Meet Christine Hodge

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

Christine, appreciate you making time for us and sharing your wisdom with the community. So many of us go through similar pain points throughout our journeys and so hearing about how others overcame obstacles can be helpful. One of those struggles is keeping creativity alive despite all the stresses, challenges and problems we might be dealing with. How do you keep your creativity alive?

I love to be creative, and so I make space for that in my life in many ways. I have a table always set just for crafting, with tools ready to be used and supplies ready to be made into something beautiful. If I have just a few minutes to be creative, keeping that space available makes it easier to create. As I go throughout my day—at work, home or play—and find something that I can transform, I bring it to that table. If I discover something that I want to create, I take a picture or jot it down in my notebook for later use. The main way I keep my creativity alive, though, is to carve out a full day once or twice a month to be able to craft, write, paint or make body care products. I long to be creative on the days that I can’t get to my table, however my mind is often occupied with creative ideas to make the world a better place, one artful way at a time.

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

I live in Ojai and have two adult daughters who are so beautiful and so much fun. For adventure, I enjoy skydiving and mushroom hunting, and I am currently writing a stand-up comedy routine. I am a second grade teacher, with three side hustles.

I launched The Ojai Apothecary in 2012 after friends found out that I was making almost all of my family’s body care products and cleaning supplies, completely chemical-free. First, I started teaching my friends how to make products, holding classes in my home and at the local Grange. Then I began selling my products at local maker’s markets and shipping them all over the US. Now, my shop is in my kitchen and I make products when people place an order.

In 2021, I started Cafe Declutter, a professional decluttering and organizing business. I have always enjoyed organizing and turned my love of “everything in its place” into a side business. I’ve organized closets, kitchens, garages and entire homes. Every summer my friend hires me to declutter and organize her new classroom. It is a joy to work alongside people, helping them make their spaces their happy places.

Lastly, more than two decades ago I started selling and trading my Green Greetings, handmade cards and journals using mainly recycled materials (old paper, cards and photos, jewelry, buttons).

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Probably the thing that most aided my creative journey was my curiosity and love of learning. For example, once I discovered that household products were laden with chemicals, I poured myself into gaining more knowledge about that. I read books, watched videos and took classes to help me on my journey to make my own products. I use that same curiosity, drive and love for learning in other areas of my life as well.

I would encourage those who are just starting out on their creative journey or who feel stuck, to take a trip to their local library and study their craft by browsing through books on the subject. I also would suggest taking a class to hone in on and sharpen their skills. Lastly, I would encourage them to ask questions. Ask a lot of questions.

We’ve all got limited resources, time, energy, focus etc – so if you had to choose between going all in on your strengths or working on areas where you aren’t as strong, what would you choose?

There is great value in focusing on one area of strength only. It produces a polished product. However, if we only focus on our strengths, we may miss out on amazing opportunities of growth in our “weaker” areas. I’m a teacher and I am skilled in specific areas—language arts and creative writing. I do really well teaching those subjects and am comfortable there. In turn, the students enjoy that part of class. However, if I stay there too long and don’t try to improve on the way I teach math, it will affect how my students learn. Instead, I have strived to make math just as exciting as language—even though it isn’t my strength—and the students receive a well-rounded education.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Amber Shea Hodge
Blanca Benson
Holly Jackson
Ashley Naumo
Christine Hodge