One quick word of advice

From the Pinterest board of Saturday Sequins

Source: littlewishjar.tumblr.com via Vanessa on Pinterest

Vanessa Walilko
Eco-friendly jewelry
Handmade chainmail jewelry

Business advice: Lean on a friend

I try to do as much as possible on my own. I don't know if that's a result of being a control freak or an only child, but it's my first impulse. The problem with that, as I experience yesterday, is that it's really easy to get overwhelmed, stressed, and potentially sick.

Example: in the past 72 hours I've been confirmed for a second fashion show in March (the first one, put together by the awesome and talented Ladie K Mraz. I also submitted a proposal to Kickstarter that was accepted yesterday. This means that I'll soon be asking for support for my most epic chainmaille project yet.

Thinking about all I have to do (making more designs, writing a compelling project/shooting a video for Kickstarter), sent me right into panic mode. This plus the crazy Chicago weather (cold and damp in February) meant that my allergies were going haywire and I wasn't feeling particularly well.

In the midst of my panic, I made plans to get coffee with a friend of mine. She and I just sat and talked for three hours and it was the best thing I could have done. I feel healthy, re-energized, and excited about everything coming up, not panicked. It's awesome.

Moral of the story: when you're stressed, spend time with a good friend. They'll help you more than you can imagine.

Vanessa Walilko
Handcrafted chainmail jewelry
Chain maille jewelry

Winter torpor

I don't know what it is about winter, I just can't get motivated. Yes, this is a slightly ridiculous thing to say since I've been plugging away at my chainmail flapper dress, I've finished a chainmail coif and I'm working on costumes for an upcoming show. Nevertheless, I still have a ton of business things I need to do--updating my website, working on wholesale catalogs, taking photos for tutorials--that I haven't been able to bring myself to do.

Distraction at its coolest...

What's an entrepreneur to do? One thing I've learned is that I have to forgive myself if I'm not constantly working on my business. All work and no play make Jack Nicholson's character in the Shining a crazy person. Sometimes I wake up wanting to make a pillow shaped like lips. And that's okay. As long as the tutorials are written, the catalogs and updated, and the website is overhauled at some point in the near future, it's all okay. Some days you just have to sit around and sew.

Vanessa Walilko
Bold chainmail jewelry
Handcrafted chain maille jewelry

The value of professionalism

Ever since I put my aluminum chainmail jewelry and armor up on Model Mayhem, I've gotten a lot of requests from photographers, stylists, and the like to use my pieces in photo shoots.

This past weekend, I loaned out my pieces to Megan Sontag, a.k.a The Shutterblade. I can't stress what a delight it's been to work with her, and I absolutely love the photos from the photo shoot. You can take a look at them by clicking here.

I'm looking forward to working with her again. Chicago fashion jewelry and fashion designers take note--if you want to work with someone prompt, professional and downright awesome, Megan is the lady to contact.

Vanessa Walilko
Aluminum Chainmail Jewelry
Handmade chain mail jewelry

New Year's Resolutions

This morning I thought about all of the things that I have to do this year... and my head nearly exploded. It turns out that Kat Wisniewski of Elemental Art Jewelry wrote a great overview of what she needs to do over the next few months and it inspired me to write an overview for my work in the next year. Here's a list of things I have to do in no particular order.

1) Prepare my wholesale booth for an upcoming wholesale show
2) Build inventory for upcoming summer shows
3) List new items and ship Etsy orders for both my chainmaille supply Etsy shop and my handmade aluminum chainmail jewelry Etsy shop
4) Maintain relationships with stores and ship out wholesale orders
5) Maintain Facebook and Twitter accounts
6) Photograph step-by-step photos and write directions for chainmail and beaded jewelry tutorials
7) Keep track of supply inventory so that I can make all orders in a timely fashion.
8) Photograph entry for the upcoming Bead Dreams competition.
9) Work on new clothing pieces for upcoming competitions, shows
10) Apply to juried exhibitions (gotta stay current in the art world...)
11) Keep sending out applications for 2012 summer shows. I have multiple deadlines coming up this week.

Speaking of deadlines, I'd better work on those show applications. In fact, I need to step away from this to-do list (just the first things that came to mind, mind you, not an exhaustive list) before my head explodes again.

Vanessa Walilko
Handmade aluminum chainmail jewelry
Bold aluminum chain mail jewelry designs

Kali Butterfly on WGN for One of a Kind

Last year the One of a Kind show was my first "big-girl" art fair. Getting into the Etsy pavilion was the perfect entry point into the show and was tremendously exciting.

