We were lucky to catch up with Julie Ter Borg recently and have shared our conversation below.

Julie, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?

I grew up within a very hard working and creative family. My father, a chemistry teacher by trade, was a master builder. He built my childhood home from the ground up. My mother, a history teacher, learned how to can/preserve food from our small farm and is an incredible baker. Both of my grandmother’s were seamstresses so they made me wonderful costumes and outfits. Having these talented people in my life allowed me to try so many things. I learned to sew, cook, and create from these inspirational family members. The wonderful thing was that everyone was able to express their creativity in a different manner.

For most of us, the activity was a side project, stress relief, or a way to make an extra income, so it was never my intention to create art for a living. I did not become focused on jewelry making until graduate school, when my friend took me to a bead store. I fell in love with the tiny gemstones and beads and the endless possibility of combinations. I continued on my path to become a career scientist, but making jewelry became a passion.

It was not until my friends and husband encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone and put my creativity to the forefront did I start to excel in my craft. Being a self taught maker is intimidating and self-doubt is a constant. However, my hardworking attitude (modeled by my family) drove me to succeed and continue to grow with my craft and my business acumen.

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

Being a creative and selling your art comes with an interesting internal/external battle. Artist struggle with the questions “How do I put a price on my work?” or “How do I calculate the time it takes to create a piece of jewelry as well as the years it took to hone the craft?” Creating art and selling art are two separate skills that does not come naturally to many artists.

Having worked as scientist for several Fortune 500 businesses, I gained essential experience that has translated into my own small business. Proper pricing, marketing, and keeping a finger on the pulse of customer is essential to your success. As a small business owner you are forced to wear multiple hats: creator, sales person, accountant, social media director. Small businesses cannot compete with the big box stores, but we have personal touch that cannot be beat.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

Opening my first brick and mortar in my hometown of Bel Air, Md was a turning point of my small business. I had a wonderful local following from attending local art shows, but nothing compared to the reach I had once I opened my shop. Interacting with customers daily and sharing the story or creation process behind each piece of jewelry was so much fun. It helped me find out what customers were looking for and their likes/dislikes. That learning process made me a stronger artist.

Additionally, holding workshops and featuring other local artists created a strong community presence. I strived to make coming into my boutique an experience and make gift giving fun. I met so many beautiful people and built long lasting relationships. It was hard when I moved away, but I still feel the love from my hometown online.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.JulieEllynDesigns.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/julieellyndesigns/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JulieEllynDesigns

Image Credits
Ashley Reherman Photography