Today we’d like to introduce you to Chanamon Ratanalert
Hi Chanamon, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Where to start… well, I’ve always loved drawing and being creative, but it wasn’t really encouraged when I was growing up. I didn’t really get to do much more than doodling in the margins of my notebooks and grade school art classes because traditional academics were emphasized as more important for your future. I would take every opportunity I had to be artistic though, from volunteering to paint children’s hospital windows during high school to doing graphics for clubs in college.
It wasn’t really until I started my full-time tech job in my 20s that I spent more time on creative outlets, to offset how boring and stressful my job was. Eventually, I wanted to act out my dream of being an artist in a small way by starting my art business on the side. After burning out and quitting my 9-to-5, I found a lot more fulfillment in selling my art and running the business, so I decided to finally make it my full-time job. It’s been a lot of hard work and many ups and downs since then, but I am finding a lot more joy and personal growth now than ever before.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
As you can imagine, the transition from a secure office job with a high salary to a small business owner with no guaranteed income is a rough one. The biggest battle I’ve had to face is with having confidence in myself and in my business. When you’re your own boss, you don’t have to follow anyone’s orders, but you are also the only one that can motivate you to do the work. I imagine for many people, the motivation comes from the joy of the work or believing strongly that you will succeed, but I often struggle with self-confidence. I often doubt that my work is any good and that others will enjoy it. Even successes that occur right before my very eyes are met with thoughts of the success being fleeting or a fluke.
It took me a while to see enough success in my business to believe it had a good foundation to build upon. It took even longer for me to recognize that I have a lot of the smarts and tenacity it takes to run a small business on one’s own. I still struggle with having confidence that my business can scale to enough to support my family and that I can have a lasting career as a full-time artist. But as with anything else, there is no telling what the future may hold, so I just focus on what is happening in the present and take each step one at a time.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Maison Chanamon?
My business is called Maison Chanamon and I sell cute and colorful stationery and gifts. The mission behind my brand is to embrace silliness through life’s ups and downs. In the age of social media where everyone’s successes are magnified beyond reality, I think my authenticity and vulnerability with my brand sets me apart. Online and in real life, I try to be as real and truthful as I can be about the happiness and turmoil running a small business has brought me. I also live with mental illness and speak on that often, aiming to break the stigma and encouraging others to talk about mental health more often. All of this is aimed at helping others feel less alone in the world, whether they’re doubting their artistic dreams, struggling with life’s challenges, or resenting their corporate job.
I also make these serious or stigmatized topics more approachable with cuteness and humor. I love watching customers laugh at and relate to my stickers with tongue-in-cheek phrases like “So Blessed with Stress,” “More Espresso, Less Depresso” or the Struggle Bus Daily Pass . I want my customers to know that there is a whole community out there of people struggling with similar issues and connect on their shared experiences, good or bad.
Of course I also make a lot of stuff just because it’s silly or cute and I just like it. I think there’s a lovely balance to be held between heavy topics and the light, meaningless things that bring us joy, much like in life itself.
NOTE TO EDITOR: Please hyperlink the products I mentioned:
“So Blessed with Stress,” (https://chanamon.com/products/so-blessed-with-stress-sticker)
“More Espresso, Less Depresso” (https://chanamon.com/products/more-espresso-less-depresso-sticker)
“Struggle Bus Daily Pass” (https://chanamon.com/products/struggle-bus-pass-holographic-sticker)
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.chanamon.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maisonchanamon
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/maisonchanamon
Image Credits
Photo of artist by Soraya Matos
Product photos by Chanamon Ratanalert, Faith Cao, and If Only Creative