Tag: Indiebusiness

Starting my own business

For years, it has been my dream to produce something in a creative way. I dreamed of being able to paint the most beautiful illustrations and knitting the most amazing jumpers – only to realise that I don’t have a lot of talent for either. For years, I have been feeling bad about myself, not trying to change anything about my drawing or knitting skills. My own limiting thoughts were holding me back, There are so many who already do it. They are sooo good. No one would ever like what you do anyway – so don’t even bother. In the last months of 2018, I somehow felt that I really had to give it a try, that I don’t want to be old and realise that maybe I should have just worked a little bit harder (or at all) for my dream.

An idea is born

And that is what I have been doing since January. I thought of products I would like to create and eventually, hopefully, maybe, but mostly hopefully, sell this year. It is no secret that I love books and authors, so it was clear very early on that I wanted to combine my love for books/authors with my love for crafting, especially embroidery and cross-stitch. Eventually, I had an idea.

Letterboard mit Autorennamen als Inspiration für Stickmotive
Anne’s Letterboard mit Literatur-Ikonen: Kafka, Woolf, Mann

My literature-portraits

I love embroidery portraits but most of the ones I see are very detailed. At this moment, I don’t know yet if I am able to create beautiful realistic portraits. My portraits are therefore very minimalist, but I really like the way they have turned out so far. Photographs of the authors inspired me and I wanted to add my own touch to it by adding a dash of red to almost every portrait.

Minimalistisches Stickportrait von Virginia Woolf mit rotem Detail
Stickportrait Virginia Woolf – mit Anne’s charakteristischem roten Akzent

The first three portraits are showing some of my favourite authors: Virginia Woolf, Thomas Mann and Franz Kafka.

  • Minimalistisches Stickportrait von Thomas Mann mit rotem Detail
    Stickportrait Thomas Mann
  • Minimalistisches Stickportrait von Franz Kafka mit rotem Detail
    Stickportrait Franz Kafka

All three authors have a very special place in my heart and life. My German teacher introduced me to Franz Kafka, my father is a huge fan of Thomas Mann and I did an internship at the Heinrich-and-Thomas-Mann-Museum in Lübeck years ago. Virginia Woolf has been one of the first person whose diary I ever read and she was such a delicate, yet strong person.

My goals for 2019 – business

In my post about my goals for 2019, I already mentioned that I want to craft on a regular basis. For this year, my goals for my crafting-business are:

  • Design 30 portraits of famous authors feminists and embroider them
  • Open my own etsy-shop (goal: Open the shop by the end of March)
  • Sell one handmade-item
  • Design my own enamel-pin
  • Produce my own enamel-pin
  • Design one linocut print that I am happy with
  • Make linocut cards
  • Design cross-stitch-pattern of my pin-design
  • Design a feminist calendar 2020
  • Design a literature calendar 2020
  • Design two tote bags
  • Participate in the Swan-Market in The Hague in September

A lot of ideas and I am very excited to continue working on the projects I have already started and to start with the other ones.

Steps taken so far

I have reduced my working hours from 32 to 24 hours per week to have two days off per week to focus on my creative adventures. In January, I have designed my very first enamel-pin and it is currently being produced. If all goes well, I will receive it in around three weeks. Every year, I visit the Swan Market in The Hague, a handmade-business market in the open air. This year, I am going to participate myself: I made a reservation for a stall in September.

I am very excited, also to mention it here in public and to people that know me in real life, but I think the more people know about it, the better.

Do you like to craft? If yes, what do you like to do most?