Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kassandra Benjamin. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Kassandra, appreciate you joining us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

Just recently for mothers day , I released a new product . Pregnant Belly Shadow Boxes ! A beautiful gift for any new expecting mothers or moms who want a memory of their little ones . To my surprise I had a few beautiful moms reach out to make a memorial shadow box for their angel babies. I felt so EXTREAMLY honored to have been asked to make such a meaningful piece . One mom even sent me the umbilical cord to place in the belly of the resin mold , I have made memorial pieces before but these honestly were the most touching to me as my brother has passed and I’ve seen first hand the heartbreak of a mothers loss , One customer actually bought a shadow box for her bestfriend who had just recently lost her angel baby and sent me a reaction video of her opening her gift , I cried while watching , nothing meant more to me than to see her reaction , the love she felt for the artwork I created in memory of her beautiful baby , a piece she will cherish forever.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I never felt like I was talented , everyone around me had a passion or a talent and I. I felt stuck wondering what mine was but I just hadn’t found mine yet ! Crazy , 3 years down the line and I now call myself an artist , still sounds weird to me but that is exactly what I am . I have had a successful business with over 1,000 customers , WOW still blows my mind ! I started off with one foldable table & a few supplies in a den at my moms house with 4 customers to having my own home in a new city with an office full of supplies, I couldn’t have made it this far without my amazing customers , this journey has been full of ups & downs , trails & errors not an easy journey as any small business would know but definitely the most fulfilling. When I started off I had around 3 products to now having 25 products & being in 2 stores as well as being apart of over 6 events & hosting my own pop ups ! I aspire to show small businesses that anything is possible , with some hard work, dedication and failures along the way what once was a vision is now a reality. Being able to host events where other small businesses can display their talents and passion while networking with tons of different people has always been such an amazing feeling , nothing like seeing your vendors sell at an event you hosted ! I currently work full time as well as owning my own business , at times it can be very overwhelming , full of sleepless nights & tears but I wouldn’t trade it for the world . Owning my own business has taught me many lessons along the way but especially to NEVER give up. Remembering that my customers come to me and recommend others to me not only because of my work but because the love and care that goes into every interaction with any customer/potential or new , about 70% of my customers are Loyal/Returning & I know it is because of the love and dedication I put into ensuring that my customers get exactly what they vision and know I am 100% here for them !

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

I guess you can say this is a cliché but , Rome wasn’t built in a day . Sometimes you can get people that do not understand that art takes time , you must come up with an entire idea on your own or take all the pieces that someone gives you, brainstorm an idea , play around with it a few times before even starting. Sometimes it takes 2 days sometimes 1 week to really have that lightbulb go off and create ! We are only human and a lot of times I think people forget small businesses are usually 1-3 people working endless nights and life can be challenging on its own , creators block is most definitely real . Be patient with artist and small businesses we aren’t a corporation with machines and over 1,000 employees a lot of us are a one woman show making things hand made! We are all trying the best we can & the last thing I would ever want to do is compromise quality for speed.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

The best thing you can do to support ANYONE is show up !! Showing up is free , complimenting someone work is free , letting them know that you see them and you are proud of them means more than you know ! It gives us the motivation to keep doing what we do , sharing our work , talking about our business to others ! Word of mouth is one of the best ways to help support ! I read somewhere once , ” oh you’re disappointed you only got 30 likes or views on a video about your art ?? Now imagine being on stage and having 30 people cheer you on and watch you !! , How overwhelming & happy those 30 people will make you just by watching! ” We are so conditioned to seeing people on social media go viral or have over 100k likes and views and associate that with validation that we downplay our own success. Support is support whether its 30 or 100k & we will be grateful either way !

Contact Info:

• Website: https://kraftsbykas.company.site/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/krafts.by.kas/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Kassy-Benjamin/100082238166645/