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

Ryan, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

It was 2019 and I was taking a wheel throwing class in Austin, Texas, where I was living at the time. I was encouraged by my instructor to follow certain clay hashtags on instagram for inspiration and it was through those that I discovered polymer clay as a medium. I knew it was unrealistic that I would have easy access to a wheel or a kiln once my course was over and I wanted to build creative practices into my life that could be done on a regular basis at home.

Cue 6 months of playing around with polymer clay to gain an understanding of it while friends told me I should “totally sell those” — I started brainstorming a business name that felt true to me and would not limit my options if I ever grew out of or into new mediums. By January 2020, I was ready to start sharing what I was making with the world as Fire Baby Studio.

I chose “Fire Baby Studio” because of my astrological signs — my chart is almost entirely made up of fire signs. Plus it’s a fun play on words because an average clay body *is* fired in a kiln however, polymer clay does not require the same high temperatures to be cured.

I’ve been focused on polymer clay for 3 years and while it’s true that I don’t ever intend on stopping — I am also very excited to take some time and space this year to explore mediums that have been tugging at my heartstrings for some time — like sewing.

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 Ryan Frisby and I am the creator behind Fire Baby Studio. I am 27 years old, my pronouns are she/her, and I live in Cleveland with my dog and partner.

The truth about the growth of my little business is that losing my full time job in the pandemic forced me to take something that was a hobby and actualize it into something that could support me financially.

I don’t do Fire Baby full time these days, it’s not *that big* of a business. I work as a barista a few days a week not only because it covers my financial bases, but also because it fills my cup socially. The journey of supporting myself through my art has taught me a lot about what I value and what my needs are. I never went back to working full time for someone else again; I value getting to enjoy the life I have built and the stability of having the time to make art far too much to every go back.

I’ve spent the last 3 years honing my artistic style because it’s something that I love to do, and that adoration for my craft is reflected in my work.

At Fire Baby Studio, color stories are my love language. I create bold everyday accessories with polymer clay that are designed to ignite joy. I focus primarily in eclectic handmade earrings but am occasionally drawn towards making things like barrettes, magnets & various other home decor. I take great pride in the quality of my work and the knowledge that my customers trust it enough to keep coming back.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I am a person making art for the love of it first and a person running a business second. I’m sure lots of people might disagree with that line of thinking but I’m not trying to girl-boss too close to the sun. I’m trying to live a life that feels meaningful and authentic to me by making art and building relationships through sharing that art.

When I think of my favorite artists and business and brands I think of the people I know behind those successful endeavors and how much I like them as human beings.

My customers know my face, my voice, and they know where I stand on the things happening in the world around us.

I am just a person building a life by doing what I love, in constant awe of the fact that other people see me and support me.

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

I am sure this answer will look very differently depending on what “field” you focus in but with a business that is built out of an art practice — there was no sort of capital funding that happened. I invested a little bit of my own money here and there on supplies. I invested in learning opportunities by joining patreons run by people whose artistic skill and business knowledge I valued.

I scaled up after successful website sales by improving the tools I was using. I paid myself where it was necessary and I invested back into my business where it was necessary.

The growth of Fire Baby Studio in the last 3 years has been slow and steady — and as one person doing every single thing behind the scenes — that’s something I am really proud of.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.firebabystudio.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/firebabystudio?igshid=NDRkN2NkYzU=
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/firebabystudio

Image Credits
All images of me were taken by Alison Erickson of Ace Photography LLC. All images of products were taken my myself.