We were lucky to catch up with Elizabeth Bernal recently and have shared our conversation below.

Elizabeth, appreciate you joining us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

Each piece of art I make as Woolen Witch Crafts is incredibly meaningful, but as a whole I think my most meaningful project is Every Witch Way Denton. It has been almost one year since I coordinated the very first Every Witch Way Market teaming up with some local small businesses and in that time it has organically grown far beyond my expectations! It is so much more than a local market or organization. It has become a family of artists, makers, and people from all walks who come together and create a space of full of love and acceptance. I know that everyone, including myself, has made what will become life long friends through participating in our events. What started out as wanting to provide a space for the weird and witchy has become that plus support for new and upcoming artists and vendors to gain experience in working pop ups and all that comes with it. Market life is very unique and to have others to lean on and learn from is amazing! It has also become a wonderful way for member of the community and customers to find a unique place to hang out and find special treasures for themselves or as gifts. It has without a doubt been my most meaningful work to date and brings me great joy.

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

I have always loved making and crafting and grew up with a mother who was as well and learned a lot from her. Woolen Witch Crafts started off very small as an Etsy shop. I sold little wool cats stuffed with a spell pouch. My wool is all cut from thrift store clothing as I love being able to repurpose something! From there I took what I felt was a huge leap and applied to vend at the Denton Community Market. I soon found that people did really love my work and I am in my second year of vending there. I then wanted to create a market that would include other artists and makers like me with work that was witchy, weird, occult, or bizarre. Where people could come and get a beautiful piece art, an oddity, and/or a tarot reading. What started out as one event with about twenty vendors on a sidewalk has grown into a community and a regular schedule of events. I now work with two other women who have helped me to grow my idea and make it so much more than I had even hoped it would be! Natalie Kirby (A Tarot Storyteller) and Cassie Smith (Kismet Sol) have brought so much to the table, and we all share the same vision of what we want Every Witch Way Denton to become. We so enjoy working with other local small businesses and hosting events that are not only fun, but inspirational to both our guests and our vendors. We are sponsored by Bewitched Denton and the collaborative aspect of this kind of work is amazing! I think our city as a whole loves unique, one of a kind experiences that you can only get from these “little” artists and businesses who have big dreams.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

When it comes to my own art, the most rewarding aspect is when a customer has been touched by my work. When they come to see me and show me a photo of where they hung their found objects piece they bought from me at a market or pull their little cat from their bag they bought a year ago and still take with them everywhere. These are the things that bring me the most joy when it comes to my work. Now that I have been making for while I also love when people recognize my work in Bewitched or online before seeing the tag. I really enjoy creating pieces that are uniquely mine.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

I feel very strongly that anyone in our community can support artists and creatives. Art can be expensive to purchase because of how much time and effort it takes for artists to create it, but you definitely don’t have to make a purchase to be supportive. A like, share, or tag on social media can go a very long way. All of the vendors/artists at Every Witch Way Denton and other markets around town also love having people see their art and ask questions. By visiting a market, taking photos, and tagging that market or event you are giving other people quick access to the businesses who are participating. While as small businesses we do need sales to thrive, getting our name and work out there is the only way to make that happen, so seeing art and sharing it with others is an extremely important part of it. Another fantastic way to support artists is helping with supplies. If you are cleaning out your closet and find a bag of yarn you thought you would use and didn’t, but you remember there is an artist at one of your local markets who works with yarn, donate it to them! I can’t express how appreciated this kind of gesture can be!

Contact Info:

• Website: n/a
• Instagram: @woolenwitchcrafts @everywitchwaydenton
• Facebook: Woolen Witch Crafts
• Other: Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/WoolenWitchCrafts