We recently connected with Kristin Slee and have shared our conversation below.

Kristin, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?

I think, first off, that artists need to decide what success looks like to them. For me, my art is a side project. I am also a wife, a mother, and a full time lead veterinary technician at a quickly growing local hospital. All of these things are important to me. Success, to me, is the ability to continue my art/craft and make some money along the way. Success is seeing the joy on my customer’s face when we have come together to create something beautiful.

Getting started wasn’t too tricky. I watched some Youtube videos, borrowed a book from the library, and tried my best. Looking back now, some of it isn’t so pretty, but when starting something new it is important not to give up. I’m still learning new things and that’s what is so amazing. What was most difficult to me was putting myself out there. I started posting things on my personal social media page and quickly decided to come up with a name and start a page for it. A few coworkers bought some pieces or has special requests and that gave me the opportunity to grow even more. As a self proclaimed introvert, meeting new people and putting myself out there for judgement doesn’t come easy. It’s the most constant though.

Also what will test you is not giving up when things seem slow. I’ve had slower months, slower markets, slower customer requests and it has made me question whether or not it is worth continuing. Is the stress of putting myself out there worth it? So far I can say it has been! Perseverance is important.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

In the thick of 2020, so many of us were full of uncertainty. My husband is a nurse and we found ourselves in quarantine several times. Being stuck in your house with your family unsure of the future can be taxing. I decided to try a new art of knot tying (known as macrame) to perhaps take my mind off of the crazy times. I created my first plant hanger not knowing where it would take me, but loving the results. It turns out others did as well! It was so incredible that people would take a chance on me to create something beautiful and hand-made just for them! It’s been four years now and I learn more and more with each project and that’s what I’m most proud of. I enjoy working with people, hearing the stories of where their ideas are coming from, and making something memorable.

My love of plants is what made me decide what my first project would be. Looking at my first plant hanger now is a little cringey, but is important for me to have it in plain sight to see just how far I’ve come. There aren’t many macrame artists in the my area but I would like to think what sets me apart is always trying to offer a small, propagated plant when I am able when someone purchases a hanger from me. I’ve met some many plant lovers along the way!

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I’m hoping this is an answer you’re looking for.

One important thing that I’ve learned (or maybe had to UNlearn) is that I, infact, cannot do everything. There’s many aspects to that. As a wife, as a mother, a full time veterinary technician, and macrame artist, I cannot have everything done at all times. Things get missed, not everything is covered all of the time. It can get a little messy at times but deciding if it is worth is what counts.

Also learning specifically as a macrame artist that I cannot do all of the things. For example, I have attempted several times to make the beloved macrame “feather” or “leaf”. I would get so upset with myself at first that I couldn’t seem to master this particular skill. At some point I realized, ya know what? There are other artists out there who do a-mazing work in the department. There are so many things you can do with rope and knots, I don’t have to be awesome at all of it.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

My story of building my social media is quite elementary I’m sure. I don’t have the largest following, but to be honest, social media can be a whole job just by itself! When I first began I started a Facebook page, soon moving to Instagram. I would ask my friends and family to like and share my posts, that got me some growth. I would post my items on Facebook Marketplace and plug my page when I would meet the customer. I recently joined Tiktok but I’m not sure that it is a great space for artists. Perhaps I haven’t found my place there yet.

Here’s the thing, there are so many resources out there on learning how to build your social media, but most of them make my head spin. It’s something I’ll keep trying to learn: asking questions, watching videos, reading articles. It’s ever-changing which is intimidating as well. I would encourage others to ask questions and try to learn the things. I don’t have a fancy camera or a team helping me, so I always try the best I can to represent myself.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: www.instagram.com/lovelyloopsmacrame
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/lovelyloopsmacrame
• Other: linktree.com/lovelyloopsmacrame