We recently connected with Traci Spring and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Traci thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s the kindest thing anyone has ever done for you?
Within the past few months, two different women-owned businesses have invited me to sell my items in their stores! One in Brooklyn and the other in Jackson. As this was unsolicited on my part, it meant a lot to me. They liked my products and wanted to give me a place to sell my art, pillows, mugs, tote bags, and more.
Traci, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
This all started when COVID hit in March 2020. I found myself with lots of extra time in the evenings as all my outside activities stopped. Not liking to sit still, I decided to start creating art again after a long hiatus due to raising children, working on my career, serving on my local school board, and volunteering in various capacities.
After trying a few different mediums, I landed on watercolor painting. Specifically, I started creating contour maps of local lakes in southern Michigan. After selling a few paintings to friends via social media, I wanted to leverage those images again. My first idea was to create pillows from those lake paintings. From that simple start, my product offerings expanded to mugs, ornaments, t-shirts, coasters, puzzles, and more! The products are all made by various third-party companies that produce high quality products.
As not all people live on a lake, I’ve also expanded my offerings to include more of nature by way of painting tulips, dahlias, sunflowers, a blue heron, and more.
Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
By far, I wish I had known about Michigan’s Small Business Development Center! What a great and free resource! They helped me file for an LLC at no cost to me along with other free resources and consulting. Check them out at www.Michigan.SBDC.org
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
Creating original art takes time and you’ll make mistakes. There have been times when I’ve painted a lake more than once because the first one did not meet my standards. It’s all okay though as I’m continuing to learn! I also have continued to take art classes to expand my skills and get critiques. This has expanded my confidence to try new things with my artistic skills.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.etsy.com/shop/MackIslandArt
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mackislandart/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MackIslandArt
- Other: https://www.etsy.com/shop/MackIslandArt