Be Your Own Boss

So by now most of you know me for being a full time creative and the question I get asked most often is “How did you get started?”. Well to simply put it, I got started very late in life and honestly by complete accident. I kind of drifted to the place I should be and NO it hasn’t been the least bit easy for me but I am hoping I can make that leap a little bit easier for some of you. Since I was little I’ve always been drawn to creating no matter what it was. I started drawing pretty young and loved to draw Disney characters & Sailor Moon. I also loved to make barbie clothes out of socks or with scrap fabric, sewing them by hand. In fact I got in trouble a few times for cutting up clothes that weren’t even mine. I made miniature stuff for my doll house and loved to paint and collage as well. Any way I could be creative I would find a way to do so. I took basic art classes in Jr high and high school but creating wasn’t something people took serious back then. Growing up I honestly didn’t know it was a serious career option so it was never something I pursued full time.

Back then computers were really just starting to be something more common in homes, we are talking dial up, AOL days. I didn’t have the luxury of being exposed to certain things like we do now. But I did eventually get a blackplanet page and took an interest in web design/graphics as a side hobby. I continued creating clothing and jewelry for myself through out high school, sometimes for other people. When I graduated I didn’t know what I wanted to do with myself I was always drawn to creating and never could shake it. I never really found my way into anything else. I got deeper into web design and graphics when I realized I could make money from it. I started building websites, making logos and flyers while holding down a normal job but that never lasted long because I got bored with them. I eventually up and quit my last job when I got my first check, I had enough of working retail and being miserable. There is nothing worse than counting down the minutes/hours until you get off a job you hate! I took on web and graphic design full time but I was still making clothing and accessories on the side for myself. I also picked up photography along the way. At some point I was posting pictures of things I made online and people started asking me how they could purchase them, so the light bulb in my head went off. I decided to start my first online store killture.com in 2008. Since I had a background in web design already it was easy for me to create a site where I could sell my items on my own. I know a lot of you may have absolutely no background in web design or graphics but it’s still quite easy to create an online shop these days, even if you don’t. So now I am going to point you in the right direction and give you a few tips and ideas to think about to help you start planning how to be your own boss and starting your first business online.