Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kasey Claytor. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Kasey, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today I’m sure there have been days where the challenges of being an artist or creative force you to think about what it would be like to just have a regular job. When’s the last time you felt that way? Did you have any insights from the experience?
As a creative artist I have wavering thoughts about this occasionally. This is only because of the instability and overworking as a business owner. I never know how much I’m going to make from week to week or day to day even. I also don’t think about all the extra things I’d be doing after making the creative artwork to keep the business side flowing. Most people punch into their jobs and then when they punch out, they’re done for the day. Not when you are running a business it’s a 24/7 job that you never stop working. It’s all on you to keep it running and keep up on the trends, which I feel change daily. Even with all this added work and extra anxieties, I wouldn’t change it for the world.
I don’t seem to let the worries and fears creep in quite as much anymore or think of what it would be like to have a “regular job.” I have put 100% of my time and efforts into building my brand and reaching out to my community, building a name for myself. This is something I have grown all on my own, with the help of others advice along the way of course. I wouldn’t change it or go back.
So YES ABSOLULTY! I am extremely happy and fulfilled as a creative artist just knowing I am able to purse something I love and support myself and create jobs for others down the road pushes me to keep going and not think of going back to a “regular job”.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers?
My love of crafts started when I was a kid. My mom was always getting crafty and artsy teaching me many techniques along the way. I didn’t really appreciate it as much as I can now of course. As a kid I was a huge collector of earthly treasures and then about 10 years ago it was reignited I re-fell in love with crystals and would acquire them for my own collection and working with their energies. Around 8 years ago I started making natural stone bracelets for myself because I didn’t want the generic ones you can get at the store and look like everyone else. I like to have my own styles and wanted stones that would be specific for healing me. People would see me wearing them and started to ask me where I purchased them. As a server I would be at my tables and people were wanting to buy them right off my wrists!
At that point I knew I was on to something. I started to sell my bracelets to people just as a side hustle. Then I went mining a couple of years later and decided I wanted to get into wire wrapping some of the crystals I had found, this was a huge hit too. Soon enough people were trying to buy those right off of me as well. I started to do custom pieces only to help fund my love of crystals and crafts. Then I was at a shop one day and saw these wire wrapped trees and thought, “hey, I could make a tree.” I wanted to make something so unique to others personalities and something that wasn’t only a beautiful piece but a functional piece. I created trees that were for Mother’s Day with the children being represented in the leaves and the bases being the children. I posted it on Facebook as just a “look what I did for my family members” these took off like wildfire. People were putting in custom orders left and right. I was able to build a foundation for more items to be made. I was creating piece after piece feeling fulfilled but still like there was a piece to the puzzle missing. How can I get these into the community, past the immediate people I see everyday and know on Facebook?
There it was a friend of mine that told me of craft events in the area, customers were telling me to try them out, I was so hesitant at first. The nerves of putting my creations out there and hearing the feed back, wether good or bad, is more that nerve wracking. The more I’ve gone to events, the more I’ve flourished and been able to spread my love of crystals as well as share their energy with my community. I started to carry individual crystals to be able to have the customer pick a stone that resonates with them and that way I can turn it into a beautiful art piece they can wear.
Now as I’ve grown more knowledgable and confident in what I do I am to be able to teach people about the many ways to use crystals. People come to me to ask how they can use crystals in their daily lives and the healing benefits each one has. If they have an ailment or know someone with one people can come to me for guidance on a holistic approach. No I’m not a doctor and for serious conditions I still advise to seek medical advice. I teach that crystals can provide a deep nurturing and healing like no medicine ever could.
I believe what has set me apart from other crystal shops or jewelry businesses is that I don’t just want to sell you a crystal, I won’t push one on you just because it makes me a profit. I want you to truly feel comfortable when you come into my shop, to know I’m here for guidance whatever that may be. If “I don’t know the answer we will find out together,” this is something is say often because I’m not all knowing and never will be, there is still so much to learn and so much to be taught. I always tell people “take some deep breaths, focus on what it is you want to gain from your experience with your crystal/stone and then start looking for what you’d like” If it’s not out there then the stones aren’t for you at this time. Never just pick one because you feel you need to buy something, do it with intention and purpose because these are tools you can use over and over again for a life time. Even if you don’t find something this time, you might the next or if you’re looking for something in particular I can refer you to other businesses or try to help hunt it down. It’s all about healing and helping in my business not just making a profit, that’s just the benefit to what I can do.
Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?
Yes! Being in the creative journey isn’t just about making the art, it’s also about the business side of the journey once you start making a living at it. This is the hard part that most people, like me, don’t think about when starting out.
There are many FREE resources that our tax dollars are already paying for in order to help you get started and keep going. There is one in my area called SCORE, it’s a group of people from tax accountants, mentors, bank associates, small business managers etc. that will help you get started on the right foot. They have places like this in every state/ county. There are many classes to choose from like home-based businesses, how to do taxes, how to start a business, running the day to day, etc. They will also provide you with a personal mentor that you can ask questions anytime, meet up with in person and help you along the way of your journey. There are also people within that umbrella that provide discounts for startup businesses and will help you to understand the basics of running a business. There is also the SBA small business association who help plan and provide loans to small startups. You can find free online classes through your local library that will provide additional information to help guide you as well as many informational books you can loan. Joining your local chamber of commerce can all be beneficial to launching your brand and networking with others in your area to get the word out about your business.
As far as learning more about your craft/art you can find resources though local classes in person, Instagram or even YouTube. Which I’m sure if you’re creative you know this, there’s always room to learn a new technique.
If you’re looking for vendor events call the local chamber of commerce in each city you are looking to vend in they know events that will be going on and who to contact. Join every vendor Facebook page there is in order to generate leads, verify they are real events by calling the city or phone number provided to ask for additional information before paying There are scammers out there looking for a free handout. Also check out the events page to see what’s going on in your community and what you can apply to. Type in craft events in xyz to see what’s happening in your state if you want to travel. At your first event get to know the people around you and what events they do, get emails & phone numbers so you can reach out and have a friend out there at these events with you. It’s always fun to meet like-minded people on the same creative journey as you. Again, you can always learn something new.
The next resources are social media make sure you keep a profile for your creative business. Post daily in the feed, reels and story. Be relatable and show people the process of your day in the life of your creative process if you don’t show how it’s made, they will never know the long process it takes to get them their art.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
Yes, I do have a mission and a goal.
Firstly, my mission is to teach people about the healing energy we can receive from the earth if we just slow down long enough to pay attention. There is an ancient wisdom through stones & herbs that dates to the beginning of human existence. I believe that this type of healing is still relevant in today’s day and age. Through my creative pieces of jewelry, trees and even the individual crystals I can help others in that journey.
My goal is to have a place in which people can come and feel comfortable, calm, and accepted. To make a space that not only includes my art & natural stones but a place for other like-minded artists to be able to sell their items as well. It will have tarot readers, Mediums and the like. Yes, there are places like this out there but it’s not mine and we need more of them to spread this positivity out into the world.
Contact Info:
- Website: Kaseyskeepsakes.com
- Instagram: @kaseyskeepsakes
- Facebook: Kasey’s Keepsakes
Image Credits
Kasey Claytor Madelyn Buttler