Friday 16 July 2010

Finding: Monique

Hello, guys!

Today I'm quite excited as the artist we'll get to know is enthusiastic, driven and (well, yes, for me as a blogger this is a huge thing) punctual! Meet Monique from HoneyBliss and tune your reading senses for some fresh creations with a solid story behind their backs!

  • Share a bit of your story, please.
I was born in Miami but grew up here in Toronto, Canada. I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit and been very creative. In middle school I’ve made greeting cards, bookmarks, shaved pencils and repainted them with decorations, made comic books, made jewelry…all with the intentions of selling them. I would sell a few then move on to the next project.

It was only in late 2005 that I started sewing after tagging along with my mom to take sewing lessons at a lady’s house. My mom used to sew a lot – clothing for herself and for my sister and I – but she had stopped for a while and wanted to get back into it. I was learning for the first time. I actually really enjoyed it and since I was never really good at shopping this way I would have clothing that I really wanted. So I made myself a new wardrobe all the while getting better. I had stumbled upon Etsy but never thought that I would make clothes for others. But once my skills improved and I felt that I was at a level where I could sell clothing, it was only natural for me to try to turn it into a business. In that way, Honey Bliss was born!



  • What place does art have in your everyday life? How do you manage to balance creativity and chores?

Art/fashion design has a major part. I’m always on the lookout for interesting and inspiring things. I always look at, borrow from the library or buy fashion magazines and frequent fashion websites.


I am still trying to be balanced. I tend to neglect certain things (chores, friends) when I’m hard at work on a project. What I try to do now is allot only a certain amount of hours to working on my line.
  • What is it that inspires you?
Nature! Nature is a big inspiration to me. I absolutely love summer because that is when everything is sooo beautiful. The sun brightly shining in the sky illuminating everything, making the grass greener, the flowers more vibrant. The sunsets are gorgeous, painting the sky a blend of orange, purple, red. Even a stormy or dark gloomy day is beautiful. The trees seem to be more emerald against the puffy grey sky. The flutter of a butterfly, decaying wood, flowers…I am inspired by anything and practically everything in the summer. So nature most definitely is my biggest inspiration.



  • What do you expect to happen to your Etsy store in the future? Where do you see yourself in one year?

I would love to be a source of inspiration. I sell one-off pieces that I like to think will guarantee individuality when someone wears it. So I would want to be the go to shop for fashion enthusiasts who love to buy unique clothing. Even to have people frequenting my shop just to look around and be inspired. I’ve only just recently started, so I have a long way to go.




  • Any strategy to help you achieve your artistic goals? Would you share one tip with all new-born artists?
I used to go with my gut when creating a piece of clothing. I would be so excited to make it that I wouldn’t take time out to write steps as to how I would complete the garment. Then I would make mistakes and waste time trying to fix it. So I try my best to calm down before starting a project (haha) and plan out and write/draw the patterns I need, step by step instructions on how to construct it etc. I find that saves me a lot of time and I tend to finish the garment much faster since I’ve already practically made it in my head while planning.
One tip that I would like to share is never give up. I know it’s a common rule of thumb, but it’s so true. If you’re passionate about something, keep at it. You may not see results right away, but if you keep working hard you are bound to see the fruits of your labour!

  • Anything else you'd like to say?
Just want to thank you Bilyana for doing a feature on me! I am honoured. J


Thank you, Monique, for sharing your insights and showing the right attitude for a young Etsian! You've reminded me how I should behave and believe in myself not just for the first two weeks. For more updates on Monique's work and life visit her blog and keep an eye on her Etsy shop for unique clothing and accessories!

Hoe you've enjoyed and benefited from today's post. Again, I just have to thank Monique for the punctuality and serious attitude and I'll hope there are more eager sellers out there waiting to be featured in this small blog. I'll be on a vacation fro next Thursday, but the blog will be kept alive and hopefully by a live me depending on the availability of an Internet connection. On Monday I'll show you what's kept me busy (well, apart from my computer game) and so might you as well via my rarely used comment section!

Until then, have a nice and sunny weekend (hopefully with the presence of Chinese food), 

Bilyana 

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