We were lucky to catch up with Brianne Squillante recently and have shared our conversation below.
Brianne, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your creative career sooner or later?
I am really happy that I started my creative career when I did. I am a firm believer that everyone is right where they are meant to be and I do believe all of my prior experiences led me to begin a new chapter that I am passionate about at the right time. Becoming an artist professionally was never a goal of mine. When I studied Graphic Design at Auburn University, I always loved that art classes were a large part of the curriculum. Painting, printmaking and pottery really stood out to me and that is where I often found myself playing around in my free time.
After college I spent almost 9 years in Charleston, SC and that played a significant role in my creative path. After working in a hybrid creative and technical role at Amazon’s self-publishing subsidiary, I really started to grow fond of the more technical aspects of the SAAS industry. After relocating to my hometown in Alabama and working in more technical roles for 8+ years, I decided it was time to get back to my creative roots. I had two young daughters and really wanted more flexibility. I also had been feeling a strong pull to pursue a business of my own. At the time, I didn’t know what that would be.
So I started at square one with what I had enjoyed in the past. I had some ideas that I wanted to execute for my daughters’ rooms so I found a nearby pottery studio that was offering a hand building class. I was hooked! After creating some plates and botanical hangings, I knew this was something I either needed to pursue or keep as a creative hobby. With some encouragement from my peers, I decided to put myself out there and start publishing my creative endeavors on Instagram. This was incredibly scary for me. I felt very exposed, but decided to trust the process. Lean in as they say…What was the worst that could happen?
Six months in, I was playing around in my kitchen and had an idea to make a bow out of clay. That would be cute in a little girls room, right? I started documenting my creations and received really positive feedback on my work while I was perfecting my craft. So I decided to schedule my first online release of ribbons. To my surprise, I sold around 30 ribbons in a single day. I was floored!
I have since purchased my own kiln and currently work out of a home studio and schedule my releases every few months. I let my subscribers have first access to my inventory and they clean me out every time!
I do believe each opportunity before starting on this journey was important to my story. Each of them either taught me an important skill that I now use or helped me gain perspective of why creating is an important part of who I am. Even if one day I do decide to get back into the technical world, I will always make time for creating.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Brianne is the founder and maker behind The Little Creative Company. Focusing on whimsical decorative objects, Brianne is focused on filling a gap in the market with handmade decorative pieces for children’s room and nurseries. The product I am most known for are my ceramic wall ribbons. Each product is handmade in my home studio and I am currently expanding my product offering to include tabletop objects.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
One of the most important things that I have had to unlearn is that you cannot please everyone. When I started out, I was just so happy that anyone wanted to buy my products that I would NEVER say no even if it meant overworking myself. My releases are a limited number of inventory and afterwards, I am always left feeling like I have let a bunch of people down. I have learned to shift my thinking and remember why I started in the first place. Quality work is more important than quantity – always!
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
I love knowing that my pieces hang on the walls of peoples most treasured spaces. Many of my customers hang ribbons in their nurseries and this feels extra special because I know how much time and attention mothers put into making their child’s first room feel special and perfect.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://thelittlecreativecompany.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/little.creative.company
Image Credits
headshot: Nicky Mendenhall Others: my photos