Dream and Brush by Danielle

Hello, friends!

Happy Wednesday!

I hope you are having a great day and are finding time to enjoy the holiday season! 

Today, I have my good friend Danielle who has recently started an Etsy shop called Dream and Brush.

Danielle specializes in digital hand-lettering art, color-block portraits, and has recently started offering some decor pieces as well. What started out as a hobby to keep her busy during the stay at home orders earlier in the year, quickly became something more. 

According to Danielle, “I started my business in September of this year, so just a few months ago! I started off with making an Instagram account for all of my hand-lettering designs and friends started asking me if I ever planned on selling my work. After I felt like I was at a better place creatively, I opened my Etsy shop just in time for Fall. Since then, I have launched a holiday collection as well as multiple custom offerings. I’m having so much fun with it, and that’s what keeps me motivated.”

“What makes me unique is my lettering style. Lettering and calligraphy has become a larger community since quarantine, but so many artists say that there is a place for everyone, which I wholeheartedly agree with. Most of my pieces are based around fandoms (Marvel, Star Wars, Disney, Broadway) as well as mental health and motivation.”

Danielle has previously had entrepreneurial aspirations through other shops in the past. “I had an Etsy shop back in college where I made and sold Disney-themed bows, when that was the latest and greatest thing. While I was not that successful, and did not do it for very long, I still had fun and loved how easy it was to work the website. I knew a lot of lettering artists also used Etsy, so it was a perfect move for me to make.”

“When I first started lettering, I never planned on opening an Etsy shop. I also never thought I would dive into more drawing along with lettering, but am so glad I have. Long-term, I would love to be able to fully support myself doing this, because I love it so much. Short-term goals are to keep making content I love and to start creating more physical pieces in the future that I can ship to customers.”

This project means a lot to Danielle personally, as well. “My business has grown my confidence as an artist. If you told me a year or even six months ago that I’d be making art that people would actually buy, I would have laughed. Also, since being laid off from my job, the extra income has been a huge blessing.”

Even though she loves the process of creating, Danielle noted that every business has its challenges. “There have been some pieces I made that have not sold at all, which is discouraging. I had plans for custom ornaments, and all the supplies are now sitting in a drawer and I have yet to sell a single ornament. I also released my holiday pieces during multiple days, and it decreased a lot of my Instagram engagement since it felt like I was just selling and selling instead of just making pretty things. It’s definitely something I’ve learned from and plan to improve next time.”

“I wish I knew more about Etsy SEO as well as better ways to display my products before launching my shop. I’ve definitely made countless changes to my listings in order to make them perform better, which has worked. I also wish I knew that it doesn’t matter how many social media followers you have when you start out, because you can grow you shop and your social media together at the same time.”

Danielle offers something that has helped her keep perspective when things become challenging. “Stepping away from the Internet for a bit helps me refocus. I’ll turn off my phone and just open my iPad and draw or letter whatever comes to mind. This puts me back in the place of why I do what I do. At the end of the day it’s not always about the views or sales, it’s just about me getting better at a hobby I truly love.”

While mostly focusing on a lot of word-of-mouth and social media marketing, Danielle has also gained perspective on finding a supportive community. “When the Disney layoff announcement happened, that was actually what doubled my Instagram following because a few bloggers added my shop to a huge Google Doc full of other furloughed and laid off Cast Members. It’s crazy to think that such a sad life-change for me actually benefited my business.”

Danielle decided to give back to some of the community that has been supportive of her passion. “One way I’ve impacted the community is during Giving Tuesday, I decided to donate a portion of my sales made from my Etsy shop as well as $1 per new Instagram follower that day to Cast Member Pantry, which provides food to furloughed and laid off Cast Members. I love how they’ve been supporting the community and I really wanted to give back to them.”

“If the events of this year, like quarantine and losing my job, did not happen, I most likely would not have even started this shop. I tried to learn hand-lettering last year, but failed miserably. Having that extra time and a need for a creative outlet is what led to all of this.