One of a Kind this year marked the one year anniversary of selling jewelry full-time. Every day I'm amazed at my life--people pay me to do what I love. It's incredible.

While last year the One of a Kind show led me to believe that I really could survive--and thrive--as a working artist, this year they gave me an even cooler gift: the first appearance of my jewelry on television. For those of you who missed the piece on the WGN midday news, you can view the video by clicking here:

Yes, she's wearing my necklace. And yes, I almost pass out with joy every time I see this.

The One of a Kind show also got me some internet love. Chicago Shopping listed my red lizard vest as one of their best picks for the 2011 One of a Kind Show in Chicago. It was a great weekend.

I love the One of a Kind Show. Did I mention that?

Vanessa Walilko
Aluminum chainmaille jewelry
Handmade chain mail jewelry

A Year In Review

I had every intention of writing a re-cap on October 1, after the completion of the Year of Fearlessness project... but I've been a busy lady. I thought that end of the Plaza Art Fair would be the beginning of my vacation. I was wrong... but at least I'm never bored. However, I've learned many lessons in this past year, and I feel like sharing a few.

1) Life is very much like spinning plates. If you've ever seen someone spin plates on the top of sticks, you know that the difficult part is getting the plates up in the air. Once they're up, you just have to use momentum to keep them going. I'm done with the overwhelming effort of putting my business together, now I just have to maintain the energy. Even despite languishing after the Herculean task of starting a business, and then grieving for my grandfather earlier this year, I still managed to get into a number of awesome art fairs, win awards in the Bead Dreams competition, the British Bead Awards and the Designer Jewelry Showcase, and show my work in international competitions and exhibitions (I'm up to three continents!). It's uncanny.

2) If a photographer contacts you about using your pieces, make sure that they're reputable. I dealt with a photographer from Model Mayhem who asked to keep my pieces for two weeks and ended up holding on to them for two months. He pretty much ignored me for most of that time, not answering messages until I posted something on his online magazine's Facebook page about how frustrated I was. That was over a year ago, and I still haven't seen the photos from the shoot, haven't heard back from him, and it looks like the photos won't be included in the magazine. Creative talent does not equal business talent, unfortunately, and my time and energy were wasted on this guy.

Conversely, I dealt with a fantastic stylist named Apuje Kalu who sent me a contract, shipped my pieces back in a timely manner and sent me images of the photo shoot directly when the photographer was overwhelmed by his personal life. Because of my work with him, my jewelry has been featured in two very beautiful fashion editorials. If he contacts you, work with him. The photos will be amazing, I assure you. Plus, you might get your pieces in an Australian magazine like I did. That's pretty neat.

3) Research out of state art fairs VERY CAREFULLY before you take the time and effort to leave the state. I made the mistake of doing the Milwaukee Domes Art Festival this year. The location is gorgeous, the crowds who came out for the show were lovely (although many of the people had no idea that there was an art fair happening in the Domes that weekend), but it's a new show and that turned out to be problematic. As I said, attendance was VERY low and show policies were unclear. While the volunteers were generally nice, I ran into a couple problems:

--The show ended at 7pm on Saturday. Since I had a booth inside, this meant that the lights were turned off at 7pm. Seriously. I had a customer at my booth who was thinking about what merchandise to purchase. First the lights were shut off on her (how was I expected to clean up in the dark?). Things were then made worse when the volunteer at the door started clapping her hands and shouting, "Finish up your shopping and let's go!" If the customer had any doubts, that would have been the end of that sale.

--The director of the art fair walked up to me and said excitedly, "We're giving out the awards now." When he shook his head to indicate I didn't win one, he said, "I just wanted to have one of those American Idol heartbreak moments." I'm not exactly sure what I did to incur his passive-aggressive wrath, but I really wish he would have just brought it to my attention instead of being hurtful. A cash prize (they're generous at this show) would have made this lackluster show a real winner.

4) I already knew this, but the more time you spend doing what you love, the more confidence you develop about everything in your life. I credit improv classes with a lot of my freedom to say and do what I want. (They drill in your head immediately that if you think something you should say it.) However, doing what I love and being successful at it have worked wonders at making me freer with my opinions. There is no greater experience than just being yourself:



Vanessa
Aluminum chainmail jewelry
Handcrafted chainmaille jewelry