We recently connected with Boone Sasser and have shared our conversation below.
Boone , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?
I am so thankful to call this my full-time job! I started sewing Kawaii themed plushies that I thought my 19 month old daughter would like. I created a website using Squarespace and started an Instagram account and the rest is history. I sold my first batch of plushies in May of 2021. I made sure to be consistent with my restock schedule, prices, and the quality of my plushies, to treat this new passion like a dream job and everything that comes with it. Improvements in style, a desire to constantly innovate, and the quality of materials caused my prices to increase. I started at $40 per plushie and that same plushie sells for $135 -$165 now. My most exclusive plushie sells for $350. I release my plushies bi-weekly in small batches. I want to insure each handmade Soft Sprinkle plushie is made to last, by using the highest quality fabrics and utmost attention to detail. Delivering joy and smiles is my overall goal! “Sprinkle love and Sparkle with Joy!” is my motto :)
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers
I have always been an artist focused on fine arts, drawing hyper realistic portraits. After having my daughter I felt the need to explore more creative avenues. I tried so many new mediums to discover a new niche…. acrylic/resin art, water color portraits, sculpting, and then luckily fabric. I have always had a love for toys of any kind. I wanted to purchase a special plushie for my daughter… but the ones out there were not exactly what I wanted. So I tried making her one. I bought a few plushies from a thrift store and tore them apart to see how they were made. I mean do you know what safety eyes are?! Neither did I! One sewn creation quickly turned into ten. I liked the whimsical creative process of designing & sewing the plushies. I would think of the land that these creatures were from, what they ate, sounded like, and how they would be as a companion with their human. It was as if I was playing with childhood toys all over again! I was hooked. I wanted to take my creations to the next level. I decided on the name “Soft Sprinkles”, designed a logo, and created a website. I created a teddy and fish inspired by Sanrio in the beginning. I design my plushies from start to finish. I sketch out my idea, create a pattern, and start sewing. And believe it or not stuffing a plushie is harder than you think. I make a point to create from the heart and imagination. Having a goal of creating 6-8 plushies every 2 weeks is the right mix of challenge and time to me. A lot of plushie makers take preorders, customs, or just have a high expectation of what is wanted from them. I see them slowly wilt & and lose their creative drive from the pressure that they experience. To avoid that I try to keep a realistic work schedule, to create small achievable creative goals as well as achievable business goals. For example: improve my packaging, engage social media presence via algorithm research , and create new patterns to sew. I have managed to sell plushies to people on every corner of the globe, Australia, Singapore, Italy, Peru, England, Canada, and of course North America. I love the fact that I help people all over the world imagine and create memories through play. I’m proud of the craftsmanship I put into my plushies and how everyone enjoys my creative efforts. Creating something that people appreciate and love is what motivates me.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
It’s quite simple for me… I have only the need to create. My goal is to be the best version of myself creatively. This to me is what it means to be truly happy. Some say it’s not possible to have it all… but when your needs/wants are few and pure, you can do it.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
I tried and enjoyed so many different mediums before falling in love with fabric/sewing. I truly love the fact that as an artist I can fill my creative tank by bringing art into existence through different mediums. I could be stranded on an island but as long as there is sand for sandcastles and seashells for jewelry I will thrive. For me having the ability to make life purposeful by creating art is so rewarding.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://softsprinkles.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soft_sprinkles/
Image Credits
(Photo of deer plushie being held) Ig@ ponyy.lover