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

Makko, Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – walk us through the story?

I want to tell the story of my big risk. Deciding to make and sell my art for a living. In April of 2020 I was furloughed at my previous job when the pandemic hit. With no job and no where to go I had more time to spend in my studio. I had always wanted to start my own business and now I felt like I finally had the time. I went all in and spent days trying to learn everything I needed to know about running a small business. I think my online store launched sometime that summer and I was a vendor at my first in-person market in November of 2020. Things were quite slow for the first year and a half. Not withstanding the fact that I gave birth to my first child in the summer of 2021. So I did what I could, when I could but it was such a struggle to get any traction. I had no idea what my next step should be. The next year really started to work in my favor. For no other reason, except for the fact that I wasn’t done trying to make this work. I had learned a lot about my craft, my town and how to market myself from my two previous years of ‘trying’. By the end of 2022 I had participated in 22 market and finally had my work displayed in a local gallery. But the biggest win of all was that I was able to pay myself, for the first time in almost 3 years. Fast forward a few months to current day and I am working all evenings and weekends just to keep up. And I love it! I still have no idea what I am doing and my future is not certain. But my cup is filled every day that I get to do this. And for that I am so grateful. I wanted to point out a few things that credit my success so far. For starters, my husband. There is absolutely no way I could have done this with out his support. He has been my sage business wizard to advise any big moves I make in my business. It is important to note that my previous job payed very well which meant he had to step up big time to help keep us afloat financially. Secondly, I wand to acknowledge my privilege as a white person in America. All of my years chasing this dream through college and into my thirties, I never had any resistance that was a result of the color of my skin or my heritage. As I understand it, this can be an even bigger hurdle for small business owners.

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 background and context?

For starters, my name is Makko. It is not my birth name but it is the moniker that represents my creative self and the name I do business under. I’ve always been a maker and artist and knew that would bring the most joy. So I studied all kinds of disciplines in collage and finally found my forte in sculpture.
My current body of work really took shape after I moved to the mountains of Western North Carolina. I am originally from west Texas. If you know anything about these two places you know just how different the nature scene is. I just couldn’t get enough of the beauty around me. So of course I had to try and bring these two things together. A that’s about all there was to it. I started creating little scenes from the botanicals I would find on my foraging treks. Sure, I though they were lovely, but I was shocked at how much everyone else like my work. I was definitely feeling a little bit of imposter syndrome. I couldn’t fully accept the kind words of admiration that people would give me because I felt like I was just creating ‘found art’. Nature made these things, not me. I think people like what I have to offer because the nature around is is truly stunning. All I did was dust it off, preserve it and put a frame around it. (I am leaving out a lot of the process, but that about sums it up). I think of myself of more of a curator of found beauty now.
I do a fair amount of custom work now. Preserving ‘special’ flowers or other organics. It started after my father passed in January of 2022. I wanted to preserve some of the funeral bouquets for my sister and me. Its one of my absolute favorite things to do. I love the opportunity to make something special for someone whether is for bereavement or a celebration.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

I believe that when you allow yourself to be creative, you can simultaneously practice flexibility. For me, being creative is about having an idea, trying to execute the idea and most importantly, letting the process shape the end result. Its difficult for me to put into words but its kind of like that ‘go with the flow’ mentality. And just like anything, the more you practice it, the easier it becomes. This is helpful for when life surprises you with unexpected challenges.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

“Fake it ’till you make it” “Don’t let them see you sweat!”
“You can sleep when you die”
This list goes on and on. These little jabs we say to each other to keep ourselves going really needs to be reevaluated. So much of this is just toxic and not helpful. I try my best to respectfully deny a fellow maker from just writing off their struggles when they serve me up a one-liner like this. Feel your feelings. Acknowledge your struggle, and your successes! We aren’t out here to be the roughest and toughest. Try to be your most authentic self and don’t mask. And remember, this is what you want.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.madebymakko.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/madebymakko/