Lockdown certainly has it's challenges and I don't doubt that it's been one of the weirdest/hardest years of many of our lives so far. However if you too are a fellow introvert and homebody, you may have found a glimmer of comfort and even joy in being told to stay at home for the foreseeable future.
For many it's been a chance to slow down and take some time off. For me, it's been the perfect opportunity to take a leap of faith and do something I never thought I would have the ability to do - start a small business all on my own!
I've always loved fashion, drawing, designing, making, fabric, photography and basically all things arty and creative. Unfortunately, I hated being at school and definitely didn't reach my full potential as a result and by the time I had left I didn't have much belief in myself or my abilities.
I fully believe that the stars aligned and gave me an unmissable chance to pursue something. Due to lockdown, I dropped the job I resented, I had all the time in the world to focus on something new, I had enough money to buy a bit of fabric, all the sewing equipment I could need (thanks to my mum). I started by tracing round some of my clothes onto paper, making a pattern (which took a lot of trial and error) and making a dress out of an old bed sheet dyed with turmeric! It turned out so much better than I could have imagined, and with that came the confidence that I needed to really get going.
There was, of course, a lot of learning to be done (thanks Youtube!) and I worked hard all through the Summer and Autumn of 2020, finally releasing my first collection on Etsy just before Christmas. Business was very slow to begin with and I had my fair share of sadness and doubt, but I eventually started to make some sales and it was so exciting! Getting messages from customers who loved what I was doing made it all feel worthwhile. I have learnt so much over the past year, and I'm proud of myself for hanging on in there and allowing myself to grow.
My aim is to keep my new business as small as possible, while aspiring to grow until it's a stable job for me - but we'll see! I'm currently working on a collection to launch this spring and will be working to make Someday as inclusive and sustainable as I can in the future!
Social Icons