Why Giving Up On My Dream Actually Feels Pretty Damn Good

This is a very personal post, but I wanted to open up...

Several years ago, I quit smoking. The thing that finally made the difference for me, after multiple "tries" was making up my mind 100%. Before, when I "tried" to quit, I always knew in the back of my mind that I'd smoke again. The only question was when the cravings would be "bad enough" for me to give in. Once I absolutely decided to quit, I still had cravings ... but my mind was no longer at war with itself. I didn't have to debate or make decisions because I'd already made it.

All my life, I've had one great passion: theatre. And my greatest fantasy has always been to star in a Broadway musical (or play). But to quote from Follies, "heck, I'd even play the maid..."

Even though I never truly pursued a theatre career, I kept telling myself that I would some day. It's one thing to not actively chase your dream. It's another thing to admit to yourself "I will never achieve this." It's a grieving process.

But just like with quitting smoking, making up my mind has made it so much easier to move on. I'm still not a professional actor — but now I'm not saying I should be and loathing myself because I'm not. I'm a non-professional by choice, not because of laziness or failure.

Me as Grace Farrell in Annie — wearing a vintage hat
that influenced my desire to be a milliner.

I found a journal of mine from late 2007, in which I constantly wrote about how much I wanted to be a professional actor ... or do something else creative. But I didn't know what that was. Since then, I discovered hat-making. And everything just clicked.

I love millinery. Do I love it as much as theatre? Almost. Not quite, but almost. And one nice thing about millinery is that it doesn't have to be separate from theatre. I've made hats for The Pirates of Penzance and Born Yesterday. I love the millinery I see on stage and in movies/TV.

Sure, if I had a magic wand, I'd still choose to be a Broadway actress. But I'd rather be doing shows in community theatre than not performing at all because I'm being rejected from professional gigs. I've also realized that my personality isn't suited to the competitiveness and constant rejection of a professional actor's life.

Plus, there's this:

"Rachel's childhood ambition was to become an actress and this developed into a keen interest in theatre costume. It is from this sense of the dramatic ... that Rachel's passion for millinery has evolved."

I found that while reading the web site of Rachel Trevor-Morgan, one of Britain's most successful milliners (whose creations have been worn by the Queen, among others). I could do worse than to follow in her footsteps!

A 1940s-inspired fedora that allowed me to fulfill
my love of vintage styles. (This piece already sold.)

I am currently taking a break from even the community theatre productions that swallow my time so that I can really focus on my business. It feels good to have made the decision. I feel a new-found sense of peace. I am no longer a wannabe actor; I am an actual milliner.

So, on the whole, I'd say giving up on my dream feels pretty damn good. (Oh, and do I now dream about my hats appearing on Broadway or TV/movies? Hell yes!)

The Elephant in the Room

I think a follow-up to my post "Not Everything Handmade Deserves a Gold Star" is in order.

I knew from the beginning it would be controversial, and that's why I wrote it. I chose certain language ("statistically speaking ... your items suck") to be deliberately incendiary. It's not that I'm really whiny or a bitch. I wanted specifically not to sugarcoat things in any way. My goal was to make people think by taking an overtly negative tone. I wanted to at last speak out and draw attention to the elephant in the room.

The goal of the piece was absolutely not to sell my work by trashing others' items. Resellers or sloppy crafters are not my competition! I have the greatest respect and admiration for my competitors. I interact with them on Facebook, Instagram, Etsy, etc. We cheer each other on; we admire each other's work.

I love the maker movement. But in all the praise for handmade, there's one question very few people are asking: Is it any good?

Someone said I'm too negative and needed to focus on positivity. ... And I don't disagree with her — but I think it makes what I wrote to be all the more relevant.

I love the maker movement. But in all the praise for handmade, there's one question very few people are asking (at least publicly): Is it any good?

Creatives love to receive compliments. And I think most of them like to give compliments. But it can be a bit like the boy who cried wolf. Do it too often and too indiscriminately, and people will start to tune you out.

It's the same reason Instagram marketing advice tells people to write something more individual and thoughtful than "Great pic!" If you compliment someone — "nice work" — and you give that same compliment to 30 other makers, none of them are going to feel flattered. When people compliment someone's work without truly caring about it, I just have to wonder why. I was asked "What's the point of your post?" And that is an excellent question and a very valid point. The answer to that is: What is the point of giving equal praise to everyone regardless of quality of work?

Lots of people complain about the entitlement attitudes we see a lot. I think it's more like American Idol auditions, when people say "But my boyfriend/voice teacher/grandma says I'm great!" Not everybody's work is great, and that's okay. I think it does a disservice to both buyers and sellers to pretend that everything "handmade" is equally great.

