Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Indy Lau. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Indy, appreciate you joining us today. Do you wish you had started sooner?

I have always believed everything happens at the right time and at the right place. I definitely wished I continued creating art while in high school and college, but academics and getting a “good” job got in the way. I ended up studying business management and getting a job in that field. After a few years in the job, I found it unfulfilling to work for someone’s dream. It was then that I started drawing again out of the sheer need of wanting a hobby. After losing my job, that’s when I started my Etsy shop and sold stickers.

I constantly wonder what would have happened had I started drawing earlier or started my business earlier. However, had I started my business earlier, I don’t believe that I would be where I am today. A big part of being a small business owner is the business itself! It’s doing the administrative work, the marketing, learning to be profitable, etc. It’s not just about making art and posting it up on your shop. Had I started earlier, I feel like I would not have gained the real world experience of business and had been overwhelmed with the nuances of running a business.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My name is Indy, and I am an artist that have a small business known as Doodles by Indy. My business is known for just that, my doodles! I make art that is inspired by my love of food from my culture– asian snacks and drinks. I started off with selling stickers, but have expanded to pins, keychains, and greeting cards over the years. One thing that I’m proud of is when I can put a smile on my customer’s faces. With art that is inspired by my favorite childhood foods, I always get reviews and in-person comments about how my products have brought them nostalgia. It makes me happy as an artist to have evoked positive emotions to my customers.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

A well known book, but the “Atomic Habits” has shaped me in the past few years since reading it. The idea of progress over time, and that not everything is changed overnight was a big concept in the book. As they say, “Rome wasn’t built in a day”. In the same motif, an artist only gets better with time. If i looked at my art when I first started drawing again or even when I was a kid, it would look drastically different (in some ways, even better). And that improvement only comes with patience and practice. My social following also was not built in a day; it was built with consistent posting and engaging with my audience. I fee like “Atomic Habits” can apply to so many aspects of running my small business.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

My biggest goal is to work for myself and not have to rely on a full time job to fund my small business. Being my own boss would allow me to have my own work schedule instead of your typical 9-5. It would allow me to spend time with my dog, friends, and family without needing to “take off”. The ultimate goal would be to have flexibility while doing something that I’m super passionate about.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://doodlesbyindy.etsy.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/doodlesbyindy
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@DoodlesbyIndy
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@doodlesbyindy?lang=en

Image Credits

Indy Lau