We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Mary Thrailkill. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Mary below.

Mary, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you recount a story of an unexpected problem you’ve faced along the way?

Earlier this year, I was in the middle of upgrading one of the major aspects of my products – paper. My cards and calendars feature bright and colorful illustrations, and I wanted the paper they were printed on to complement them. As a paper hoarder, the quality and feel were really important to me so I spent a lot of time in paper stores touching envelopes, researching stationery, and ordering paper samples to be send to my house – there are so many color options and paper textures to pick from! It took about a month to narrow down my options to one brand only to find out that I wouldn’t be able to use them due to the paper shortage and high demand. In addition, I could no longer work with the envelope supplier I had been with for two years. As you can imagine, this is when lots of panic and stress ensued. I definitely did not expect paper to be one of the issues I’d be tackling in early 2022. Anyways, after much needed help and more research about paper suppliers – basically who even had paper to deliver – I am happy to say I found new paper and envelopes I am excited and proud to have my art work on! This year my cards will be printed on natural white Italian made paper and paired with a matching Italian envelope. Yay! What I love about this paper is that it is thick and textured, much like heavy watercolor paper. It completes my new look of smaller cards with simple designs. And my favorite, no wimpy envelopes! Envelopes are just as important to me as the card itself (included in my paper stash are two bags of envelopes just for me) and I wanted mine to be thicker than the average store buy. I think you can really elevate a gift with a beautiful card and the envelope is like the first impression of the card – you want it to be simple but memorable.

Looking back, though it was stressful the paper shortage helped steer me in a different direction. I never thought that using European paper would be within my reach and did not consider it an option for my small business. I am thankful that I can offer such beautiful and fine paper items to my customers!

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

I started my watercolor card and calendar business the last semester of my senior year at Berry College – the end of the year project of my entrepreneur class was selling my items at a booth in their spring farmers’ market. At that market, I was invited to be a vendor at an upscale farmers’ market in Downtown Rome which I continued to be a part of until this past year. My college roommates and mom have spend many early hours putting up tents, setting up booths, and packing my car which I am forever grateful for. Since my start was at a farmers’ market I try to carry that story throughout many of my items and always have my hand painted fruit and vegetable tapestry on display.

Last year was when I introduced my popular watercolor calendars that have fun illustrations for each month along with little hand-written notes underneath that add a unique and personal touch. The calendar selection for 2023 has expanded this year to include A Year in Washington D.C., A Year in France and A Year of Honey (designed for the Savannah Bee Company with each month centered around one of their artisanal honeys). I plan, extensively research and paint many renditions before settling on the final design for each month – I would love for my illustrations to bring a little joy, a smile or someone to mind that you would want to share it with. Whether it be tasting spicy hot honey in August or sipping on hot chocolate from Angelina’s in Paris, each month is designed to delight the viewer.

In addition, the calendars are now available as a desk calendar with a built-in stand! The perforated edges at the top even let you keep your favorite designs – just tear off the page and trim 5×5 for easy framing.

A new product I am proud of (I will share more on later *wink wink*) are the Italian paper cards and envelopes that complement each calendar, completing my themed collections. The soft felt finish of the paper leaves a luxurious feel to every note you send. I will be adding new fruit and vegetable designs for next year as well as offering my favorite bee note cards. My items will soon be in store so please stay tuned for updates on where to find them!

I’m not sure how much I reveal about myself through my work but I hope my ideas and designs continue to resonate with people. That they not only see beautiful designs but also my personality – I love painting with bright colors that make me happy and sometimes have funny sayings as I hand-write each note in the calendars. My favorite part about working all those farmers’ market booths and pop-ups was meeting people and hearing them say who they were excited to send a card to or share a calendar with.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Making my own schedule! It’s very easy as an entrepreneur to feel like you have to constantly work on your business and if you’re not working you’re not progressing fast enough. I think it’s just as important to step back and take breaks or else you can get lost in what your mission or goals are. Being able to create my own schedule allows me to work towards a goal and see what steps I need to take to get there as well as leaving room to recharge. I make time to travel, see friends and family, play with my dog, read for book club, and take self-defense classes – I see lots of people putting a focus on prioritizing mental and emotional health rather than sticking to a hustle culture. I already have most of next year scheduled with some room for flexibility, but mostly I enjoy planning ahead and knowing what I need to prepare for in the coming year. I’m very excited to share more items and make lots of connections in the future!

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

I really love reading and one of my favorite things to read about are success stories of other creatives and entrepreneurs. I read about a businesses with shoes made from recycled materials, the journey of Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams, a successful florist shop, financial tips if you’re boot strapping, global branding, Sarah Blakely (don’t worry, I also take breaks to online shop and browse Google flights), anything that interests me. You never know that ideas you can get or just practical advice to implement. I find it easier to read many various articles on lots of topics rather than an entire book about one business or way of thinking. Not all business advice or entrepreneurial tips may apply to you. That being said, I can’t offer a specific resource that stood out to me. Honestly, sometimes the best thing to read is that one sentence that says “keep going, don’t listen to people telling you to give up!” I’ve learned from reading other entrepreneurs’ journeys that many times a break though in the business is right around the corner of a let down or that failure can push you to think outside of the box. So I would say absorb whatever you can, and if it doesn’t interest you don’t read it.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.marythrailkill.com
• Instagram: @marythrailkill.artdesign
• Facebook: @marythrailkill.artdesign