We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Beth Howard. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Beth below.
Beth, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?
While I had always been a crafty, artistic person, I was completely convinced when I graduated high school that I was going to be a computer science major. Which, for two years, I was. I hated it. I could do it all, but I didn’t like any of it. A friend’s mother suggested that I look into graphic design, which would allow me to use my technical skills but be a lot more creative. Never having heard of graphic design, I naturally changed my major – practical, right? It turns out, that was exactly what I needed. I started learning ways to blend all of the things I enjoyed most into something I could actually do for a living. I’ve never looked back.
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 back background and context?
The older I got, the more I saw people trying to fit themselves into boxes instead of embracing their weird. A lot of my inspiration for Wilde Designs comes from finding ways to allow people to geek out even when they are in an environment where they might not be able to showcase the things that make them unique. My work with Wilde Designs also allows for creative freedom I may not always have in my day job as a graphic designer. I get to work with my hands on strange, oddball, super fun projects that fuel my imagination.
When a customer walks up to my table or logs on to my site, I want them to have fun. I want them to find some odd trinket or shirt that they didn’t even realize they wanted and fall madly in love with it. That’s what I do every day – I fall back in love with crafting and creating and fandom.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
I started Wilde Designs in 2007. By 2011, when my first daughter was born through emergency c-section, my online business was thriving through Etsy. Then, one one while I was up at 2am breastfeeding, I discovered that Etsy had shut my shop down. No warning, no email, and no way to appeal the decision. I spent most of the rest of the night crying and the next day in full panic mode. I was on maternity leave, I had huge bills from the emergency c-section, my hospital stay, and my daughter’s NICU stay, and suddenly my extra income was completely gone.
With support from my husband, I built my own site. He helped me navigate the new world of creating my own listings and shipping settings and a million other things I had never had to do. It took a long time, but I now do well with my stand alone site where I feel secure in curating my own experience. If I had it to do all over again, I would be more careful. I would make sure I had back ups of everything. I now keep a spreadsheet with all my product descriptions and prices, and I make sure that I am ready, should I ever find myself floundering again, to rebuild.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
A lot of what I put into Wilde Designs is for myself. I get to play and experiment. The other big things that drive me behind the scenes are spreading messages of love and acceptance and helping people showcase their true selves fully. It means a lot to me to connect customers with items and messages and fandoms that speak to them. There is always a way to let your personality shine through, and there is always a way to spread love. If I can help somebody do that, even just a little bit, it feels like a huge win.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.wildehandmade.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wildegeeks
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wildegeeks
- Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/wildegeeks