We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Shannon Butler a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Shannon, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you take us back in time to the first dollar you earned as a creative – how did it happen? What’s the story?
Polymer clay was a hobby I was thoroughly obsessed with as a kid, but fell out of when I got older. I picked it up again in summer 2019. I started selling earrings to friends on Instagram (@tinyfoodmadeofclay), then friends of friends, then complete strangers found me. I did my first pop-up event in Lander, WY while I was at the International Climber’s Festival, and joined the Ocean Beach Farmers Market later that year (2021). Now I’ve been at the OB Market ever since, and I sell my art at local coffee shops and other community events, and Sea Hive Station. I love meeting people who have purchased my art and hearing them tell me how much joy it brings them.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I use polymer clay to create miniature food items and turn them into jewelry. I love to find ways to create abstract texture: glitter to mimic a sugar coating on conchas or the seeds in raspberry jam, or a light sponging of resin to make lunch meat or fried eggs look slimy. I love the subject matter of food because two “identical” handmade items are always going to have some variability between them, and so does food. These imperfections are actually a detail that makes the food more identifiable. I love to have that freedom in my work.
I love the process of creating the tiny food when it resembles how you would actually cook it. A lot of times, this makes it more realistic even if it is less efficient. I think it’s important to enjoy the process. I’ve never been one for tutorials or instructions, so I just create the polymer clay food how I would imagine making the real item and it usually turns out! And if it doesn’t, then I’ve learned something new.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
A lot of times, people will see my art and it mean something to them. Maybe it’s a special food that they make with a loved one, or that particular food is the name of their dog, etc. Or maybe it’s a gift for someone and they stop by later to tell me how happy it made their friends. I love that.
I’ve also started making a lot of pride flag cakes and donuts. I love when people tell me that this made them more comfortable expressing their identity to others in a creative way, or sometimes people tell me that they felt more seen by the fact that their specific flag was there on my table, or that I was willing to make it for them.
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
It might seem cliché, but you really do vote with your wallet. People don’t have a lot of extra money to spend right now, and that’s totally ok, we get that. Most artists that I know personally, including myself, have another job at least a few days per week to pay their rent consistently. It’s REALLY hard to make enough money offering something creatively handmade because it’s not necessarily that scalable. People do it, but it’s hard to balance making what you want to make, protecting your creative energy, and keeping your revenue up.
I am really lucky that I CAN prioritize protecting my time to create. For me, one big part of protecting my time and energy to create is that I don’t take custom work. I always tell people that I take custom inspiration, but I won’t put my creative energy into something I’m not interested in. But I’m always happy to hear your ideas! It’s a privilege that I can keep those boundaries for myself, and the fact that I have a separate job a few days per week that at least pays for my basic cost of living, without burning me out, allows me to have that separation. I think it’s important to be transparent about that. I don’t need be a starving artist to be creative, I contain multitudes, and there are many ways I can contribute to society AND take care of myself. And Tiny Food is a huge part of that, but not all of it.
There is a huge pop up market community year round in San Diego. Which is great! Pop up Markets are a great way to reach new audiences and connect with other small businesses, as well as sell your product. But I’m pretty wary of joining markets that I haven’t checked out ahead of time. When I do pop ups, I’m looking for something that is curated (makers, artists, etc.). I can’t compete with people selling $6 earring with plastic charms they bought on Amazon. My earrings take me a long time to make. If I want to protect my time (which gives me the ability to create), I have to charge what I charge, and Ill never be able to compete with the prices of Claire’s or mass made plastic. But that’s ok, that’s not my goal. You are buying art and it happens to be in the form of earrings (and more!). You could buy other earrings. Or you could buy my art, either is fine.
There are some fantastic market organizers in San Diego and they are usually ALSO small business owners, who are putting themselves out there selling their creations as well. This tells me they care about the success of that market and the artists. However, sometimes you find people who utilize vendors as (just) a source of revenue in vendor fees or (just) a way to attract people to their own business thru free advertising. I definitely want to pay market organizers for the work that they do, and support the hosting businesses. I have some really AWESOME relationships with other small businesses, and it’s great when you can build that. But what that looks like and how to get there can vary a lot, and it’s tricky.
So how can YOU help local artists? Are you looking to buy art, or is what you want a less expensive manufactured item? Either is fine, but recognize the difference. Before you ask for a custom, at least look at what we have created. Do you like anything we’ve already made? Is this artist open to taking customs right now? The best way to support an artist is to buy what they have created. I guarantee you they have endless ideas in their head already that they are dying to get out. When you buy something from them, you help keep that going.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.tinyfoodmadeofclay.com
- Instagram: tinyfoodmadeofclay
Image Credits
N/A