Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in arts and design but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Natalie Cramer, owner, and creator of Cramer Creations, located in Brooklyn, NY, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

The mission of my company, Cramer Creations, is to use art as a tool to express and understand ourselves. Throughout my life, creativity has been my most stable companion. It is a safe place to reflect on the world around us and feel. Another way to put it: art helps us heal.

Somewhere along the way of life, we lose sight of play and exploration. I often like to ask people- when do we stop honoring our imagination? Why do we stop taking time to color and create just for the fun of it, like when we were kids?

I hold space for adults to feel their feelings and express their truth through 1:1 coaching and events both in-person and online. My clients come from various backgrounds- some with a creative practice they love, some longing to reconnect with a past creative outlet, and others who simply want to explore life's challenges.

I am currently helping clients explore new creative ideas, reconnect with their true selves, and remove mental blocks so they can be free in their creative practices and self-expressed in life.

Tell us about yourself

Like many, from a young age, I learned to stay quiet and not share my true self. I grew up in a home where children were to be seen and not heard. In school, I would sit in the back of the classroom and do my best not to get called on. The world around me was unsafe, but in my room, I was free to be me. I could close the door and dream about a happy life. I would draw, makeup stories, write songs, and play with my dolls.

In 2017, while working full-time, I started sharing my art on Instagram. At first, it was just a way to share my creative expression, but it grew into a small side business over time. I started offering my graphic design services to others. In 2018 I left my full-time gig and decided to try to focus on my business full time. Six months later, I found a part-time opportunity to paint monograms on luggage. I loved being able to use my creative skills and connect with other artists. Then COVID hit. I lost my job, and everything shifted.

I took some time to regroup and come back to myself. I was living in a house with my family, and we were all working to better ourselves. We were having tough conversations and pushing each other to be our best. We set an intention for our time together to be communal. We would all share the housework and offer our talents as group activities.

My offering was art. Each week we would find time to come together and make something. At the start of each session, my mom would say, "I can't do this. I'm not very good". I would respond by offering advice like "let go of expectations and just have fun." Over time, her relationship with her creativity began to shift. She went from negating her skillset to asking, "when can we make art?" I realized there had to be others who feel this same way. Creativity could open up a whole new part of themselves with a little encouragement and space to play.

In summer 2020, I began hosting Art Hour events online using materials that participants could find around the house. There was so much upset around COVID that participants appreciated the invitation to tune into themselves and connect with others. The positive response to my monthly events gave me a fresh outlook on myself and my business. I saw an opportunity to connect my passion for helping others with my passion for creating.

I invested in a six-month program which helped me tune into myself and my business. I started offering a variety of classes and connecting with clients to learn more about how I could support them. At the same time, I was on my own journey to sharing myself more and showing up as a leader. Everything started to come together. As I reflected back on my own life, I started to recognize that throughout my highs and lows, my creative expression was always there. It is the greatest self-empowerment tool I know of.

In the last few years, I have shifted to opening up to others which has led me to feel better about myself and more connected to those around me. Every day I am excited to share my experience and support others on their own journey toward living life to the fullest and being fully self-expressed.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

My biggest accomplishment is trusting myself and my process. Running your own business isn't easy. It's important to believe in what you are doing so that the work feels inspired and true to you. Trusting myself means knowing that every day I am taking the right steps to continue to build this business. I know that even when I hit bumps in the road, I am still on the right path.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

One of the biggest challenges of being a business owner is time management, for sure. Going out on your own means there are so many different pieces to juggle. From writing emails and creating social content to scheduling time with clients and processing payments, there is a lot that goes into this dream.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

  1. Make sure you have a love for what you want to do. If you don't have the passion, you won't have the drive.
  2. Give yourself time. Time for your business to build up. Time to invest in putting the various pieces together. Time to relax and step away. Time to dive into the fun.
  3. Ask for help, and don't be afraid to tell others what you are doing. When I first started out, I dealt with imposter syndrome. I felt like I had to be at a certain level in order to call myself a business owner and share what I was doing. When you share your ideas with others, you invite them in. Sometimes you will be met with love and positive feedback; other times, you'll be met with questions and negative responses. It's important to be clear with yourself about what you are willing to listen to and work on and what feels unnecessary for the direction you are going.
  4. Bonus: I couldn't leave this one out-- It's important to have support.
    Sometimes in life, we stop ourselves from creating something new because we lack the support to believe in ourselves. Having at least 2-3 people have your back is life-changing. We all need people in our lives who believe in us and reflect our greatness back to us!

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

I would love to support you on your creative journey. Whether it's starting a business or a small side project, I'm here to listen and gently guide you on your way. For a limited time, I am offering 60-minute sessions for just $25. Please reach out if you would like to learn more! natalie@cramercreations.com

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://www.cramercreations.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/wearethedaydreamers
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cramer.creations/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natcrame/

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own subscription business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.