I was surprised when a blogger I follow made a purchase from my shop! Also, someone who never followed my Instagram found my shop through Etsy, made a purchase for a custom order, and now follows my account! Those little surprises reminded me that people do genuinely like what I have created.

My first tip when starting a business is to be financially smart. I didn’t have two pennies to rub together when starting this, so that is why I decided to make digital pieces to avoid spending money on shipping, a printer, shipment products, etc., that I did not have. Second, and more importantly, do not listen to the ‘haters.’ If people in your life are telling you that this is a dumb idea and that it won’t succeed, tune them out and prove them wrong. Lastly, be yourself and do not copy other artists’ work. Your unique style and way of creating is what is going to draw others to your shop, not a copy of someone else.”

Thank you so much, Danielle, for sharing your story and your art with us!

The last piece is a custom hand-lettered quote inspired by Cinderella that I purchased through Danielle’s shop  and I could not be happier with how it turned out.  

If you would like to purchase anything from Danielle yourself please click the link below!

shopdreamandbrush.etsy.com

Also, please follow Danielle on social media for awesome updates and behind-the-scenes looks at her process!

Instagram

Thanks again for reading. 

If you have a small business and would like to be featured, please email me!

Remember to support small businesses and go find your new dream!

Amy

Question and Answer with Author Ben Schafer

Hello all!

Today’s post is going to be a little bit different.

I have featured local businesses and amazing creative entrepreneurs but I have not yet featured local authors, artists, or musicians. This I hope to change. These individuals help to make Central Florida a unique and vibrant place to live. Their contributions to our community are vast and their stories are worth telling.

Today’s article is a Q&A with author (and my brother) Ben Schafer!

Ben is an independently published author local to Central Florida and his newest book The Race to Newton’s Moon comes out today on e-book format!

I thought that it would be interesting to have him answer some questions about being an independent author and the opportunities that he faces in the current environment.

I hope you enjoy and I hope to have more stories like this in the future!

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What made you go into writing?

Well, the cliche answer (though no less true for the fact) is that I became a writer because I was a reader. However, there is one memory that stands out from an early age. After a short writing assignment in elementary school, my teacher commented that I had a talent for writing and that she believed I should pursue that talent. We often hear platitudes told to children such as “You can be anything,” but I believe this is actually less helpful than treating each child as an individual and telling them that they have a genuine talent for something. If you give a child a vision to strive for, and if you are honest about their ability to pursue it, then they will keep that in their heart for the rest of their lives. It was just that sense of vision that my second grade teacher gave to me that day, and I’ve carried it with me ever since.

In what way has this improved your life? 

I have a natural desire to communicate and discuss ideas. Fiction has provided an outlet where the ever-shifting realities (or perceptions of realities) can fade away, allowing deeper truths to be examined. In short, I can’t see myself not writing, and the innovations that have emerged in independent publishing allow me to produce high-quality work without having to wrestle with the traditional gatekeepers.

Have you had any challenges in this journey?

Of course, no journey is without its setbacks. My original vision was of a more traditional route to publishing by finding an agent and a publishing company who would pick up my work. Yet the choice to take the path of independent publishing has meant the world to me. All this being said, I am only still taking my first steps into this rich and competitive landscape, and it is still a challenge to develop the discipline to write even when inspiration does not seem to be at hand.

Do you like writing in this ensemble format or do you prefer first person like your first novel?

Each point-of-view format has its strengths and weaknesses. My first novel, Son of Syria, takes the audience on a deeply personal journey with the protagonist, Kyle Hoyek. For that reason, I defied the standard action-thriller tradition of third-person POV to get the audience in Kyle’s head and experience the adventure entirely through his eyes. That did mean that certain standard tricks of the trade that could build tension were denied to me, but the emotional strength of the first-person perspective paid off in ways a more detached narrative structure could not have achieved. Every choice is some sort of compromise. For a story as vast in scale as The Newton’s Moon Saga, a third-person perspective was the only logical choice. Even so, the first novel in the series, The Search for Newton’s Moon, kept a tight focus on the ensemble crew, with only rare glimpses at the perspectives of other characters. The sequel, The Race to Newton’s Moon, really opened up the universe in a major way and forced me to grow as an author as I learned to juggle a wider array of characters and viewpoints. But I think the results speak for themselves, and I hope that my audience will agree.

