Ruth Hillman of Sioux Falls, South Dakota on Life, Lessons & Legacy

Ruth Hillman shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.

Hi Ruth, thank you so much for joining us today. We’re thrilled to learn more about your journey, values and what you are currently working on. Let’s start with an ice breaker: What is something outside of work that is bringing you joy lately?
Outside of my business, I am a high school teacher. Right now we have dress up days before homecoming. I have been able to dress up as Wolverine, the Grinch, a witch, and tomorrow I get to be Lord Farquaad. Seeing the students reactions when they first see the fit lifts my spirits and makes me happy to be a teacher. I honestly feel honored to have a full time job and a small business that means so much to me and adds so much to my life.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Ruth Hillman and I own the business That Weird Art Girl. I create charms using polymer clay. While I attach the charms to chains and findings to make jewelry, the charms are the true star of the show. I really love what my small business is able to provide for me. I get to do what I love, and I get to make my customers happy. Even if I didn’t make any sales, I would still keep making my charms. I truly love it.

Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
Something that I believed as a child that I no longer believe now is that art has to be perfect. I spent a lot of time being self-conscious and hiding my art from others when I thought it was not good enough. While I still make changes to my charms to make them better, I know that each design has its own unique beauty and value.

If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
“Trust yourself, your thoughts and feelings are more important than you think”. I spent a lot of time doubting myself and trying to follow the expectations of others. Looking back I had a lot of really good instincts that I suppressed to try to make room for others. I trust myself a lot more now.

Sure, so let’s go deeper into your values and how you think. What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
I would think I my friends would say kindness and humor. There is too much hate in the world for me to add any more to it, so I try my best to make the world a better place. I also think that we should not take life too seriously. I really love stupid puns and jokes. I like the quote, “A day without laughter is a day wasted”.

Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. Are you tap dancing to work? Have you been that level of excited at any point in your career? If so, please tell us about those days. 
Oh I am hard-core tap dancing to work. My business is exactly what I have created and what I built it to be. I love everything about it. I would be really sad if I had to stop for some random reason. I really hope that never happens.

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