We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Abigail Francis a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Abigail, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today I’m sure there have been days where the challenges of being an artist or creative force you to think about what it would be like to just have a regular job. When’s the last time you felt that way? Did you have any insights from the experience?
I actually was working as a Bank Teller before I switched to making macramé and fiber art full-time. I started making macramé as a hobby while I was working for the bank, and I sold a few plant hangers to some coworkers and friends. I started to branch out more with my craft and sell at a local Artists Market, and was encouraged to continue to pursue my skills in this artwork. While I was growing in my craft and learning how to run a business, I started to become really unhappy at my bank job. While it had aspect of it that I really liked, such as consistent pay, clearly defined expectations, and reliable schedules, it was becoming soul-sucking and creativity-stifling. I ended up coming to a difficult decision regarding my career choice. Sacrifice was going to have to be made one way or another. Did I want to sacrifice my consistent pay and schedule of my bank job to pursue making art fulltime? Or did I want to sacrifice my mental health and creative expression to keep the bank job? It was a scary decision, but ultimately, I took the leap and started to pursue my art and use the extra time I had now to grow my business. I have since been running my fiber art small business for two and a half years now. While it is definitely not as consistent as a regular 9-5 job, in my opinion, its far more worth it. I get to choose my workload, schedule, and priorities. I spend my time making money doing what I love. I am able to live my life around my passion and make adjustments based on my capacity in any given season. I am so happy I decided to take the risk of quitting my bank job to pursue my passion of macramé and fiber art!
Abigail, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I created Meraki Macramé in March of 2021. It started out as a hobby for myself, which then branched into a small Instagram page. Before too long, I was selling at a few local shops and participating in local craft fairs. I got to meet so many new people along the way, gather fresh inspiration, and make new connections. The way people came alongside me and encouraged me to take the next step always motivated me to keep growing. What started as a money-making hobby turned into a full-time job where I get to do what I love every day. I left my day job at a bank to put my time and energy into growing this dream. It was definitely one of the biggest risks I’ve ever done, but the biggest risks often bring the greatest rewards.
I now sell online as well as in 11 other locations across the US. Each piece, I make is filled with love and creativity. Running my own small business has been one of the most challenging yet rewarding experiences I have ever gone through. I’ve had to learn a lot of lessons along the way. How to accept the no’s along with the yes’s.
How to see less than ideal circumstances as learning experiences and not failures. How to celebrate the successes no matter how small. I am always learning how to do my work better, but I also make sure that I never lose sight of the reason behind my business. It is not just about making money; it’s about making beauty
My business is all about Macramé! I pride myself on having a little bit of everything for everyone. Are you into plants? I have a plethora of plant hangers in all sorts of colors, designs, and sizes. Do you like wall hangings? I got you covered! I have simple hoop décor to elaborate driftwood tapestries to fit any size of wall space you might have. Do you prefer functional, practical art? I have coasters, wall shelves, mirrors, camera lanyards, and hat hangers that fit that bill. Do you like macramé but don’t have the space in your house for it? I have small keychains, wristlets, car diffusers, and a rearview mirror decal that will be the perfect mini macramé addition to your car!
I also have a wide range of prices. From $5 to $300, I’ve got something for everyone’s budget. You don’t need to break your bank to support a small business. Each and every purchase makes a huge difference! Something I pride myself on about my small business is where I get my material from. I use recycled cotton cords in all my creations that another small business makes. They take discarded textiles that would otherwise go into a landfill and repurpose it into cord and yarn for fellow makers like myself to create sustainable art! By sourcing my materials this way, not only am I doing my part to take care of this beautiful planet, but I am also supporting another small business with my small business!
My online shop is also a huge achievement for me in this business. Not only can you find all my items for sale there, but you can also read my story, learn about upcoming events, and find my shop locations. You can also place custom orders on my website! If you have a specific design, shape, size, or style you had in mind, you can make that customization on the website and get your very own unique piece of macramé shipped to you within the next few days of ordering.
In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?
I am a huge advocate and supporter of shopping small. Supporting small businesses creates a much larger economic impact than one might realize. Every purchase from a small or local business helps to grow the local economy which creates a flourishing environment. Shopping small also supports individuals who have worked hard to create a product or service to support themselves and their loved ones. While it might be easier and more convenient to just buy a product from a Big Box store or a massive online shop, your purchase doesn’t have nearly as much impact on them as it would on a small business. Another advantage of shopping small is that the products are not only higher quality, but also ethically made. Large corporations are so focused on making as much margin as possible, that they will cut as many corners as they can. This can look like underpaying workers or using child-labor, making products with cheap material that wont last, or overpricing items in order to make a larger profit. Small businesses take pride in their products and services, and you can be sure that you will get your money’s worth when you shop small and local businesses. If you want to support small businesses without spending money, that’s totally possible! Some ways you can do this is by following their social media pages and sharing them, telling your friends about the business so they can potentially give them your business, and spreading awareness of the impact of shopping small.
I know it’s not always possible to shop small all the time, but I like to encourage people to shop small when and where they are able to!
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
I get to do what I love every day. I don’t have to live a double life of going to a job I hate so I can afford the life I want, but instead, I do a job I love so my life is already the one I want. Sure, I might not always be able to afford super nice things or vacations, but the feeling of making a living off of selling art that I’ve created is priceless. It’s one of the best feelings ever to hear people talk about where they’re going to put my artwork in their homes. I love knowing that this is a profession that I can take as far as I want. I can continue to grow, expand, and perfect my art as each season allows. I love going into my creative space and getting into the artistic flow that breathes life into my work. Every item I sell is handmade and customized, and it’s such a rewarding feeling to know that the hard work of my hands is going to be purchased and loved by someone out there!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.shopmerakimacrame.com
- Instagram: @meraki.macrame24
- Facebook: @meraki.macrame24
Image Credits
Personal Photo, Mary Grace friar, Osnap Photography