Today we’d like to introduce you to Alyssa Dailey.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Way back when I was a little tiny human, I started making things. Shifting the shapes of things. Art and expression in all different forms. I’ve been told I was always one foot in this realm, one in another. I never really ‘outgrew’ that way of being… I only fell deeper in. Over time, I gained experience and knowledge in how to make my expressions tangible. I was always quiet, observant, and sensitive. I excelled in art and creativity all through school, be it drawing, painting, writing, or music.
Not everyone supported or even understood the way my heartbeat was, but the ones who did.. I’m eternally grateful for it. I really started finding my outlets in high school, through writing poetry, playing guitar, and sculpting. However, the budgets for fine arts electives in my school were cut, so I graduated early and started my journey of being a self-taught artist (and a mother).
I spent a lot of years raising my two boys, and doing art and crafts when and where I could. I homeschooled them, so there were art classes every day, you’d be surprised what can be created with glitter glue, popsicle sticks, and construction paper when that’s the only thing you have time and space for. The boys finally reached an age where I could independently start doing art again. I gave a lot of things as gifts for years, things I sewed, painted, and crafted. Dreamcatchers, poetry, handmade cards.
A lot of people kept asking, “Why aren’t you sharing these things with the world?” I tossed the idea around my mind for a couple of years and finally decided to go for it. I started making all kinds of things and selling them at little local art markets around Houston. I started a few social media pages and a Big Cartel website. All while homeschooling my kids, maintaining my household, and finding inspiration and motivation to continue creating.
I had a lot of help from those who love me along the way. My little business, made up of tiny pieces of my mind that my hands crafted into objects and images started to grow. I started getting return customers, custom orders, and a lot of support and appreciation. I’m working toward nurturing a more inspiring and peaceful environment to continue growing creatively.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Is any road worth traveling smoothly? Metaphorically speaking, I like to think of my road as being a blend between a middle-of-nowhere overgrown forest service road, and an ant hill labyrinth of interstates and overpasses. I haven’t always known which direction to go, haven’t always been able to read the signs, and my vessel hasn’t always been the most reliable.
As I said before, everything I’ve accomplished has been self-taught, from creative methods to running and operating a business and all that is involved with it. I struggle with some mental health issues, I mean… who doesn’t these days. But I like to believe that my struggles have just been doors and alleyways that lead to deeper inspirations and abilities. Art doesn’t come from anywhere… it’s a wave you have to ride, and sometimes you drown.
I’ve learned to let it take me when the waters get rough. That’s where my best content is born from. Fighting the tide never did anyone any favors, and I often feel that I’m rewarded when I let the universe drag me by the heartstrings. I actually started my business at the peak of the Covidpocalypse, and that was an interesting introduction back into society for me after being a stay-at-home mom for so many years.
I am naturally somewhat of an ambivert that leans more towards introversion, and getting out there in the world while there were fewer people milling about made it easier. I thought it would maybe have a negative effect on sales, but I learned that in a time like that, people NEEDED art. People needed stimulation that wasn’t just sitting at home binging streamed shows and movies. People needed heart, connection, and something to relate to, even more than ever.
Finances, as I’m sure most people can relate, have been a struggle as well. I’m lucky enough to be a goblin of an artist, and I can make things from most people’s throw-aways. I do a lot of upcycling/recycling, and DIY. It saves a lot on materials and supplies and keeps a lot of things out of landfills.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I think of myself as a bit of an artistic spaz. I’m all over the place with things. In a nutshell, I handcraft and create necklaces, earrings, pins/accessories, dreamcatchers, original artwork (charcoal/acrylic/collage) art prints, hand blended all natural bath soaks, hand-carved avocado buttons and pendants, sculpture, hand-painted stash/jewelry boxes, and bookmarks.
My supply is always shifting, as a lot of my materials are thrifted, gifted, or upcycled. I’m known for something of a tribal galactic feel, lots of tentacles, witchy stuff, plant life, cats, the female form, and ren-festy-type things. something that sets me apart would be my bullheaded approach to making everything myself. I try to buy as few new components as possible, if I can make it, I will.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
I hope to someday have a brick-and-mortar art studio/shop. A place where artists and artsy folks can come hang out, drink tea, create, network, and browse local art in a safe and non-judgmental space.
Pricing:
- Hand-sculpted Kraken necklaces run from $35-$65
- Dreamcatchers $15-$350
- Art Prints $12-$100
- Buttons $5 each
- handmade/handpainted bookmarks $10-$35
Contact Info:
- Website: www.shapeshifteralchemies.bigcartel.com
- Instagram: @_shapeshifter_alchemies_
- Facebook: @Shapeshifter Alchemies
- Tiktok: @_shapeshifter_alchemies_
