Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Greta Hotmer. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Greta, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.
I think my story is more about the importance of taking risks. I’m somewhat of a practical risk taker. I definitely spend a large portion of time weighing out options and going through different scenarios in an effort to take the ‘safest’ risks, however most likely from an outside perspective my choices may seem like the ultimate risk to some.
I have lived with Chronic Lyme Disease since I was 20-21 years old, I just turned 41 in June, so there have been many chapters of this experience in those 20 years. For those who don’t know what that means in terms of day to day living, initially when it was running rampant (all of my 20’s), it meant that simple tasks were monumental, from pain and/or extreme mental fog, and a host of other symptoms I’d rather not remember. In my 30’s I began to heal quite a bit with the use of plant medicine, good nutrition, and focused self caring behaviors. Combine that with relationships that were suppressive and narcissistic in nature and I found myself at 38 years old having what I can only describe as a mid life crisis.
I came out of the womb with an existential bent as it is, so it wasn’t all that surprising to me to find myself contemplating my life as if the clock of life was ticking like a hammer slamming a tin roof. I felt my life slipping through my grasp and I had a major wake up call that I needed to make some drastic changes or nothing would ever change and every day would be the same. I was not happy…I was on hold…the details aren’t really important, but let’s just say I gave my power away, I let others dictate my path and I was acutely aware that I had to reclaim my life.
In those past 3 years I have been steadily reclaiming pieces of myself that I left in other’s hands, I moved from the suburbs to Philly to the Springs with my now fiancé, I took my business, Hawk Couture, to the next level by learning to delegate and outsource, allowing me to focus more what I can offer to our community through not just jewelry, but insight on the path that is pursuing what’s in your heart.
In addition, I found myself having another major reflection turning point when it came to my music career during these 3 years, and even more prominently during the past few months. I have been a professional musician for most of my adult life, weaving impactful moments throughout what was mostly a career on hold, as I previously described. I had another one of those moments that I realized ‘it’s now or never’ when it comes to my music career and have made the scary and intimidating decision to carve out even more time for something that doesn’t bring income at this current moment in time. Now that I have made the commitment to this part of myself and my journey, I already see my world changing around me in ways that will allow music to be a greater part of my life as long as I stay persistent.
So when it comes to taking risks, if I am on my deathbed and I think I will regret not going in whatever direction may be calling me, then I know that it is something I have to do. I have to give it more than a college try…I have to find a way to honor that call within me. Risk taking for me requires planning and flexibility, and the practice of being present and enjoying your journey. I make a plan of attack that I know I can stick to and one that I know I can be flexible with, because as many know the saying, ‘we plan, God laughs’. It is important to remember that the web of life is far beyond what we can really plan for…however consistency and persistence are nothing short of magic, and therefore as long as you commit to those principles, you will go far.
Greta, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I began making jewelry when I was 9, and have had a passion for crystals since as long as I can remember. I had a pretty stacked crystal collection even as a young girl and I would make jewelry as gifts or as my way of sending strength and love to friends, family, and sometimes strangers, when I could do nothing else to help. Jewelry has been my eternal hug and way to show my love to all the lives I encounter, for as long as I can remember.
Hawk Couture was officially born during my twenties as I was living with Chronic Lyme Disease while trying to keep up with my very active life as a musician and a martial artist. That’s a longer story for another time. I began making crystal necklaces that I would essentially wear as energetic ‘armor’, as I was too weak to fend for myself. I believed they provided me strength and comfort as I navigated other healing modalities, and I began giving other crystal necklaces to those around me who were in need of the same thing, whether from losing loved ones, to just going through a really stressful period.
While I love the concept of ‘crystal healing’ I don’t believe we really know how to utilize the potential technology of them yet…but I do believe they serve as excellent reminders and companions during our own journeys in life as we do the work that helps us to navigate life’s challenges. This is something I feel sets Hawk Couture apart a bit in the crystal jewelry realm. With every collection and every description, we always try to drive home that there is no greater magic or power than YOU…you don’t need anything else…that being said, esoteric tools, whether crystals, tarot cards, etc, serve as excellent tools when an individual is embarking on an inward journey.
About a year ago, my fiancé and I moved from the Philadelphia area to the Springs to be closer to the mountains and to start a new chapter of our personal and professional lives. Hawk Couture’s social media feed is filled with photos from taking the designs with us on our wilderness adventures as I really like to get the crystals and jewelry infused with as much good energy and joy as possible before they make their way to the person who ultimately purchases it.
Recently, I have been able to make more time to dedicate to my music career, something I almost left behind. In my 20’s I was in a band called ‘The Moxy’ and we had a nice little run but I have felt that I wasn’t done. I just put out 23 songs under my new project, ‘ALTARVIOLET’, and am working on collaborations to make music for film and television as well. Songwriting and singing are just as much a part of me as creating jewelry or doing martial arts. I plan on releasing much more material in the coming year and have even started playing out again in the Springs. Stay tuned on that front and you can find all of my music on any platform that you prefer.
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
As a society, I think one of our greatest ways to support creatives and small businesses overall is to become a patron and share their work. A recommendation from a trusted friend or source is more valuable than most advertising and marketing. We have seen our economy struggle over the past number of years and it seems that small businesses and creatives are getting squashed out by the corporation driven economy.
I think one of my greatest missions and rebellion against the conglomeration world is to encourage those who feel the call to claim their power, pursue their dreams, and work for themselves. In a practical sense, we need more small businesses, and in accordance with the American spirit, autonomy is the essence of the ‘American Dream’.
In a recent Forbes article on ‘How Small Businesses Drive the Economy’ they said: ‘Not only do small businesses provide more jobs, they also bring careers and opportunities. Successful small businesses put money back into their local community through paychecks and taxes, which can support the creation of new small businesses and improve local public services. No matter how small it starts—one, two, five, 10 employees—within that town, the city or the county, your small business creates new economies where once there was nothing’ (Forbes, 2022).
Whether or not you want your own small business or not, you can still support the ones that exist, either for free by recommending them to friends, on social media, leaving reviews, etc…or from being a loyal patron helping them get through this very interesting time in our world.
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
I don’t necessarily think I have the ‘answers’ when it comes to social media…algorithms, trends, and tactics change more often than most of us can keep up with. But I will say that sharing your truth, staying consistent, and engaging with your community do go a long way. It obviously depends on your business model but if you remember why you are doing what you’re doing in the first place, then your content should stem from that. As a small business owner and creative, one of the major perks is to create a part of the world as you like it and in your care. For me, when I am not sharing photos of my designs or sharing my songs, I am sharing content that encourages others and is there to help be a cheerleader of sorts. My mission overall is to help remind people of their strength and the magic that lies within them and in the human experience. We have enough messages that bring us down and so I am committed to being a voice that will lift others up. This is all part of my ‘brand’ and my ‘strategy’ behind my marketing…I want whoever comes in contact with me and my creative expressions to leave feeling better.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.hawkcouture.com / www.altarviolet.com
- Instagram: @hawkcouture / @altarviolet
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hawkcouturedesigns / https://www.facebook.com/ALTARVIOLET
- Linkedin: @gretahotmer
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDdI2rjOeTnWe-i6AIw4ueQ
- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/35baZytw3wVzxHHcr5dmq5?si=u0S3FpzXTLaNZMoTUPxl5A
Image Credits
DM Holes for the first and fourth images @dmholesphotos