I'm one of those women who wore high heels and worked a ton but dreamed of making things with my hands and printing pretty things for people who loved my artwork.
So, one day, I quit my job.
I decided that if I died today, my one regret would be that I hadn't tried to make it on my own, doing something that I loved. Not just something that I was satisfied with, but something that I actually, truly, passionately, LOVED!
Sometimes that is a hard thing to discover though. I knew I was creative and I knew I liked "making things" - so I started there. I named my company Olio Studio because "Olio" means a mixture or a medley and I wasn't sure what I wanted to focus on. I started by listing everything I'd made that was just lying around my workspace. This included some paintings and pen and ink drawings in various sizes.
I quickly decided I wanted to make cards out of that artwork, but didn't want to pay for, say 200 cards, if I could only sell 2, so I invested in a really great printer.
With this purchase, I realized I could make and print virtually anything and what I WANTED to make, was wedding invitations! I'd put my toe in the water of wedding stationery early on in life, working for others, and I had always enjoyed working with brides and absorbed their excitement and joy. Pairing that with design and printing, which I was already obsessed with, was a perfect match!
Today, Olio Studio is still a small company and I work at it every day. I have started a more commercial line made and printed digitally over at www.paperinklove.etsy.com and when more ideas come, I will roll them out :)
I am thrilled to being working in this industry and I hope I can do it forever! I feel truly blessed to be involved in couple's lives in this way and am so glad I'm on this path. I can't wait to see where it takes me!