Today we’d like to introduce you to Eling Chang.
Eling, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I have always made things, but when I launched my business, I started out spinning and dyeing yarn as well as making and selling jewelry(!). But the jewelry expanded fairly quickly into accessories (hair clips, headbands, brooches) with a mix of beads, findings and felt. The accessories began mostly as flowers, but once I made my first bear face brooch, the faces seemed to multiply quickly and the pieces of felt got smaller and more numerous just as fast.
Now, most of my sewn accessories feature animals or food and most of them have faced. Many of them are intricate, with lots of little pieces. I also started making larger sewn art pieces. Along the way, I started drawing and painting more of these characters and have expanded my product line to include paper and home goods that feature my paintings and illustrations as well.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Honestly, running a business is HARD. There have been plenty of times where I wondered what I was doing, and if I shouldn’t just find something “easier” to do. Especially during the holiday season, when I’m basically running on junk food and no sleep. But at the end of the day, I don’t really see myself doing anything else.
On the business end, planning ahead and doing research helps! I personally jumped right into the deep end and had to figure out a lot of things on the fly. Business plan, banking and accounting methods, tax info, licenses, all the logistical stuff — do all of that first before you launch your business. Because let’s be honest, as creative businesses, that is not the fun part for us. Getting it all lined up before you dive in makes it less painful, and easier to keep up with.
And on the creative end, I think it’s great (and often very helpful!) to get input from others and gather all the resources you can. But at the end of the day, it’s important to listen to your gut. Your voice and vision are what will make your work and your business unique and you should trust your instincts. This is may seem obvious to some folks and is usually easier said than done; but I have found over the years that when had to talk myself into doing something or allowed others to sway me in a direction, that the results were not as good as when I felt truly inspired or excited by what I was creating. That passion for what you’re doing or making will be felt by your customer and they will respond to it (I swear!).
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about migration goods – what should we know?
I make tiny adorable things! Lots of them. At this point, most of my work is either hand sewn felt — small accessories and more intricate art pieces — or small paintings and illustrations, which I apply to paper and home goods, fabric and more. About 95% of my work is probably plants, animals or food — or a combination of these things — usually with faces and almost always cute.
I think a lot of people probably recognize my yetis and sasquatches, toast and cat tacos. And, I definitely make a ton of things with cats on them. But, I’d like to think I’m known for the detail of my work and also for how happy it generally is (even when the faces are grumpy). I think of my sewn work as both simplified and detailed: the designs are often streamlined, but there are lots of tiny pieces and details embedded within the seemingly simple appearance. And my illustrations are similar: seemingly cute and clean, but also highly detailed and with a lot of work behind the simple.
I’m proud to make almost everything I sell myself, from the cutting to the sewing to the artwork and design and marketing. I like to think that my obsessive attention to detail in all these aspects, as well as the commitment I have to make things cute and weird set me apart a bit! 😉
I do take a lot of pride in the detail and quality of my work and customer service and really love that anything someone buys from me is made by me, packaged by me and sold/sent to you by me. I know other companies want (or need) to grow more quickly, but I really love the personal aspect of buying from someone and knowing that it is made by that person and that I am supporting them and their art or craft and that is what I want my business to continue to be as well, even while I do grow and evolve.
In that vein, I’ve recently been partnering with other artists and makers more, outsourcing some of the printing and collaborating to create more products that I wouldn’t be able to make all on my own, which is exciting too. I am actively pursuing more collaborations with folks and businesses that I am excited about because I think the act of working together with people you respect creates really amazing work.
Finding a mentor and building a network are often cited in studies as a major factor impacting one’s success. Do you have any advice or lessons to share regarding finding a mentor or networking in general?
I think social media has made some things easier (like finding people whose work you admire or would like to learn from) but also more complicated, as it also seems to make some people feel entitled to access and information. While some may have luck getting help from people they’ve never met — I do believe most makers like to encourage newbies and each other — I think it’s important to remember that all folks, even those who are (or appear to be) highly successful are HUSTLING and may not have the time/energy to help someone they don’t know out, especially if it is with information that can be found with a little searching.
I’ve personally had the most success just getting out and vending and meeting others who are doing the same or even visiting and supporting the types of events and projects that I want to be involved in. And putting myself out there (which isn’t always easy, I know!) as someone who genuinely wants to support others and build networks, but has something to contribute, too. And, NOT being too entitled or demanding when I’m initially navigating a new group or topic.
Pricing:
- Accessories: $8 -$40
- Paper Goods: $2 -$20
- Home Goods: $10-$30
- Original Artwork: $40 -$500
Contact Info:
- Address: Western Avenue Studios
122 Western Ave, Studio 316
Lowell, MA 01851 - Website: http://www.migrationgoods.com
- Email: migrationgoods@gmail.com
- Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/elingeling
- Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/elingeling
Image Credit:
Becki Hollen
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