Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Madelyn Howard. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Madelyn , appreciate you joining us today. Can you take us back in time to the first dollar you earned as a creative – how did it happen? What’s the story?
I started doing craft fairs selling my work, my first event was a Christmas event in NY. I remember selling my first piece of jewelry, and people commenting how unique of a piece it was. My favorite jewelry pieces to make is with shed skin from my ball python Lulu. She’s been a constant source of encouragement and inspiration for me, so it means a lot that she can be incorporated into my work, and that other people appreciate it as much as I do. I remember soon thereafter going to the local grocery store and seeing someone wearing one of those pieces, and remarking how much they loved it. Those moments mean more to me and are more valuable than anything monetary I will ever gain, though of course that is nice too.
Madelyn , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
My name is Madelyn Howard, I’m originally from the Hudson Valley area of New York and now reside in the Tampa Bay area of Florida. I started Nervous Knit Creations as an adventurous endeavor in my crafts and art. The name comes from I use knitting as a coping skill for my anxiety, and the repetitive motions of the craft helps calm my nervous energy. The creations part was added on after, as I started expanding and creating other things other than knitting. I have been very open about my struggle with anxiety, and have had discussions at shows of how my art has helped me. I also consider myself an advocate for mental health, so I hope I can also encourage and inspire others to pursue their dreams. I still struggle daily with my anxiety issues, but my desire to create burns bright and is my encouragement to keep showing up as myself everyday in spite of it.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
My goal is to spread my artistic vision to others, to always be unique and be yourself. I’ve found naming my small business Nervous Knit Creations has strikes so many great conversations with people, and that really brings me a joy in and of itself. Mental health has such a stigma surrounding it, even still, so I appreciate when others share their stories with me after hearing some of my story. Art and crafting has really rescued me from a dark place, I love doing it and I want to do it for the rest of my life. Being able to connect with others while doing it is a huge plus.
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
I feel the best is to buy art from local artists. I understand not everyone is always able to do that, but please, if you come by my table at an event, take several business cards and hand them out to people. Follow on social media, share work, create exposure. Every little bit helps. Aside from the business aspect though, I believe the arts need to be supported in schools and encouraged. Art was always my favorite subject in school, having different art mediums to work with was always a pleasure. I hope more funding can be given to art programs in the future.
Contact Info:
- Website: etsy.com/shop/NervousKnitCreations
- Instagram: @magicalmaddy94