We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jess Lanciano a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Jess, thanks for joining us today. Do you wish you had started sooner?
This is a tough one because I think the timing of everything worked out really well for me so I can’t say that I would’ve started sooner or later. I’ve always had a creative streak and used it from time to time when I was working in Higher Ed, but I left Higher Ed in 2017 after I had my son. Honestly, I felt really lost; I had left the only career I had, I felt like my formal education/degrees were being wasted, and I had to take on this whole new identity as “Mom”. So, as a new mom and home owner, I started making things for my family and our new house for fun and then a few family members and friends asked me to make stuff for them. I started to browse Pinterest and shop around Michaels and Target to find blanks and get inspiration. I slowly started making new items and opened my Etsy in 2018; all of my designs were hand stenciled, traced, and painted on. My Etsy started really taking off during the holidays and then my husband surprised me with a vinyl/material cutter for Christmas and everything has changed since. If I would’ve started later, I might’ve given myself more of an opportunity to research what owning a small business entailed instead of learning as I go and feeling “behind” like I do now, sometimes. Because of the dramatic shift my work life took when my son was born, I was able to step back and think more about where I wanted to go/what I wanted to do with my time and future and I realized that making things was really brought me joy and fulfillment. So all of that to say, I would’ve started at the same time–just as the universe intended.
Jess, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
Hey, hi, hello! I’m Jess–owner, maker, and boss woman behind Mother Procraftinator! I’ve always had a maker/creative mind and in 2017 after my son was born, my entire life shifted because I left my career in Higher Ed behind to be a stay at home mom, which is an amazing privilege and opportunity. Along with a new baby came our first house so I started making signs and decorations to give the place my pizazz and wit. It wasn’t until some of my friends and family asked me to make things for them that I even started considering beginning a small business and finally one night my husband said “You know–you could sell this stuff and probably make some money!” The rest is history. I opened my Etsy in 2018, vended at my first markets and taught vinyl cutting classes in 2019, took the same screeching halt everyone else took in 2020, joined the Maker’s of Maryland Summer Pop Up Shop in 2021 and have continued to sell in their shops throughout 2022. I’m continuing to vend at markets and my official website is launching in November 2022! Everything is on the up and up for me!
What makes your business or product unique?
Owning a small business that makes home decor with sass and uniqueness is something that I will always be proud of. I realized pretty early on that I have what I call a “superpower”. When I walk into a store like Michael’s, the Dollar Store, or Target, I can look at a blank surface (sign, cutting board, glass, etc.) and I can just “see” the final product in my head–that’s how I know I need to buy it and make it. I’ve always used this superpower when creating and coming up with products and it hasn’t failed me yet. I think this is one of the reasons that my products have a uniqueness to them–I’m not just going on Etsy and taking designs and slapping them on a wood circle. I always push myself to use blanks that look different and can be imagined as something else.
Is there a mission driving your creative journey?
I have this very distinct memory from my childhood–I think the thing right now is calling it a “core memory”–of going to a craft fair with my mom, grandma, and great grandma. I can still see the entire setup clearly in my mind; it was in a huge local firehall and I remember walking down the long rows and rows of tables looking at things that people had made. My grandmother bought these hand crocheted magnets with a plastic Santa & Mrs. Claus face attached, and this hand woven basket with a small teddy bear, gift boxes, and ribbon attached. Every year to this day, she STILL puts those decorations up at Christmas. THAT is my goal with my creative journey–to make things that go up in people’s homes that bring them joy and create everlasting stories and memories.
What do you find most rewarding about being creative?
The community that I’ve been fortunate enough to build around me. When I first started with the Maker’s of Maryland community in 2021, I just thought I was going to sell my stuff–but what ALSO happened was I met some of the most amazing people on this planet. I wouldn’t be as successful as I have been without them. The small business community can be extremely competitive, sure, but I would argue that it is the most supportive group of people, both personally and professionally. I know of at least three people off of the top of my head that I can text right now to ask about my business taxes AND if they have a recommendation for an emergency vet for my dog if I need one. I really thought that being a small business owner would be a solo journey where I had to figure everything out by myself or by Googling, but the people that I have met and built my network continue to prove that I am not alone and no question is dumb. They’ve really shown me what the meaning of a “community” is and I will always consider that to be the most rewarding aspect of being a creative.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @motherprocraftinator
- Website: MotherProcraftinator.square.
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