We were lucky to catch up with Sarah Zimmerman recently and have shared our conversation below.

Sarah, appreciate you joining us today. Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?

I’ve been extremely fortunate to be able to currently earn a full-time living from my creative work. I have had a ton of support along the way. Not just from friends and family but also from an incredible online community of crafters, crocheters, and fellow bloggers. I started crafting and crocheting as a hobby but it quickly turned into a passion and a business. It took me a few years to really find my niche but when I learned more about the technical side of a website management and growth through social media channels, I was able to see a real profit from my work. I began teaching and collaborating with larger brands. This elevated my business to the next level and gave me additional sources of income.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context?

For as long as I can remember I’ve loved arts & crafts. I would enter in coloring contests as a kid and always gravitated toward the latest craft craze (friendship bracelets, lanyards, etc). My first job as a teenager was teaching art at a local summer camp. I graduated from the University of Washington with a degree in visual arts and started working professionally as a graphic designer. My eye for design and color helped me into the next phase of my life where I started my own business as a craft blogger.

When I became a stay-at-home mom, I started to doing a lot of crafts with my kids and shortly after my second son was born I taught myself how to crochet. Wanting to make fun hats for my kids, I watched online videos and followed book tutorials. I learned to crochet quickly and unleashed a hidden talent I never knew I had! I decided to take this hobby and passion for crochet to the next level and started writing my own patterns.

What started as a blog has turned into a thriving business; with growth each year. I work full time from my home yarn studio creating fresh, cute, and contemporary crochet designs with a creative flair that appeals to all ages. I post my patterns and tutorials weekly on RepeatCrafterMe.com and currently have on-going partnerships with Spinrite Yarns and Michaels Craft Store.

In addition, I’m proud to have written [and published] two crochet books. My most recent book titled “Crochet Cute Critters” still holds the spot as a #1 best seller on Amazon!

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I wish I had embraced digital video earlier as a means to engage with my audience. Including YouTube, TikTok, Reels, and others. Since taking the leap forward, I have really enjoyed the creative process of filming, editing, and posting videos. Obviously this medium is going to continue to flourish across all social channels. For instance you can’t even get on Instagram today without even watching videos.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

Honestly, I believe my audience on social media is tied to my commitment early on to provide free crochet patterns and craft tutorials to help guide those in a similar position where I started. I wanted to help, not profit from them and that has been my guiding principle during this decade long journey. I have built such a supportive online community across multiple platforms that help each other and can use my patterns in their own small business shops, craft fairs, and seasonal gift giving.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.repeatcrafterme.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/repeatcrafterme/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RepeatCrafterMe/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/RepeatCrafterMe

Image Credits
Photo credit: Harley Bonham Photography @harleybonhamphotography