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With many of the stores providing complimentary food and drinks, as well as special promotions, the evening serves not only to thank the stores’ supporters but also to increase publicity for the area. With guests welcomed to linger in the stores, the atmosphere is relaxed and upbeat throughout the evening.
One of the most popular stores when we attended this past First Friday was Shine Collective – a contemporary boutique offering a uniquely curated assortment of clothing and accessories. For the event-billed as “Built in Baltimore II”,- Shine showcased the work of local designers. Among these were tshirt designers Charm City Surf Co., jewelry designers Karen Garalde, Leslie Kamali, Christy Zuccarini, Valentina Black, Hanna Brancato, Hadieh Shafie, and handbag designer Michelle Li.
Because so many of the items in Shine Collective were made locally, I was encouraged to find out more about them. Upon further research, I discovered the recently retired Baltimore Sun blog Baltimore By Hand, which is written by Christy Zuccarini. With such an involvement in the local craft scene and a talent for making jewelry and accessories, I chose to ask Christy a few questions about her experiences as an artist and blogger.
RR: I saw your work featured at Shine Collective – do you often have opportunities like this or find that you sell and promote most through fairs and online stores like Etsy?
CZ: I do have a shop on Etsy and I’ve done a few local craft shows. Selling at Shine has been a wonderful experience and has actually helped me reconsider my approach to crafting in some ways. I tend to think more in terms of coming up with cohesive collections for their shop – more so than I do for my Etsy shop which has a little bit of everything. Overall, Baltimore has an incredible community of crafters and there are endless opportunities to sell/promote my work. It’s just a matter of keeping abreast of all that’s going on. I’m also a member of the Baltimore Etsy Street Team and that’s helped quite a bit too.
RR: That being said, how much leg-work is involved in being a successful “hand-crafter”? Do you find Baltimore to be a receptive environment for this type of work?
CZ: I think it’s more than possible to craft on a full-time basis if you’re willing to put the appropriate time and effort into it. Like I said earlier, Baltimore is full of opportunities, and within the next few years, as the art scene grows, I think there will be even more outlets for handmade.
RR: In addition to leg-work, what is the importance of an online presence? I see that you write Baltimore By Hand and contribute to B’More Green – have these blogs helped to promote your work personally or mainly the crafting scene in general?
CZ: Using the Internet to promote and sell work is an absolute must, particularly if you’re looking to go full-time. There’s an absolute art to selling online and some crafters have really mastered it. Writing for The Sun hasn’t promoted my work personally so much as it has helped promote the local craft scene in general.
RR: Because of the accessibility of this work online have you seen more people start to take interest in the crafting scene or make things themselves? Has it made it easier for younger artists to make a name for their work?
CZ: Yes! The Internet has made it possible for anyone to pursue selling their work. At the same time, it’s a great leveler because as I mentioned earlier, some folks have really mastered the art of selling online. But that’s a good thing, because there’s a healthy sense of competition and as an artist or crafter, you must really consider all aspects of selling your work (e.g. branding, marketing, photographing, describing each piece is a coherent way, etc). I had actually put my beads to rest while I was in grad school and then, when I discovered Etsy, I started crafting again because selling online seemed like such a feasible outlet.
RR: Any tips for selling one’s work? Do you suggest starting locally or looking toward social networking sites etc.?
CZ: I would say try everything you can online – open and Etsy shop, start a Flickr account, get onto Facebook and/or Twitter and begin blogging if you’re up to it. I think the key to the online gig is doing it consistently. The most successful online sellers have a significant online presence and are very active. Selling locally is just as important and considering that there are so many shops here in Baltimore that carry handmade items, there’s no good reason not to try.
RR: Any final thoughts?
CZ: Finding your vision is a process like any other – it takes time and lots of experimentation. And really, that’s the fun part even though it can be frustrating because it sometimes seems like everything has already been done. Consider what drives you; what excites you – and do that! Do what you love and I think the rest will follow. My only other suggestion for selling work is to invest some real time and energy into presentation, because that’s key (especially if you’re selling online). Take a photography class if you’re not that comfortable with a camera or simply practice photographing your work – it’ll pay off.
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