We were lucky to catch up with Ariana Fox recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Ariana, thanks for joining us today. Do you wish you had started sooner?
Sooner, for sure. I didn’t truly connect with my creative side until my late twenties. I think up until then I really believed that you needed to have innate talent to enjoy creative endeavors. This couldn’t be further from the truth – exploration and curiosity is what begets talent.
Ariana, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
The Uncommon Fox was founded in 2018. I started with a pair of pliers, some recycled beads, and a simple mission: make a pair of earrings for my friend, Rachel. I saw the beads in a thrift shop and was immediately reminded of her. Inspiration struck and what I figured would be a fun weekend project quickly snowballed into a joyful, all consuming endeavor. I couldn’t believe how significantly this outlet improved my mental health and mood. I can’t overstate how much I recommend taking up a creative hobby as a means of stress reduction – if there’s a single takeaway here, its that.
During the pandemic, I taught myself how to metalsmith and turned this hobby into a small side business. By night (and weekend), I’m a jewelry designer, artist, and enthusiast. I work primarily in brass and semi-precious stones but I love all mediums. I love combining handmade, vintage, and repurposed components to make totally one-of-a-kind pieces.
My hope is that my designs tell a story – I’m most inspired by ancient mythology and folk art. The most valuable aspect of my work is how connected it makes me feel – to my community, to nature, and to myself.
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
Don’t fixate on your numbers – followers, likes, etc. It won’t bring you joy and it’s not indicative of your talent or ambition. Focus on the quality and the growth of your work and the social media success will follow.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
The customer isn’t always right. This is a capitalist myth. I feel like we’re really conditioned from childhood to believe that we need to bend over backward to ensure customer satisfaction, even at the expense of our own time, money, and sanity. Being polite and kind is always good practice, but don’t let customers (or potential customers, followers, etc) belittle you or take advantage of you! I think many modern consumers are used to major retailers that always have product available, and that have the resources to offer discounts and fast shipping, but this often isn’t possible for micro-businesses or indie artists.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.theuncommonfox.com
- Instagram: @uncommonfox
Image Credits
headshot by Jordan Bettinson (@itsjordanwhitney)