selling my art, my stuff and people liked it. My poor husband didn’t realize though he had taken on a second job by agreeing to help me load in, manage and load out for these events. This whole time he saw this talent and encouraged me to take those risks. I am thankful for everything, I know he was just as scared. He just never showed it. We were doing so many events every month. It’s fun and tiresome all at the same time. Along the way friends of mine started creating and I encouraged them the best way I knew how, I got them into vending events. Sometimes we’d share spots (we still do) or get spaces beside one another. I was starting to build a community. People who wanted more than a drilling life sucking job.
One day I get an email invitation from someone who had picked up a business card inviting me to vend an event called “Raise The Roost”. In one of our local towns someone was building a music venue when covid hit. They lost time and money (had to reapply for construction permits) and were holding a fundraiser to get it back going again. I said yes. They had local bands playing, vendors, local breweries and food trucks. Local folks coming together to help out other creatives. It was fantastic. After that event I go on with my regular vending schedule. Then I get an invite to the Grand Opening of “The Rooster”, which turns out to be what the “Raise The Roost” event was for. We were invited because we took part in raising the funds for this music venue. It was great to have a local music venue. My husband and I also being musicians, this was great. A few months go past and someone I knew said that they were getting together with the owner of The Rooster to do an indoor vendor market. Something with collectables, vintage and hand made goods. He wanted to know If I would vend and if I could help start it up. I suggested making it an oddities and collectables market. A safe place to sell things that aren’t your normal craft. I named it the Misfit Market. A couple more conversations in and the person realized they were in over their head. They asked if I wanted to run it. So I accepted. It’s been almost 2 years now and we have built a community of Misfits. People who don’t quite fit in to the conservative south. We have artists, jewelry makers, vinyl, vintage, clay artists, crocheters, mediums, fabric artists, 3D printers, resin artists, soap makers, candle makers, etc… The Misfit Market has expanded to be a part of Music festivals at Yhe Rooster. Just this year we have done 4 music festivals and have 2 more to go. We participate in the local bar crawls, we have even set up a booth in a local business called The HippittiHop Shop. From working with the owner of The Rooster and creating this Misfit Community, I have also been hired on by the music venue to be MC, stage manager, social media, podcast host and vendor coordinator (The Misfit Market).
If I hadn’t taken that chance on myself, I would have still been grinding away in some retail store. Now I encourage new crafters by giving them a safe space to vend and show off their art, the local “Misfits” a space to feel at home, a family in our local music scene, I get to make art, hear art and be art almost everyday of my life. It’s everything I have wished for.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

2 years ago I made the choice to shut down my Etsy shop. I had been a member since 2008. I was having better luck woth in person local sales. One of the upsides and downsides of being a creator, we ride out trends and we create them. It’s fun creating things and watching them do well. My focus is still on making the weird things that I like or I find fun, because apparently so.do others. I learned that in high school. I was lucky enough to live in a city that had a visual and performing arts middle and high school. When I kept comparing my art to my classmates, my art teacher told me “it’s not supposed to look like theirs, it supposed to look like yours. It’s your style.” It made me realize how important it was to genuinely be yourself. Which is important to me, I want everyone around me to genuinely be themselves when they create. The good, the bad and the ugly. There are no guilty pleasures. If you like it own it. If you like or like to make art from 90’s boy band posters, do it! I will be here cheering for you. Hiding parts of yourself from people hurts you and feeling comfortable in your environment.
My main goal now is to create a Misfit Market festival. Just a yearly market with lots of vendors, music, food trucks and entertainment for those who need a place to fit in. A community. Expanding to let people know that there are other weirdos out there just like them.
Right now we stick to our first Saturday of the month markets and the music festival that come in during the summer. It takes baby steps and I am ok with that.

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?

The biggest piece of knowledge that I learned from vending markets is that we aren’t competing against one another, we are in this together.
Another thing, don’t gatekeep your knowledge, share it. I was vending a 3 day event when a teenager asked me about how to make resin pieces. I broke it down for her shared supply info, told her how cool it was to play with alcohol inks, mica pigments and glitter. When she walked away my husband asked “why are you telling her all your secrets and how to make it?”, my response was ” she will not make anything that ever looks like mine, because she is her own person. We can use the same molds and products, but hers will be her style and mine will be what they are”. The last bit of knowledge: known your worth. Yes, love what you do. Make sure you calculate your time. It’s the hardest thing to learn and that I still struggle with. Mostly because I see others grossly overcharge for items and even their time. Yes you are worth it, but dont price gouge. You still have to love every piece you make whether it required cussing or not. You have to love that it brings you joy making, completing and selling your items.
If creating your craft doesn’t bring you joy, stop. Find your joy again. Nature always does it for me. Talking with your friends or family, let them rekindle that joy. If it weren’t for nature and my friends I would barely have any Inspiration for the things I make.

What would you advise – going all in on your strengths or investing on areas where you aren’t as strong to be more well-rounded?

I do believe that it is better to go all in on your strengths, you also can work on the lesser ones as you go. Learn what you are good at and what you aren’t. If I find that I want to learn a new skill and I’m not picking it up, I seek out others who do have that skill. Everyone has different ways of doing things. By watching,listening and learning, you can pick up techniques that work for you. It takes time. One of the biggest things you can learn, is that it is ok not to be able to get/learn a skill. If you just can’t do it, you just can’t do it. If it frustrates you too bad, it isn’t worth the stress. It’s ok. It doesn’t mean you won’t ever be able to get it, it just may not be the right time.
I know my skills are pretty broad and I know what most are. I know I can create something, I know if it’s a weaker skill, it will take me longer. Thankfully I also have learned when to put it down and walk away. That’s a tough skill to master. Patience.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @wildnsweet1 @misfitmarketnc

Image Credits

Bob Gregory and Arielle Napier