What is something that you wish you knew before you started this journey?

That the idea of “inspiration” as some abstract concept floating around, to fall on someone and then float away on a breeze, is complete nonsense. There are times when inspiration seems to strike out of nowhere, but I find that the most satisfying moments as a writer occur when I am in the thick of a difficult passage, slogging through a portion of description or dialogue that holds no passion for me (at least in the moment) but that I must work through in order to move the story forward. Subtle moments and details occur in those seemingly dreary passages of time, little flashes that would quickly die out if I simply succumbed to the old excuse of “writer’s block.” But, as those flashes build, they can turn into a storm of new ideas that can open the story in bold new directions. To put it more simply, it is the act of writing that generates inspiration, and not mere inspiration that produces good writing.

What does success look like to you?

Success for me, looks like the freedom to pursue my passion for writing full-time. It looks like having fans who hold a genuine interest in the characters and the plots that I present to them, discussing where certain threads will lead with fellow fans around the world. Mostly, though, success looks like an unwillingness to let negative reviews or poor sales stop me from doing the thing I love. It is this passion and this spirit of perseverance that continues to push me to grow and evolve as both a writer and businessman.

What challenges did you face during this year specifically?

Like many people in the central Florida area, I temporarily lost my day job due to the public health lockdowns and subsequent economic downturn. While my writing time was suddenly wide open due to the loss of my job, the sudden loss of structure (coupled with the enduring uncertainty) made this free time feel more like a swamp that threatened to drag me into despair rather than an open ocean to be crossed to new lands. Fortunately, I did not have to endure these times alone, and I am grateful to my friends and family for their support.

Were you surprised by anything that happened?

Truly, I was surprised that the market for e-books did not soar higher than it did given that people were locked down in their homes for so long. However, given the economic uncertainty in these same households, it is understandable that disposable income for entertainment was more limited than it otherwise may have been.

Did you have any opportunities during this time?

The obvious answer is that the lack of regular employment opened up my schedule for more writing. But I was also able to spend more time with a smaller circle of friends, which allowed me to build deeper relationships and foster creative bonds that can serve us all well moving forward.

Do you have any tips for other authors?

First of all, anyone can write, so push any thoughts of unworthiness from your mind. You have a story to tell, and only you can do it justice. Write a draft, sloppy and contrived and disjointed as it may be at first. Stop making excuses and get it down. Give yourself grace to make mistakes in that first draft. However, when it comes time to edit, approach your work with a ruthless and critical eye. No one should be a greater defender or a fiercer critic of your work than you are. Also, as odd as it may seem, remember that the editing process is just as much a creative endeavor as generating the first draft from a blank page. You are not “surrendering your art” or “selling out your vision” by trimming excess characters, dialogue, or plot in the service of greater narrative cohesion. Beyond that, read as many books as you can, both classics and contemporaries, in order to broaden your vocabulary and narrative voice.

Thanks Ben for answering my questions today!

Ben’s book The Race to Newton’s Moon releases on e-book today!

You can click this link to pick up your own copy!

Check out Ben’s Facebook Page for his other works or just to say hi!

Lastly, check out his website at Thebenschafer.com for updates for new works and to read some more exclusive content you won’t find anywhere else!

Thanks for reading! If you would like to be featured on this blog please email me! I would love to hear how you are helping to make Central Florida unique!

Remember to keep supporting local artists and keep finding new stories to tell!

Have an amazing day!

Amy

Frondezvous

Hello everyone! 

