ABOUT MY ART:
Why small batches?
For the longest time I thought something was wrong with me…
I have been trying to sell my art and handmade items since I was in high school (I have an Etsy account from 2006 to prove it).
I have tried markets, multiple artist hosting websites, selling my things in stores, and creating multiple independent websites. I have created 5+ different Instagram accounts for each of my disciplines. But nothing ever really panned out…partially because I probably gave up sooner than I should have due to low self-confidence, but I mostly thought it was because I couldn’t find my niche.
Not only could I not figure out what my “style” of art was, but I couldn’t stick to just one art form. I was constantly drifting from one idea to another hoping one day I would land on the thing that was the most me - my signature look or craft.
Twenty years later, after tons of personal growth and healing, I finally found what is most me - it’s doing it all!
I learned to embrace and love my ADHD brain that makes me jump from one project to another and dive deeply into one craft or idea for a few months before it gets inspired by something else. Instead of feeling inadequate and embarrassed by my lack of uniformity and cohesion, I am learning to highlight and market my art as an extension of who I truly am - a multifaceted person that follows what sparks joy in the moment.
All of that is to say is that I naturally make series or small batches of things. And I am happiest when I get to explore an idea until one day I feel done with it. The one consistent thing about all of this is that I know I will never stop making things, and my creations will always come from the authentic and primal need I have to express myself through my hands.
Follow @aika.wabe.designs on Instagram to stay updated on all my creations!
ABOUT MY BLOG:
Learning to open my mouth.
I have lived most of my life keeping my mouth shut - believing I had nothing of any value or validity to share. “Who am I to say anything?” was the conclusion I would always come to when I contemplated giving my two cents. But over the course of my life, after sharing experiences with close friends and finding that I had a passion for teaching, I slowly and reluctantly became convinced that sharing “my story” and my experiences (and whatever else I have “nerded out” over) might actually be beneficial to a lot of people.
So here I am…both terrified and excited for what opening my mouth might bring into my life. I welcome you to sit back and enjoy this journey of self-discovery and healing alongside me as I retell, document, and share the many lessons, thoughts, fears, and aspirations that surround my life. From childhood traumas and major life events, to art tutorials and how to read tarot…I’m hoping that we can connect on both our most basic and most divine levels of being human.