We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Paige Van Orden a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Paige, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?
Ever since I could hold a crayon I was always making art. Growing up you could always find me with a sketchbook, doodling on my notes in school, and always going all out for anything creative. It became apparent pretty quickly as I grew up that I had a knack for art. I put a lot of time in and often was complemented by others. In my classes from elementary school to senior year everyone knew me as the most artistic one and I was their go to girl when someone needed something drawn for a project. Accurately enough I was voted most artistic in my senior yearbook. I think those around me recognized my talent and passion before I did. I would say in middle school I realized that I wanted to take my art somewhere and I always tried selling little crafty things here and there but nothing ever became of it.
Paige, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
By the time high school came around for me I wasn’t drawing as much as I used to because I became so busy. This was until a friend of mine came up to me one day Sophomore year during lunch and asked if I could paint her a pair of shoes. It was an odd request but she said she knew I was creative and assumed I could probably do it. Little did I know that simple request would turn into me owning my own LLC at the age of 18. I painted her shoes posted them online and slowly but surely, the orders eventually came rolling in. I guess you could say it was almost an accident that my business came to be what it is today because it certainly was not planned. However, I could not be more grateful for it. I am so passionate about creating works of art for others that is tailored to them. Designing shoes is so much more than art, it’s a piece of that person’s personality and I do my best to get to know and understand each customer to develop their ideal pair of shoes. Since starting my LLC I now also sell stickers, apparel, and travel bags, with more product ideas currently in the works. A lot of other people do what I do and I love to see it because it inspires me and I think it’s amazing how many people are able to start their own business. I think however what sets me apart is my age. People are often surprised to find out that I am only 19, and back in 2020 people were even more shocked to find out I was only 16. I have managed to balance being a full time college student with running a business and I think that shows my customers how passionate I am about my work and what I do. I am the most proud of developing my website on my own, learning the painting skills from simply trying out different techniques, and for marketing for myself. I guess you can say I am the owner, marketer, developer, photographer, and everything else in-between. However I do have to credit my mother Kim and my father Steven who have helped me tremendously throughout this journey. Not only have they provided me with endless encouragement and support but they let me take over half of our garage, and they help me with odds and ends of the company to save me time which goes a very long way with my busy schedule. I am very lucky to have such supportive parents that I know are there for me during the good, the bad, and the ugly.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
What I find so rewarding about my creativity is that I have turned it into my job, and I absolutely love it. I get to do what I love and enjoy for other people while making money to help put me through college and brightening the lives of others with my custom made projects. Instead of working a typical restaurant or office job I get to be messy and creative with tons of hands on projects. In high school I had a really inspirational graphic design teacher and gifted and talented advisor who certainly helped me along this journey and taught me how rewarding it could be to be an artist and work for yourself. Mr. Flake, my graphics teacher, not only taught me the skills I needed, but he showed me how important art is and how fun it was to make a mess in the shop and create something that other people love and could buy. Mrs. Evans, my “GT” advisor taught me how far I could take this and I could tell she believed in me so much. She especially helped me keep my sanity when my schedule became chaotic. However, no matter how busy I get I am always so grateful for all the orders and support. These teachers left such an imprint on me and have taught me the true rewards of hardwork and creativity.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
I really want to spread color and positivity through my work. I often get customers sending me pictures of them with their new shoes and to me that is the best email, text, or message I could ever receive from a client. I strongly encourage all my clients to send me pictures of them with their products, I even feature them on my website if they are okay with it! I get to see first hand the difference I made through a simple pair of shoes. I love getting to capture the personality and style of each client with my work and my sole mission is to create products that not only satisfy people but make them happy from day to day.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.kicksbypaige.com
- Instagram: kicksbypaige
- Facebook: Kicks By Paige
- Other: TikTok – kicksbypaige