We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Cali Nelson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Cali, first a big thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and insights with us today. I’m sure many of our readers will benefit from your wisdom, and one of the areas where we think your insight might be most helpful is related to imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome is holding so many people back from reaching their true and highest potential and so we’d love to hear about your journey and how you overcame imposter syndrome.
I’ll let you know when I get there! As creatives, there are always others out there doing similar work that we feel is better than our own. Over the years as my skills have grown, I have also increased my standards, raising the never-ending bar of success and never quite feeling like I have “made it.” Through social media, I have been able to follow other likeminded individuals doing outstanding work who I am constantly learning from and expanding my skills. “Imposter syndrome” has such a negative connotation with feelings of inadequacy at all times. However, I choose to see this as a constant opportunity for growth and expansion and do not use it as a way to feel like I am not good enough. Do I do good work? Sure I do. Do others do it better? Well, absolutely! There will always be others out there who do something better than you, unless you are that fraction of percent (I’m looking at you, Simone Biles) that are the GOAT. Instead of getting discouraged because of this, take the inadequacy and use it to make you better each and every day. Imposter syndrome will always follow me like a shadow, and I don’t know that I will ever overcome it, but I choose to use it as my motivation in the evolution of me.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
Brushed by the C was born out of a dark time in my life. It was 2021 when all of my hobbies were shut down due to the pandemic, and I had just had a major friend breakup. The kind of breakup that wrecks you, pushes you to negativity you have never experienced before, and leaves you questioning everything in your life. It was at my lowest low that my husband told me that I needed to find a new hobby to get my mind off of life. I had been following a resin artist on Instagram who created spectacular oceans on charcuterie boards (shout out, @rustictidestx) and they were the most gorgeous works of art I had ever seen. Since I had nothing better to do, I decided to give it a try. I started doing pours out of my garage (spoiler, nothing has changed here) and realized that working with resin and being creative helped me to forget all that was wrong in my life at the time. After some practice, I decided to open an Etsy shop so that I could fund my new hobby. I kept it small until 2023 when I decided to try my first vendor event. In my usual fashion, I decided “go big or go home,” and I signed up for a very large two-day Christmas event in December of that year. I prepped for a month, and when the weekend was over, I was hooked on shows. Throughout 2024, I tried various events, mostly local, but some that were 1-2 hours from home. 2024 was a huge growth year for me where I expanded my inventory substantially, focused on branding my business, and, by the end of the year, finally launched my very own website. My skill and confidence have grown exponentially, and I am a very different person and creator than I was when I started in 2020. This new year, I am focusing on expanding my reach, participating in large events in Virginia and surrounding states, growing my following, and attempting to start turning a good profit from my work. I hate to be cliche and say that resin “saved me,” but I know where I was in 2021 and also where I am now, and they are on completely different spectrums. I am in a growth mindset, and I hope you will join me for my journey!
You can find me on my brand new website at brushedbythec.com, or on social media at @brushedbythec. I am so thankful for this opportunity to spotlight my business and am excited for any new connections that it brings me.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Looking back, the most impactful qualities in my journey were my desire to teach myself anything and everything, never letting “imposter syndrome” get the better of me, and having the confidence to step out of my comfort zone into the unknown. Google and Youtube have turned me into Bob the Builder, and I am the “fix-it” lady at home now. I never let the unknown stop me from knowing that it didn’t have to be unknown. As I mentioned earlier, it is so easy to see others doing something better than you and get discouraged. Instead, let that be what grows you into something bigger and better. Lastly, confidence is key and courage is essential. I am actually a scientist by trade and work full-time as an Epidemiologist. Art and small business pursuits were so far outside of my wheelhouse. Instead of letting this scare me, I donned my “fake it ’til you make it” attitude in both confidence and courage and said ‘yes’ to anything that came my way that could grow me. I encourage everyone to take this same mindset and see where it can take you!
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
Absolutely! I would LOVE to partner with any other fellow creatives who think both of our works combined can lead to something so much greater. If you think this might be you, let’s connect! You can email me at brushedbythec@gmail.com, or DM me on Instagram or Facebook at @brushedbythec.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://brushedbythec.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brushedbythec/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61553559144297
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