Today’s article is about Frondezvous, a small houseplant boutique specializing in 3D printed pots and plants that require easy to intermediate levels of care. According to owner Lex, this shop represents where the digital world and the natural world intersect.

Lex started Frondezvous after learning from her personal experiences growing plants for the past few years. According to Lex, “I knew I wanted to start a plant boutique after talking to several of my friends and learning about their trepidations in finding the right plants for their home. So many people immediately say, ‘Nope, I’ll kill that!’ But having and caring for plants around my house has really improved my happiness and well-being, so I wanted to share that joy. A friend of mine made a 3D printed pot for me as a novelty and the fully formed idea took off from there.”

By blending the unique designs of the 3D printed pots with the natural beauty of the plants, Frondezvous stands apart. “Anyone who knows me personally knows I’m obsessed with plants. To quote The Sill, one of my favorite online plant boutiques, ‘Plants make people happy.’ There’s nothing more exciting than swapping plants with a friend and having them send you pictures of every new leaf and growth spurt. I think plants are a joy that’s accessible to everyone with the right education and it would be the ultimate fulfillment for me to spread that joy.“

Though this is currently a mostly independent venture, Lex hopes to make Frondezvous more collaborative in the future. “I believe small, local businesses are what make any community thrive, and I’m lucky to be situated near a number of them, including the businesses and bars of the Milk District, SODO, and so on. Frondezvous is still a seedling but as we grow, I hope to collaborate with lots of local makers, artists, and businesses.” Lex has already started branching out into collaborating with other businesses to continue to produce unique products and has big plans for the future. “Currently I’m collecting used candle holders from The Thirsty Topher to repurpose as potting vessels. I’d like to start a recycling program with local coffee shops and restaurants to collect coffee grounds and food scraps for composting.” 

Lex credits her business in helping her grow personally as well. “I’m becoming really proficient in ‘tinkering’ and technical work to make sure my prints are coming out right. I’m also learning so much about 3D design and building which are things I wanted to learn independently anyway, so it’s doubly exciting that I get to learn about them for my business.”

No business is immune from challenges. Sometimes those challenges can be personal. “I’ve had plenty of challenges, many of them stemming from self-doubt. Many of the big makers’ markets around Orlando frequently feature big names in the local plant community, so it was definitely intimidating to arrive at my first market in direct competition with them. I’ve also had a learning curve with design software since it was initially way far outside of my comfort zone. The great thing about working with plants and 3D prints is that you can see when you’re doing well and when you’re not. When my prints and my plants are pretty and healthy, I know I’m going in the right direction, and I gain a little more confidence to take the right next steps.”

Lex has many goals for how her business can grow and impact the community. “I’m doing what I can to spread happiness and plant education in my community! Although COVID-19 has slowed the process, I’m hoping to join the UFAS Master Gardener Volunteer program to improve my knowledge and help native Florida wildlife to thrive in the area. I also hope in the future to shed more of a light on recycling programs for businesses when I start up my composting program.” Lex also hopes to have a website completed by June so that she can reach a larger audience and help grow the local plant community.

When asked if there was any tips she had for people looking to start their own business Lex responded with the following advice: “Find a mentor.” As she put it, “When I set out to start Frondezvous, I was mostly flying blind and have had to restructure as I learned. Finding someone who has already been through the hard parts – or at least someone who can guide you in developing your skills and confidence – can make the process so much smoother.”

Thank you so much Lex for sharing your story with us!

Follow Lex through her social media accounts for updates about her nursery and behind the scenes looks at new designs. There you can also see where she will be selling her plants and pots if you would like one for yourself. 

Facebook @frondezvous

Instagram @frondezvous

You can also email frondezvous@gmail.com to inquire about ordering something from the boutique. 

Thank you readers for supporting me and small businesses in your community!

Have an amazing day and keep growing!

Amy

All pictures are graciously sent by Lex Burton and Frondezvous and are not my own.