Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Abby Price. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, Abby thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s been one of the most interesting investments you’ve made – and did you win or lose? (Note, these responses are only intended as entertainment and shouldn’t be construed as investment advice)
One of the best investments I’ve made as a small business owner is to offer my time and skills for traded services. One of my best friends is a full-time photographer, and was generously doing photo shoots of my products for free. I felt guilty because I knew her work deserved compensation I didn’t have the capacity to offer. At the same time, she was overwhelmed by managing her social media on top of everything else, and trying to find someone to take it over for her. Bottom line, neither of us had the money to pay for the services we needed for our businesses to succeed – for her, social media, for me, photos.
I was considering taking her up on doing her social media for her but honestly felt awkward agreeing to be paid by a good friend, especially knowing we were in the same less-than-ideal boat financially. I finally had a light bulb moment and suggested we trade services! She immediately felt as relieved as I did at this idea. Not only did this provide each of us with the services we needed for zero money, but it also relieved the guilt I was feeling of not being able to pay my friend what she deserved. It’s also added value to our business neither of us could have expected: this business agreement between friends has helped us establish more much-needed consistency – I treat her social media like a part-time job, and she treats my photoshoots like a scheduled monthly appointment.
Perhaps most valuable of all is the creative inspiration this collaboration has brought to both of our businesses. Now, because we have even more investment in what each other are doing, we are constantly thinking up ways to help market each other’s businesses better, to dream bigger, bouncing ideas off of each other and inspiring each other.
My advice would be to think creatively about what you can offer people beyond money in order to fill an area of lack in your business. And, especially when it comes to friends, make sure to establish good expectations beforehand (and revisit them as needed). Our friendship is more important to us than the success of our business partnership, and I think having good expectations has really helped us not sacrifice that.
Abby, 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 Abby and I’m still getting used to calling myself an artist – but yes, I am an artist! I have been painting/dancing/drawing/writing/designing apparel in my head for as long as I can remember. When I was a pre-teen, I also became obsessed with the thrill of hunting for that most gorgeous, dynamic, one-of-a-kind piece at local boutiques and thrift stores. It’s something about the story being knitted into a new expression of who I am; the ingredient of meaning that can’t be found at Urban Outfitters or H&M.
In recent years I’ve learned that that meaning has much to do with sustainability, artistry, accessibility, and the art of shopping slow.
The concept for Zest Studio crystallized when I found fertile ground for it in Portugal. Two weeks of immersing myself in the vibrant, winding streets and whimsical parks of Lisbon provided the perfect space to explore the idea of launching my own business, a dream I had never truly nurtured before.
In Lisbon, everyone effortlessly wears bright clothing, harmonizing with the azure skies, tangerine sun, lemon trees, and pastel buildings. I was drenched in inspiration. Anticipating the gloomy winter days back home, I glanced down at my neutral outfit and realized I had the chance to harmonize the creative energy I feel with the clothes I feel drawn to as a lifestyle to offer others —to create & dress for ZEST.
Fashion and art have always intertwined in my world—thrifting inspires my creations, and creating motivates my fashion choices, driven more by stories than trends. The narrative embedded in each piece is what adds the depth that, in my view, legitimizes fashion (and more importantly, the process of discovering it) as art just as much as my paintings are art.
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?
I think one of the most frustrating expectations non-artists (and other artists, for that matter) put on artists is to “find your thing and stick to it.” At first, I really struggled and went through a 6 month period of honestly being pretty paralyzed in my art journey, because I couldn’t figure out what my “thing” was – I had way too many styles, processes, mediums, ideas to explore! I’ve since let go of that and learned to trust the process – that what my art becomes is what it was meant to me. We are so much more dynamic and complex as artists than one limited expression. The whole premise of creation is discovery – when we cut ourselves off from that in the name of having a more concise “brand” we not only cut ourselves off from discovering something beautiful in art, but also discovering something beautiful in ourselves.
Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
The Artists Way. I can’t recommend this book enough if you are trying to break out of perfectionism and into the mindset of creativity as a simply gorgeous, freeing, life-giving and unequivocal truth about who you are.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ArtbyAbbyPrice, https://www.depop.com/zeststudio/
- Instagram: @shopzeststudio
Image Credits
all images: Mariah Selena Portraits