We were lucky to catch up with Jessica Erickson recently and have shared our conversation below.
Jessica, so great to have you with us and we want to jump right into a really important question. In recent years, it’s become so clear that we’re living through a time where so many folks are lacking self-confidence and self-esteem. So, we’d love to hear about your journey and how you developed your self-confidence and self-esteem.
Building self-esteem and confidence hasn’t come easy for me – it’s taken a lot of effort on my part and love from friends and family. I’ve been able to meet a lot of small business friends along the years and through these friendships, I’ve been able to be vulnerable and also lend an ear to them. It helps to have an outside perspective on things like art – sometimes it can feel like nothing you make is good enough. But when you have friends on the outside looking in, they can give amazing advice and help you feel confident in yourself and your work.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
Crying Heart Craft Co has been my small business for 4 years now – mainly consisting of handmade earrings but it has expanded into home decor as well as custom requests. The main medium I use is polymer clay and I also use jesmonite. My best selling design is the Crying Heart earring – based upon a Bert Grimm traditional tattoo flash design. I use a lot of focus on fun color combinations, abstract shapes and also using up all of my scrap clay into new pieces with style. Lately my artistic focus has shifted into painting on earrings and making more hand cut designs – I love choosing a theme and seeing how far I can stretch my creativity. This month I’m focusing on figs – I have a lot of fun designs in mind for this that I’ll be sharing soon!
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Focusing on learning about the composition and limits of the medium I chose to work with was incredibly important. I was able to see what I can and can’t do with polymer clay and always be open to expanding that – I’m still learning new things all the time! Researching new techniques and tips online was also so important. YouTube was a great resource for tutorials that have been used for years. Reaching out and making new friends was invaluable – being able to bounce ideas back and forth, pass on supplies and knowledge has just been an asset to my business.
Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?
I cant hone in on one person in particular – rather I owe thanks to everyone that I’ve come across during my career. It’s a collaborative effort – people who are willing to share information, offer critiques and pass on resources are who helped me. Business can ebb and flow, it’s good to have a community to fall back on and reflect.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.cryingheartcraftco.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/cryingheartcraftco
