We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Janelle Gramling. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Janelle below.
Janelle, 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?
I’ve been doing my creative work full-time for almost 20 years. Several of those years I wasn’t quite pulling 40 hours because I was raising kids, and other years I was working much more than full time. But I was able to be only self-employed that whole time. Now, at age 40, three years out from a divorce, I just recently decided to get a part-time job. I noticed an overall decline in revenue over the past 12 months, aside from the very normal ups and downs that all business owners experience. Now that I cannot rely on a partner’s income to soften that strain, I decided it would be best to pick up something steady. I got a job completely unrelated to my art business. Even though it’s only 15 hours a week, I really feel the squeeze on my time. This shake-up to my routine has been really good for my business! It is showing me just how valuable my time is to me, and just how precious my art practice and business is. I am approaching my business with fresh energy and more structure to my time. I feel pride for doing what I needed to do to take care of myself and my kids. I now have a fire under my ass to figure out why exactly I am experiencing a decline in sales, and what the heck I’m going to do about it.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I have been making things and selling them since I was a kid. I feel really blessed to have figured out early on that’s what I was meant to do with my time here on this planet. I believe that all material objects have an energetic story, and they are always subtly affecting the space and people around them. That is why I feel it is meaningful to create affordable things that can exist in people’s everyday life that were created with intention, care, beauty, function, respect for the planet, a human expression.
I am a sculptor in fiber and ceramics. I have two sides to my practice, a fine art side, and a commercial side. In fine art, I like to push the boundaries of my materials and interact with gravity in wall-hung and ceiling-hung sculptures. Commercially, my product line consists of functional objects like incense burners and candle holders, as well as mixed-media wall decor and jewelry. Also, I often work with art consultants to create custom pieces for their clients.
Everything I offer is hand-made in my Milwaukee studio by myself and my assistant. I also open up my studio to the public each month to lead workshops and give tours.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is the feeling of purpose it gives me. Through the objects I create I am challenging perspectives, sharing experiences, and telling stories about being human. Even just adding beauty to the world may seem like a small thing, but I feel like it is meaningful.
Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?
I built my social media following organically over a very long time period. I did this simply by showing up and being myself. I am lucky that I am good at taking photos and videos and I enjoy visual story-telling. It comes naturally to me and it’s fun to connect with people and talk about my work.
If you want to build a social media presence that actually engages your audience and benefits your business, be authentic. Tell stories that only you can tell, in a voice that is truly your own. If that doesn’t come naturally to you, that is fine! Social media isn’t the end-all, be-all of marketing. If it’s not for you, don’t waste your energy trying to be something that you are not.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://janellegramling.com
- Instagram: @janelle_gramling
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/janellegramlingdesigns
Image Credits
Some photos by Dana Dufek Photography, and some taken by myself.