We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kelly Korver a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Kelly, appreciate you joining us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?
Back when I attended college, I was dating my now husband and we discovered that we genuinely enjoyed working on projects together. I would design and he would encourage and plan and build. After a particular art class where I learned about the process of screen printing, we decided to create a few custom t-shirts as gifts for our family. Telling our friends about these shirts, they requested their own custom designs that we gladly made together. From there, it snowballed, and I realized there was a place for my art in the world. I decided to jump in and create screen printed apparel with my own designs while offering it for sale to the public at craft fairs and vendor shows and eventually online. I love that this endeavor has allowed me to enjoy making art while not being tied down to a single location. We have moved twice since I started this business, with each move bringing in a stream of new inspiration for designs.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I’m grateful that art and design was encouraged when I was younger. My mother would draw with us and my grandma taught me to sew. I was drawn to the design side of everything, how the colors of nature changed in every season, how the intricate patterns on butterflies wings were so alluring, and how the seams fit together effortlessly on intricate dresses. I started to sew my own apparel and many times could be found painting my room a different color or redecorating the house. When it was time for college, I was keen on learning more about fashion design and art. My favorite classes were hands-on where I could feel the differences in fabrics, work with clay and have the freedom to design whatever I could imagine. When I learned the process of screen-printing on t-shirts, I most enjoyed that it married two of my favorite things, art and apparel. I would draw an original design that I could print again and again onto shirts to gift and eventually sell so I could get more shirts to repeat the process over and over. I think my designs have that hand-drawn feel which makes them stand out and feel more authentic to my customers. Since I don’t use any printing presses or machinery, each screen is laid by hand and the ink is pulled by hand, making each shirt slightly different from the last and it turn giving each one a unique feel.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
When I began Birds Kept North, it was just me, and I was lucky to have excessive free-time to explore screen printing, check out different shops for supplies in person and get lots of time for all the trials and errors of beginning a new business. Since then, I’ve gotten married and have three beautiful children so free-time is non-existent. I learned that things have to happen differently now while being a wife, mother and small business owner. More middle of the night, online researching new supplies, nap-time printing sessions and less relaxing but more productive and fulfilling weekends is where I’m at now.
Where do you think you get most of your clients from?
The best source for new clients has been in-person shopping events like local craft shows and farmers markets. This is where all the visual art and the tactile experience collides. They get to have a much more connected experience seeing and feeling while getting to ask questions about my processes and designs.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.etsy.com/shop/BirdsKeptNorth
- Instagram: @birdskeptnorth
- Other: https://faire.com/direct/birdskeptnorth
Image Credits
Silk Leaf Photography