Today we’d like to introduce you to Indy Lau.
Hi Indy, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My name is Indy, and I started Doodles by Indy back in 2020. I’ve always been an artist and loved all things art– from going to museums and galleries to drawing on every surface possible as a kid. It’s something that never went away even as an adult. Fast forward to 2020 when I started making fun, custom stickers for friends and coworkers. When I lost my job that year, I decided to take the plunge and open up an online store to sell more stickers. Surprisingly, it started going well and that’s when I made more and more stickers and new product– including pins, keychains, and greeting cards. What started as a hobby later turned into a side hustle in which I can sell online and at in-person markets.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Being a small business owner means that you have to step out of your comfort zone sometimes. I’ve always been a shy individual, and being an artist (which is an individual activity) has limited my interactions with people. Add on being an online seller has not made it any more easier. However, I realized that being the face of my own brand meant that I NEEDED to interact with others. It forced me to communicate with my customers and other business owners. Over the years, I forced myself to connect with my community, reach out to local businesses, and participate in craft fairs. I wanted to be more comfortable in having conversations with other businesses owners, and ultimately being more confident in speaking about my brand. Being shy will always be an on-going journey for me, but over the past few years I feel that we are finally building that community instead of this being a solo journey.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m an artist that loves to make stationary products. This includes stickers, greeting cards, keychains, pins, and notepads. I’m known for making cute, asian inspired products that’s mainly centered around food. One thing I love about my culture is it’s food, so I’ve always felt inspired to make products based off just that. I’m proud of spreading the joy to everyone who purchases or sees my products in person. I always get comments saying that they love certain products because it reminds them of their childhood. It brings me so much joy seeing them buy a pin, for example, with a snack I have always eaten as a kid and them now pinning and showing it off on their bag.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
With the rise of AI, I feel like we will see more hand crafted products that a machine cannot necessarily do. For example, more clay and wood work! I also feel that brand presence is imperative if you want to sell your art. Back then, artists would be able to post their work and call it a day. However, customers now want to get to know the person behind the brand. They want to know that the product they are purchasing has a human behind it. They want to know that products are authentic rather than it being AI-generated.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/doodlesbyindy/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@DoodlesbyIndy
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@doodlesbyindy?lang=en