Today we’d like to introduce you to Curtis & Rachel Brockman.
Curtis & Rachel, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
Our story begins with a girl from Britain and guy from Texas meeting by chance in an online game. After dating for 5 years – very – long distance with short visits here and there, the girl moves to Texas and they both get married. That is how our story starts.
After moving to Texas and getting married I had a lot of down time while waiting for my immigration status to be approved. I’d always been into crafts, enjoyed origami and drawing. So that’s what I did during my time, while my husband worked at a bank. Eventually the house became full of crafts and I realized if I wanted to keep creating, I would have to get rid of some of my creations to make room for more!
After I was approved residency in the United States, we started vending at Anime and Comic Conventions that we both loved attending, and it grew from there. After 2 years of doing this part time as a hobby I resigned my job and the following year my husband resigned his, to help develop our business together.
Today we have a wide range of products. We started out with Origami flowers and moved on to unique plush cube pillows, to buttons, to geeky charm bracelets, custom diorama balls and more! Our business has evolved over the last 5 years and we are enjoying vending not only in Texas but getting out to explore the country, places like Salt Lake City and New Orleans.
Can you give our readers some background on your art?
The most important thing about what we do is that we love the subject matter and we aim to show it through the product. We are nerdy geeks and enjoy multiple fandoms. We make a point not to create anything we have not watched, played, read or experienced. We want not only to be able to have a conversation with our customers about their fandoms, but to be able to pay attention to the small details that really make a difference in a handmade item.
Our latest project is handmade diorama balls. Each one depicts a scene with a figure, creating a story. I’ve had a lot of fun with this, having trained in garden design and floristry in the UK, I have fun utilizing my skills in creating miniature environments that these characters would live in.
I also enjoy drawing and painting though I had no skill at drawing, but really wanted to be able to. So, I just practiced and practiced and kept on drawing and over the years I’ve truly improved. So, if there is something you want to accomplish artistically, just practice. It takes time, but it’s worth it.
Any advice for aspiring or new artists?
Be persistent. Always practice and your skills will improve. Be aware of your worth. I fell into the trap that every new creator does and would under price all my custom work or stay up all night making an order because someone needed it a week sooner that I said I could make it. All because I didn’t want to lose the sale or upset anyone.
With a few years hindsight I realized that I should not be afraid to charge what I think is fair, be rushed into someone else’s unreasonable timeline or even turn down orders if I don’t want to do them. It’s ok to lose a few orders here and there. Always value your time and skills, they are gifts not everyone possesses.
What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
My husband and I work out of our house in McAllen, Texas. We travel around the country vending at various anime and comic conventions, as well as other events. As we live in Texas we spend the majority of our time here in the Lone Star State.
We also sell on etsy and love custom work. Keep an eye on our Facebook page for sneak peaks of new products, and info on what show we’re going to next!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.etsy.com/shop/EnchantedEnigmaCraft
- Email: enchantedenigmacraft@gmail.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/enchanted_enigma/
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/EnchantedEnigmaCraft/
- Twitter: twitter.com/EnigmaCrafts
Image Credit:
Curtis & Rachel Brockman
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