We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Cat Widner. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Cat below.
Cat, appreciate you joining us today. Earning a full time living from one’s creative career can be incredibly difficult. Have you been able to do so and if so, can you share some of the key parts of your journey and any important advice or lessons that might help creatives who haven’t been able to yet?
Since I was in high school I was chasing the dream of being an artist full-time. Most people told me I couldn’t do it. That there was no money to be made as an artist and I definitely couldn’t do it as a full-time gig.
Honeysuckle Handmade Studio started in 2016 as a way to cultivate my artwork outside of my teaching career. Like most small businesses, growing took time and when the pandemic hit my business was just at a point that I felt comfortable diving into it completely. I had so many people saying things like “how is retirement,” “what do you do with all of your time off?” These statements hurt. The idea some people have of artists running small businesses makes me sad because this work is hard and so rewarding.
The moment I stepped away from teaching my work developed, my concepts grew stronger, and my craft became better. The time of an 8 hour work day became totally creative. I was able to process design ideas, try new things, learn new ways of making that took my business to the next level. It seemed I was no longer “crafting” but instead making jewelry that people wanted.
Cat, 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?
The desert winds dance through the long stems of the creosote, kissing the sandstone walls, swooping over the rivers as they carve the canyons, swirling over the globe mallow and sage to meet the yucca as it blooms. The prickly pear has reached out to touch the prairie fire paintbrush as the woman dissolves into the land.
My work is derived from the land, each bead a metaphor for the grains of desert sand, the colors reflecting those we see outside, each metal piece formed to carry the organic and geometric shapes we find in nature. My desire to create is intrinsic, it is a necessity. It belongs in the space between human and nature, it speaks to the connection, the relationship, and the love that lives there.
Art has always been an essential part of my life, through childhood and now. I had the pleasure of attending the University of Tennessee, Knoxville to earn my MS in Teacher Education and BFA in Printmaking and Drawing, with a minor in Art History. I was an art teacher for 8 years, stepping away in 2020 to pursue Honeysuckle Handmade Studio as my full-time job and passion.
Honeysuckle Handmade Studio mostly makes jewelry, handmade books and naturally dyed bandanas. My work is inspired by the desert and our natural spaces around us, allowing my customers to wear something in their everyday that brings pieces of the outside world with them. My work is intended to bring a boldness, a statement, and a feeling of empowerment to my customers. I create jewelry for connection.
I am most proud of my business model. Since I started Honeysuckle, I have committed to giving back. I pick a non-profit each month that focuses on social and environmental justice to donate ten percent of my sales to. You can see the non-profits on my website to find out more.
What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?
To best support artists and creatives, society can step it up in a lot of ways. One of the best things is obviously to shop small. To find small businesses when thinking of something you need or want instead of turning to big box stores or the online shop we allllllll know of that has everything, avoid that place.
Some useful tools to find small businesses: start with the internet, you can search Google, Etsy, and Instagram for what you are looking for. If you want to search Instagram, start with hashtags (example #handmadeearrings) to see a lot of different accounts pop up. This is a great way to find small businesses to support.
Another way to support artists and creatives is interacting with them on social media. This may sound silly but this is one of the best ways for us to grow our small businesses. Commenting, liking, and sharing posts truly helps artists get their name out there and is something you can do without spending money. As an artist, it means the world to me when someone reaches out to say something about my work and can reignite my passion for what I am doing day in and day out.
If you have a space for artists to sell things, invite them in to sell! Host an art market, keep their work in your space and take a small cut for selling their work (opposed to a large cut because we are all just trying to make it out here). This is another way you can provide opportunities without spending money if you can’t support financially.
These are just some great ways to cultivate our creative ecosystem!
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
For me, the most rewarding aspect of being an artist is seeing my work being worn. I love being out and about and seeing my earrings on someone at the crag, at a concert, at the grocery store. Sometimes it stops me in my tracks to know people resonate with my work, that they love the pieces they purchase from me. This brings me so much awe, joy, and happiness. Thank you to those of you that do love my work <3.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.honeysucklehandmadestudio.com
- Instagram: Honeysucklehandmadestudio