Meet Erin Waller

We recently connected with Erin Waller and have shared our conversation below.

Erin, 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 come back to this issue in my life time and time again, and I think it’s because it’s become such a relatable issue for so many crafters and artists. I’ve found personal strength when I finally realized that I’m not the only one in any given situation dealing with insecurities of not being “enough” in any given way, and that we’re all just doing our absolute best with what we have.

I’ve lost a lot of time in my life wrecking myself with anxiety over personal comparison, but one day I realized through conversation with friends and colleagues that we’re all sort of battling with this same seed of self-doubt at the heart of Imposter Syndrome, in our own individual and unique ways. There’s liberation in realizing we’re all questioning ourselves in the same way. There’s strength in realizing, even in the depths of self-doubt, you’re not alone.

And if I’m honest, I have to credit the amazing network of crafters and artisans here in Liberty and the Northland, that I’ve been blessed to be adopted by (in friendship) over the past couple of years of developing my dream and pursuing my craft.

It’s not that I don’t battle with it anymore, but that I’ve been taught the tools by others of how to navigate those moments when I question my skills, abilities, presence, or worthiness. My advice to those that find themselves at the throws of Imposter Syndrom to pursue and establish respectful relationships with other artisans or makers within their community, and learn from what they’re willing to share. Follow their socials, interact and engage with their posts and media. Support others the way you wish to be supported, and that energy will always come back to you.

The gorgeous thing about being a part of your local art community is that it’s an environment that thrives on the joy of discovery and sharing, and it’s often home to those who find inner joy in encouraging and teaching others. It’s a reciprocal network of individuals who strive to find beauty in the everyday, and sometimes we need that community mirror to be reminded the beauty and confidence within ourselves. An artist is nothing without her community.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I think every woman at one time or another has dreamed of her own little shop. When I was a young single mother almost 20 years ago, I would tuck my three children into bed and turn on Practical Magic almost nightly. I would daydream of my little botanic shop just like Sally had; the clean lines of the cabinets, the soft aesthetic of old chipped paint on ancient wood, delicate hydrangeas tucked into simple glass vases. Pleasing displays of little amber bottles lining shelves, gorgeous little packages wrapped just-so in burlap, lace, and twine.

Fast-forward through two decades of raising kids, odd-jobs, and a couple of promising careers that should have rocketed me to financial freedom, but ended with disappointment and burnout. After a stint in local bureaucracy and subsiquent crash-out, I was disillusioned with broken dreams and once again the numbing crush of failure. I had lost time with my ailing father, who had just passed in early 2023. I had lost years with my children, sacrificed mental and physical health, held my tongue, let others take the credit, and waited for it to change. It didn’t.

I quit my job and started toodling around with art while I waited to find new employment. I made a few shampoo bars out of curiousity. I always had fine, oily hair that I hated. I’d tried every major salon product or customized shampoo available. It got expensive, and overwelming, and I consistently hated the results after a few washes.

I founded Dumb Luck and Witchcraft as a small-batch botanics shop three years ago, after blending and using my first batch of shampoo bars myself, and then ultimately fulfilling requests for bars from those in my personal life once they saw the results. I was not entirely convinced it would amount to much, but I found so much value in sharing how much my bar and oil blends had changed my hair, skin, and my overall confidence.

Why “Dumb Luck and Witchcraft”? Because I loved and lost my step-dad, a retired TWA pilot with a penchant for collecting a unique turn of phrase.

He used to say it like it was happenstance; “it’s all just dumb luck and withchcraft.” It stuck with me, and since it was happenstance I found myself in this place in life with something that worked so incredibly well, (and because whenever a woman does anything intelligent at all, it’s usually considered witchcraft) it really was the only logical choice.

Over the last two seasons at the Historic Downtown Liberty Farmer’s Market and other local events, I’ve fine-tuned my formulations, pursued new research, and discovered validation and inspiration when others love what I offer nearly as much as I do. My customer base continues to grow, and our aesthetic presence has continued to make a big impression. This year I went full-throttle with creating a beautiful and enchanting environment to welcome my friends and guests, and I let my gorgeous, affordable, and effective products do the rest. I decided to just turn my magic all the way on, and see what happened. I’m pursuing every interest, every product, every art form I’m interested in, and my little dream has grown so much.

I started with shampoo bars, but my vision has always been to offer preservative and emulsifier-free skincare. I’ve always felt that self-care should be simple, healthy, and affordable, and that ethic is at the core of every item I produce.
I base every formulation from peer-reviewed medical research, and every ingredient is selected by purity and overall benifit vs. impact on skin balance and barrier. I’m driven to make beautiful, therapeutic self-care products that are as affordable as they are effective, and I list all my research and reasoning on my website.

I have expanded to now offer a wide range of highly effective hair and body products, including an amazing mushroom-powered, collagen-boosting face serum that garners rave reviews, and seems to fly off the shelf everytime I make it.

I’ve expanded to also include witchy-themed art prints, hand-sculpted polymer clay hairpins, perfumes, car diffusers, and have so much more in store.

I’m so very excited to see what this next year brings, as I’ve opened a new chapter and will now have a small studio space with our friends at Water Street Ceramics, on the Historic Downtown Liberty Square! Michelle Blackton is an incredible friend and colleague, and I’m so excited to be a part of the environment she’s creating in Liberty. It’s an exciting time to be a part of this incredible art community!

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

It’s important to learn and develop tenacity. Acheiving a dream requires discipline, consistency, and resilience, all of which require tenacity as a foundation. You must learn to be okay with falling before you can crawl, crawling before you can walk, and walking before you can run free.

Value yourself and your vision first and foremost, and don’t take rejection personally; it’s never about you but more a reflection of the expectation of others. Only you can fully see your vision, but if you value it and give it the time and dedication it deserves, others will see it in time.

Find inspiration any way you can. Look for it every day, and anytime you’re feeling that self-doubt or lack of motivation creep in. If you develop the habit of looking for it, you’ll find it in the most surprising and uplifting places. You develop a relationship with your own creativity when you search for inspiration in everyday life.

How can folks who want to work with you connect?

Currently, my goal is to establish a network of artisans and makers who create their own products exclusively, and will be expanding into hosting local maker’s markets in the Northland in 2026. I’m currently coordinating with partners and local event spaces, and we will be developing a guild of local small-business crafters and artisans within our community to work with on these events.

If you are a crafter, maker, or artisan who creates unique and original handmade products in the KC metro, and you’re interested in vending at regular, recurring maker markets within Liberty and the Northland area, please reach out to me through my website or any of my socials. (Our vision also includes hosting a web directory of our network of artisans, and regular seasonal meet-ups to visit, share, and build community! It’s an exciting adventure!)

Additionally, if you are interested in how to start your own maker’s brand, or are a seasoned maker and want to pick up additional tips and tricks, I will be offering a short seminar series on developing your brand’s voice and impact in early 2026. Information on the seminar series will be updated through my website and socials. You can also reach out to be added to the wait list.

Contact Info:

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