Sometimes Magic Happens

Several months ago a publisher asked me to submit a project for a collaborative book. You know - one of those collections of projects by lots of different designers? I had an idea that I thought would be fun, but not enough time to really work out all the details - so I submitted a really rough sketch and some notes about what I'd do, the techniques/skills involved, what kinds of colors I'd use, etc.

In spite of the extreme awfulness of the sketch (which I can't believe I'm showing you) they bought it. And I bought the materials I'd need. And then they sat in my To Do crate until the deadline was upon me.

This gnawed at me for weeks. I don't usually submit such sketchy proposals, it was not the materials and techniques I usually use and - frankly - I was worried that I would end up with something that looked like crap.

The weekend came where I had to make these guys. I started playing around with the materials. . . and that's when the magic happened. I loved the first little guy I made. He didn't look much like my sketch at all (thank goodness). He was better. I ran around the house, showing him to Alan and Jo and they agreed that I wasn't delusional. This guy was really cute.

I played with the materials some more and came up with a real stinker. He was the crap I had been afraid of making. But I played with the materials even more and got more cuteness. I packed up the finished (cute) pieces, wrote up the instructions, and delivered the goods.

After I sent them off to their publisher I kept thinking about them. They had a vaguely Muppet-ish quality to them that I really liked, and they were terrific fun to play with. When I had them sitting out on my work table that weekend, I noticed that every time someone passed by they had to moosh them around a little bit.

They had been a LOT of fun to make, and I still had some supplies left over, so I made some more. I started daydreaming about selling them. I timed how long it took to make them and starting adding up the cost of the materials. I started whittling and fine-tuning the design to make them a bit more durable and even easier to make. I brought them to my favorite shop to ask them for advice on pricing - and they placed an order.

I started sourcing materials and making up some more of these little guys. I came up with a name (Zoklings) and placed an order for some hang tags. I set up a website and an online shop.

I've been down this road before. I was a buyer and a sales rep in my former life, so I know the world of selling wholesale. I used to sell my dolls and stuffed animals to shops, and a really nice gallery used to sell my quilts. I stopped doing that because I found production work got repetitive and I wasn't able to spend as much time designing as I wanted. This time I have a different goal.

I want to create a job. I live in a rural area with really high unemployment. In my county and the neighboring county there used to be three textile factories - places where they sewed clothing. All of them are closed now, and there are still a lot of folks around who know how to do production work. Some of them have found work sewing for artists and designers in the area, but lots of them are still out of work. I want to sell enough Zoklings that I have to hire someone to make them. (Just saying that aloud feels HUGE.)

For now I'll be making them all (in addition to continuing to design patterns here and writing books, etc.). I have exactly two shops on board - not really enough to keep someone busy. :-) But I have high hopes. And it all started because I resisted the urge to edit myself. I almost didn't send in that first awful sketch. I was terribly embarrassed by it, and worried about committing to working with less-familiar tools and techniques without working out all the details first. But I had worked with the publisher before and they knew my work. I hoped they would have faith that I could turn the kernel of an idea into something worth looking at. I'm so glad they did!

A couple of you have asked if I'll be making a pattern available for these. I won't. That wouldn't be very cool to the publisher who's going to include something very similar to these in a book. And without the nudge of their looming deadline, I never would have taken the time to try these out. But I'll let you know as soon as the book is available! In the meantime - you can buy them here. Soon they'll be available here (for folks in Asheville, NC) and here (for folks in Atlanta, GA). And if any of you have a fabulous little indie gift shop you think would like to carry these silly guys - please let me know. :-)

This week try something you're not quite sure you can do. Who knows where it will take you! You might make some magic.

Happy Monday everyone!

Best,
Wendi