Introduce yourself and your business.
Hi! My name is Cassie and I am the owner of Sweet Honesty co. I am a one woman show creating oil paintings, charcoal drawings, Illustrations, and apparel designs. My designs and paintings are based on what inspires me, if I am going through something mentally, or find some really cool pop culture character.
How did you launch your business & what made you want to start a small business?
After I finished college, I didn't know what to do with my art degree. I went into debt collections and started creating less. After getting fired from that job, I wanted to fully get back into creating. Then I started listening to the podcast My favorite murder. I got really inspired by these women doing something they loved and diving into it. 30 episodes into the podcast they were already really growing quickly and I realized I needed to just dive into it. So I created my first print based on the podcast sign off line stay sexy don't get murdered and went from there. Now, I am creating paintings and illustrations that I don't just put in the fan art category.
What are some struggles you had starting your business and how did you over come
them?
Well where do I start, I hit many road blocks as I pushed through selling my work. I struggled with places to promote my work and being seen in these saturated online markets. I had to learn SEO after a year of starting my business when I had no Idea what that meant. Keeping up with social media marketing and feeling like I need to always be putting out something new on the daily (you don't). Starting out I really lacked structure in my business and am still working on creating a daily game plan. I over came a lot of this by buckling down and doing some research. I listened to podcasts on how to start an online business. I took online marketing classes to learn SEO and build up my website. These are all things I am still working on to this day.
Where do you draw inspiration from?
I get my inspiration from so many places! I work on Instagram with some amazing makers and they inspire me every single day. I love looking at great impressionist artists like Monet and Cezanne to draw inspiration. I am lucky to have a day job now that allows me to listen to podcasts all day and draw inspiration from those outlets. Reading literature and poetry are also sources I draw from to get ideas on what to create. I took up yoga after a year into my business and surprisingly that was a big source of inspiration and calmed my mind to look inward for inspiration as well. I try to highlight all my inspirations on my Instagram page weekly for "Things that inspire Thursdays".
What motivates you as a maker?
I love painting. It has truly always been my passion. I started drawing and painting in elementary school and could not stop after that. I am motivated the most by my love for painting and that feeling I get from it. Since starting my business, I am also getting motivated by the fact that I am inspiring other people to create as well. Being part of a community of other artists really helps to get those creative juices flowing. Encouraging others to create has become a serious passion of mine that I want to implement further into my business.
What is a goal you set for yourself as a maker/artist and how did you achieve it?
I personally don't like to put numbered goals for myself for example “I want to make x amount of sales this year.” Instead I focus on what I'm creating. I made a goal to complete a large painting I started last year called “An Italian View”. This is the largest painting I will have created and I want it to be as detailed as possible. I also want to put on an art show in the future. I have never had my own art show and I am working to create a large enough collection to be able to showcase my work.
What is your favorite part of being a maker?
Definitely being a part of a community of other makers. I love being able to jump on my phone and connect with people all over the world that are working towards the same dreams as me.
Do you have any tips for new makers/ small business owners?
I would say first thing to do is make a game plan. I really did wing it in the start of my first year and wish I had a step by step plan for what I needed to do every day. My other advice is to just have fun with it and just go for it. Find out what you love about you art or your business and show that to everyone else. People love seeing you being passionate about something and want to hear your story.
What are some hobbies or interests you have outside of your small business?
I knit for myself. I really cannot sit still without creating something with my hands. So with the help of YouTube, I taught myself how to knit just so I have something to do while watching game of thrones. Just last month I finished my first chunky sweater.
Share a fun fact about yourself.
Fun fact about me: I love punk music, I was lucky to have 2 older siblings that showed me music like Blink 182 and the Offspring when I was too young to listen. In high school I listened to a lot of “emo” music, the
Used, Taking Back Sunday, and Panic at the Disco. But recently I have been getting into good older punk music like Bad Religion, Descendents and NOFX. Also, mosh pits are so much fun!
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