For the last Found in the Forums of April I'd like to introduce you to Sarah of Egg A Go Go- an Etsy shop filled to the brim with handmade pillows, screen prints, cat toys, silk screened stationery, embroidery and original paintings. It seems that Sarah and I must have the same schedule when it comes to visiting the forums, as I see her posts before and after mine quite frequently- always with good advice and an upbeat attitude.
"I think my work is mainly inspired by the natural world (animals, plants, weather) and a love of flat, simple color and lines. My designs are usually based on things I love. I draw and make what makes me happy," Sarah says when asked about what inspires her work. "Both of my parents are artists so they started teaching me while I was growing up and then I went to college for illustration here in Boston. I started doing craft fairs in 2003 with some friends of mine who had also graduated from art school but didn't immediately find art-related jobs. Eventually I built up a good network of local crafty friends and people farther away (online) and I got wind of Etsy. I saw it as a 24 hour a day craft fair so I thought, why not!" Sarah has been selling on Etsy since 2005.
When asked what the best part about what she does Sarah said, "Seeing a big pile of finished pillows or paintings or cards. Even better than selling them is looking at that work and thinking "Hey, I made this!" But when I do sell something, it delights me that things that come out of nowhere, out of my imagination, things that I bring into the real world for the first time EVER - other people can relate to them and want to take them home... AMAZING."
I'm glad to hear that feeling doesn't wear off even after being on Etsy for nearly five years!
Though this isn't Sarah's full-time job, (she designs medical forms for a non-profit cancer research organization by day) she offers quite the amount of Etsy experience and some sound advice to new sellers: "Do what you love. Even if you feel like there's no time, no money, no energy - try to do it anyway. Sometimes I come home from my day job totally spent and still need to pack an order or do some drawings. I dread it until I get started then I remember why we all do this - it's wonderful. Keep in touch with people. Read design blogs and art-related websites but take breaks so your brain can work on its own stuff too. Don't ever stop. If the economy is bad or you think you can't think of anything new, try not to get discouraged. Art has survived for thousands of years! Plagues, the dark ages, wars, you name it. Someone has to keep it going."
Clearly, I'm quite inspired by Sarah's positive attitude and great advice! I'm also a bit jealous of her studio, pictured above.
The variety of products on Etsy never ceases to amaze me. I'm quite impressed by how seamlessly Sarah has arranged her shop full of original goodies; there's something for everyone! Make sure you check out the Egg A Go Go Shoppe! You can also find Sarah on Twitter, Flickr, and at Egg A Go Go's website. Thanks, Sarah, for being a part of Found in the Forums Friday!
Happy Friday, and last day of April, everyone! (that brings the birthday countdown to exactly 22 days from now... :)
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