We recently connected with Christelle Zarb and have shared our conversation below.
Christelle, so excited to have you with us today. So much we can chat about, but one of the questions we are most interested in is how you have managed to keep your creativity alive.
I don’t create when I’m not feeling inspired. I want to give my customers the best, so I don’t want to force creativity. I draw a lot of inspiration from nature, it has the best colors! Other times, I get ideas from tv or what I see other people wearing. I think of how I can take what I see and make it my own. When I feel inspired, I have to jump on it and create right away!
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I handcraft polymer clay jewelry, mainly earrings and necklaces but also lapel pins and tie clips. I love working with my customers to help them find the perfect jewelry for them, and many times I can exchange some components of the jewelry to personalize to their specific taste!
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
I believe you need purpose, discipline and the desire to keep learning. Your purpose behind what you are doing is essential. Is it to support your family, just to have a creative outlet or whatever else it is, have a clear purpose. When running your own business you must be disciplined enough to fulfill your responsibilities towards your clients. And if you really want to be good at what you do, you have to recognize you don’t know it all and never will. So you have to be willing to keep learning in order to improve your craft.
Who is your ideal client or what sort of characteristics would make someone an ideal client for you?
My ideal client is someone who is willing to try new colors and styles. If they’re willing to step outside their comfort zone and try a style that maybe they’ve never tried before, they will be pleasantly surprised! I had a friend who saw a pair of earrings I had made and she loved them! But she said they were too big for her face and the style wouldn’t suit her. I told her to just try them on! When she did, she was in love!! She ended up buying the pair and is so pleased with them! So if you’re in the same boat, just give new things a try!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.OBDSjewelry.Etsy.com
- Instagram: @obds.jewelry
