We recently connected with Erin Morrow and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Erin thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s jump right into how you came up with the idea?
In the spring of 2020, I found myself at a very low point in my life. Covid Quarantine had just started, and I began working remotely for the first time in my life. I had recently made the decision to walk away from a toxic relationship, so I was completely alone and isolated for the first time in my life. I knew that I needed to find an outlet to keep me going during this time. I have always been creative and found a lot of joy in painting and creating. Through the years I would move from one medium to another trying anything that piqued my interests. I was quilling, doing ceramics, painting, pressing flowers- anything that brought joy.
I began seeing polymer clay artists on Instagram, I decided to give it a try. While I had no formal instruction, I kept creating and trying new techniques, I researched, read, watched videos and kept creating until I realized I was getting better and began to really like my finished product. It took time to get to a place where I felt I confident enough to show off my creations to friends and family, but once I did, the support I received really encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone and take the next step with my art.
I opened my Etsy store shortly after not really knowing what to expect and within the first week I had already made several sales. This small victory is really what kickstarted everything. I loved how creating the earrings gave me some direction in those crazy times. I began selling my earrings on some different online forums and then in a few local shops throughout the pandemic. After a job change and a move to Florida, I have really found happiness in growing my small business and interacting with other creatives at weekend markets. I am so proud of Kismet Designs and how far it has come.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Kismet Designs is a small business run solely by myself out of a corner in my apartment. I sell hand crafted, colorful, funky, one-of-a-kind statement jewelry along with other accessories and custom pieces. Most of my earrings are made completely out of polymer clay that I have designed, colored, rolled out and cut all by hand. What drew me to polymer clay in the beginning was the flexibility of the medium. It can be manipulated to make whatever pattern, shape or color I have in my mind, which gives me complete artistic freedom to simply create without much worry. This is not to say that it has always been a walk in the park; I have dealt with lots of issues in the early stages and I have made my share of mistakes along the way. Color mixing, temperature settings, learning to design my own molds were just a few of the hurdles I’ve dealt with, along with clay shortages, shipping issues, the usual Covid closings and cancellations.
It was during a huge clay shortage that I began working with acrylic. I can use acrylic to create more modern and sleek jewelry and I especially love the versatility of acrylic because it is sturdy and comes in so many different colors and finishes. However, acrylic work requires lots of special equipment so, I have partnered with other artists who own the equipment and were willing to produce my designs. The acrylic line has been a great addition to Kismet, not only because it gives me a whole new medium to create with but it’s very “eye catching” and customer really seem to love the look.
My customers are wonderful, Kismet has allowed me to connect with people all over the world through my online business. Moving to the area has enabled me to meet such wonderful followers and friends through shows and sales. I have met a lot of other small business owners and been able to collaborate on projects. I make custom orders upon request and you may see some of my designs in local shops, restaurants and even on food trucks! Some of the specialized items I have done in the past include personalized pet keychains, specialized earrings for a specific occasion, bachelorette party earring sets, food earrings and much more. I am pretty inventive so if you can dream it, I can create it for you and I am proud of that.
We’d love to hear about how you keep in touch with clients.
Building relationships with my clients is one of the most important parts of Kismet. I work hard to be active on social media and to engage with all my followers and clients. I love to interact with online posts and comments to build relationships with both past customers and followers who just like what they see. I also make sure that I am present and always responding to any emails or direct messages I receive with a positive friendly attitude. I receive great feedback and ideas from customers and enjoy hearing what they would like to see, or what colors they need etc. The clients and followers are the ones who allow me to continue doing what I love so much so every conversation I am having with them is important to me and I want to make that known. I encourage customers to share pictures of them wearing their kismet designs.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
The most rewarding part about being a creative for me would be the people I have met in the creative community. There is no better feeling than when I see someone out wearing earrings that I have made, or someone tagging me in pictures of them out wearing their earrings. To meet customers who tell me they come to markets to see me or when customers tell me stories about compliments they received while wearing the jewelry I made is what makes Kismet Designs so special to me. it is so rewarding to see how happy and connected these little pieces of art can make people.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.etsy.com/shop/KismetDesignss
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/kismetdesignss?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
- Other: Email- kismetdesignss@gmail.com