Today, we’d like to introduce you to Natalia Mujadzic.
Hi Natalia, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I started out drawing novelty greeting cards and selling them at small art markets in San Marcos, TX, where I was getting my MFA in creative writing (fiction) at Texas State University. They were bare-boned, flimsy things — I used generic card stock from my job, scribbled words and crude sketches in black pen ink, and photocopied my drawings using the office printers — but they were so fun to make and share with my friends. My greeting cards were also a fun way for me to express myself that wasn’t related to the novel/thesis that had been consuming my thoughts and feelings up to that point. Once I graduated in May of 2020, I moved back home to Sugar Land, TX, and began working for my parents’ glass and mirror business, Century Glass Company, where I currently assist my dad in installing glass windows, bathroom mirrors, frameless showers, etc. Truthfully, grad school burnt me out, so in my free time, I didn’t feel like reading, writing, or submitting my work; I felt like drawing. So, I drew constantly. I made greeting cards and art prints using Procreate on my iPad and printed from home on my Epson Ecotank printer. I created a couple of basic t-shirt designs and had them printed by different local sources until my lovely partner bought me a Cricut, and I became obsessed with making my own novelty tote bags, sweatshirts, and stickers. By the end of 2020, I opened my Etsy shop under the name Natalia Sketches and listed several different products, including greeting cards, totes, shirts, mugs, stickers, sweatshirts, and more. Flash forward to today — it’s been an incredible few years. I’ve had over 500 5-star ratings and almost 2000 sales. I shipped orders to over ten different countries last year and have recently started selling at local art markets in the Houston area. I hope to eventually see my products in the same Houston gift shops that I love to visit. This year, I am 30, and my business will turn 4. I am so happy to be where I am today and can’t wait for whatever comes next.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I’m privileged to say that the road has been relatively smooth so far. The support I constantly receive from my friends and family makes running my business super easy — it also helps that I love what I do. My biggest struggles have been deciding how to price my products and services in a way that is both fair to me and my customers and dealing with issues that inevitably arise when shipping with USPS. Overall, it’s been a blast, and I couldn’t ask for more.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I specialize in novelty greeting cards and stickers that are inspired by my favorite horror films and comedy television shows. A lot of my designs are known to lean on the morbid side — my Hereditary “Losing My Head Over You” card is probably my all-time bestseller — and they are often completely unserious — my “I Think You Should Leave” and “Pen15” items are proof of that. I think what sets me apart from others is that I don’t tell the little voice in my head to shut up. I just love expressing my weird self by creating fun, weird products for fun, weird people.
What do you like and dislike about the city?
I adore the genuine people and vivid culture of our city. You don’t have to look far to feel inspired, as corny as that sounds. The people? Beautiful. The art scene? Incredible. Food scene? To die for. But the traffic? Disgusting. That’s got to be my least favorite part about Houston.
Pricing:
- $6.99 for greeting cards
Contact Info:
- Website: https://nataliasketchesshop.etsy.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nataliasketches
