November Studio Update: Plastic, Knots, and Pushing Forward

It seems like this year has flown by, yet a lot has happened in the recent months and while I still feel like I am very much figuring things out, I see a path forward.

We’ve decided to close/move Eche Verde and have a pop-up up with Abacaxi until 12/9/18. We needed more space and it made the most sense to move into an office space in Brooklyn instead of trying to find a larger storefront or even office space in Lower Manhattan. I was sad about this, as was Jeremy, but hosting a pop-up has given us definite proof that even with great merchandise and an awesome story, it is still very hard to make money off a retail storefront unless you have lots of time and money to promote the store, host lots of events, build your brand, and push major online sales. The numbers just don’t make sense and we basically knew this going in, but we thought three businesses in one space would offset the price and while it kind of did, it just was not worth it for the amount of space we had.

Our new space is amazing. Jeremy will be building out offices for his employees and I’ll continue sharing the space with him for my business Distill Creative and my art studio.

Which brings me to — I’m finally making art again. It’s been frustrating as even without a full time job working for someone else, I still feel like I don’t have enough time for everything, but I am committing to daily studio time along with running my own business. It is hard and I feel like I am moving at a snail’s pace, but someday, somehow I’ll have meaningful artwork.

Plastic bags woven. 19” x 17”.

I’ve recently been using upcycled plastic bags and I am looking forward to doing more weavings in this fashion. Today I made some tassel earrings and will develop a workshop for Distill Creative Chapters.

Cotton cord knotted into words. 30” x 50”.

I’ve also been interested in how to use macramé for more than just a look pretty home decor item. I’m going to do more of these macramé word hangings, with messages.

Airbnb Experience: Macramé Plant Hanger in the new space.

I’ve been doing Creative Morning Field Trips and New York City Airbnb Experiences, which has been fun and the Experiences have helped bring in some money.

A ton of other things have happened since my last post, eek! All you really need to know, though, is that I love living in New York City and figuring out how to grow my business and be an artist.

Ok, I have to go finish up some things and then go to bed. Thanks for reading!

-Stephanie