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

Alright, Ruth thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. If you’re open to it, can you talk to us about the best (or worst) investment you’ve made. What’s the backstory and the relevant context behind why you made the investment

One of the best investments I have made was an idea that came to me while sitting on the couch. Considering I have never had formal marketing training, YouTube has been my best friend. One day, while I was taking a break from the traditional marketing channels, I had the idea of looking for small YouTubers to share my products with. I found a small channel called Boxes and Deals and I sent her one of my pieces of Jewelry. Not only did I find a new friend in that YouTuber, but one of her viewers loved my jewelry so much she wanted to share it with the world. She bought several pieces and even sent some to another YouTuber which ended up in getting me a second sponsorship deal. The biggest thing I learned from that investment is to never underestimate people’s loyalty to small creators.

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

My name is Ruth Hillman and I own the business That Weird Art Girl. I don’t find that to just be some silly name, but something that describes me personally. Since I got my ears pierced I was interested in strange earrings that the average person might not wear; however, it was really difficult to find them in stores. One day after a really frustrating search I decided to purchase my own clay and jewelry findings. Satisfied with my new creations I started wearing them with every outfit I could think of. It is rather difficult to see someone with egg bacon earrings and not make a comment about them. I was getting lots of compliments, but I was also asked if I would sell them. When I first made my jewelry I had no intention of starting a business with it, but seeing as how I had always wanted an Etsy shop every since I was a young girl, I knew that this was my chance. I have since grown from earrings to include necklaces, chokers, keychains, and bracelets. I have thought of using other mediums such as resin, but there is nothing like being able to create tiny sculptures with my polymer clay. I create multiples of my designs to be sold on Etsy, at craft shows, and my two current consignment shops, but I always love it when I get to create something new. I love a challenging design and I have gotten plenty of custom orders that have pushed me to the next level. From little wiener dogs in a bun, to bowls of ramen noodles, switching my brain to the creative side will always be my favorite. One thing that I am passionate about is the environment, my love for earth can put me in entertaining spots such as when I bring Tupperware out to eat so I don’t have to take home a foam box. This passion not only affects my day to day life, but it also translates to my business. Whenever I can I use recycled plastic, refurbished machines, and simple packaging. It is also my goal to create jewelry that can be worn for years and years over and over again. To ensure that my charms are durable I perform what I call “The Official Drop Test”, which just consists of me dropping one of each new design on my hardwood floor three times from shoulder height. My little cats ensure that I never lose a charm doing this because the furballs always have to run up and check out what I am doing. Even though hardwood floors and cats can be excellent quality control, I wanted to take it up a notch. One summer I took one of my hamburger charms and strapped it to the bottom of my motorcycle, it stayed there for weeks and only came off when I removed it for the winter. Needless to say, I think my resin coated charms will survive most anything you throw at them. If there is a design that is more fragile, like my sunflowers, then I let the buyer know in advance that they should probably not throw it at an angry water buffalo or anything else too exciting.
Another thing that I am passionate about is happiness. I also love it when my customers tell me how many compliments they have gotten from their jewelry. Due to the tiny art works that I have created, at least two humans were able to share an interaction that resulted in smiles. While physical things don’t result in perfect joy, knowing that I can brighten up some ones day with a sushi necklace makes it all the better.
When I am not making jewelry, I am teaching art to high schoolers.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

I am not one to go searching for any literature that even hints at “getting rich quick”, but google books was offering the audio book for free, and I was bored, so I picked it up. The Science of Getting Rich was by Wallace D. Wattles and published in 1910. While there are some parts in this book that I disagree with, there is one idea that I have clung to, wealth is not a finite resource. Instead of thinking of wealth as something that needs to be taken, think of it as something that can be created. Wattles says that those who steal others goods will have their good stolen from them. Ever since reading that book it has been my goal to give more in use value than I have taken in cash value. For example, if I make high quality charms that raise confidence for many years, then I have given someone use value that is worth more than the money they spent on it. By doing this I can ensure that I am not just taking wealth to benefit myself, but creating value to benefit others.

Okay – so how did you figure out the manufacturing part? Did you have prior experience?

When I first started making jewelry just for myself, I had some of the worst materials on the market. Since then, I have found better supplies which include Sculpey clay and lead/nickel free findings. Working with clay came natural to me considering I have always loved art and I have been working with various mediums since I was a small child. However, there were certain tips and tricks that I had to discover. One of the biggest issues I had while starting out was trying figuring out how to keep the clay clean. Overtime I learned that I had to disinfect every surface, tool, or storage space that the clay touched, Not only that, but I had to keep it away from open air and reduce the amount of contact it had with my hands because dust and cat hair attach themselves to the clay very quickly. I still get picky about how my charms look which leaves me with a box full of unsellable pieces, but overall my production has gotten a lot better with time and practice.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://that-weird-art-girl.mailchimpsites.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thatweirdartgirl1/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thatweirdartgirl1
• Other: Etsy: etsy.com/shop/thatweirdartgirl Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/thatweirdartgirl1/ Email Sign-Up Form: http://eepurl.com/icwcmv