The ultimate goal of an artist — in my opinion — should be to grow and improve. You can find heaps of advice on marketing, improving your photos, working on SEO, etc. And do work on those things. But don't stop working on your craft.

I have a saying I like to use: Art is subjective ... except when it's not. Something can be (subjectively) pretty to look at but (objectively) poorly constructed. My first hats — which are in my personal collection, not in my shop — are nice to look at, and I'm still proud of them and still wear them. But I can also show you the flaws.

The overall look of this hat is good. But up close you can see an awkwardly constructed bow. The inside lacks a
head size ribbon, and has ugly visible stitches. In all three photos, you can see shadows of where the stitching that
holds down the folded edge is inelegant and poorly done. Those stitches should be invisible. 

The hat above was the second hat I ever made. I share the flaws openly because it is not for sale, and it's not good enough to sell. But I've learned since then. My craft has improved. I now know how to make my stitches invisible. I am better at constructing hats. Many wise people say it's a waste of time to compare yourselves to others. That's it's absolutely true. I am far, far from being the best hat-maker ever. And I'm also far from being the worst. I do good work. And I am constantly trying to improve. Some people probably don't like my work. That's okay. Other people praise my work maybe more than it deserves. I'm not out to best anyone; I'm out to better myself.

When I say "statistically speaking ... your items suck," it's not about promoting myself through disparaging others. I'm talking about the elephant in the room: the simple fact that not all handmade is good, whether that means it's poorly constructed or copies or lightly embellished resold items. (The word "statistically" is key there. I don't mean that your items in particular suck. I do mean that there are a lot of sad crafted items out there in the world.)

It is important to me that the handmade movement has a good reputation. (And in many circles it does not.) To me, that means praising other artists who are truly worthy of praise. And it also means not celebrating every item just because it's called "handmade."

One person sent me a message saying that it gives sellers false hope to encourage them to focus on SEO, product photos, tags, etc. "when everyone responding knows it is just tragic, fugly craft that no one is ever going to buy." Sometimes, sellers need to improve their products.

And sometimes, we need to talk about what handmade means to each of us.

I know of knitters who spin their own yarn. Their finished products are the ultimate in handmade. But I wouldn't say someone who knits with store-bought yarn has less of a right to the word handmade. That's totally handmade in my book. But what about someone who buys a mass-produced knit accessory and sews a button or bow on? I think Etsy calls that handmade; I'm not sure that I do.

Another person mentioned mugs, which I hadn't thought of. It's a perfect example. You can find artists who make their own pottery mugs, fire them in their own kiln, glaze them, etc. You can also find fine artists who have their original paintings printed onto mugs. And you can find "Sharpie mugs." I'd never heard of Sharpie mugs before. If you get a certain kind of Sharpie, you can draw on a blank mug and bake it to make it permanent. Obviously, even within this category, there is a huge range of quality: from painstakingly reproducing calligraphy to just scrawling on a mug in poor handwriting. A hastily scribbled Sharpie mug simply should not be called just as good as a hand-thrown, hand-glazed mug.

They're all handmade, but they're not all good. If that makes me negative to say so, then so be it. Personally, I think praising quality work — and refusing to praise low-quality work — actually is a positive thing.

But, hey, we're each entitled to our own opinions.

"Hat of the Week" Promotion and Blog Entry

I wanted to offer a sale on some of my hats, but I wanted to do something a little bit more fun and interesting than just discounting everything for a day or a week.

Starting now, there will be a different "Hat of the Week" each week. Every Monday, a new hat will be revealed, discounted between 25% and 50% for one week only. (I am not a fan of 5% or 10% off sales. That's not much in my opinion.) And no coupon code is needed.

Summer Seagrass Cloche

Pink Asymmetrical Cloche

For the first round of this special, I decided to take suggestions for what should be the first. I decided to pick two: the Summer Seagrass Cloche and the Pink Asymmetrical Cloche. And the first-round discount is 30% for each hat.

The other thing I'm going to do with the "Hat of the Week" is talk a little about it — the creative inspiration, the materials, the process, whatever. Good motivation for me to blog more.

Summer Seagrass Cloche

I call this the "perfect" cloche for summer, and it really is. Seagrass has an airy, open weave, so it's really lightweight. And I think seagrass is softer and less scratchy than many other types of straw.

This was blocked by hand over a basic cloche shape, but the front of the brim was turned up and shaped by hand.

Here's something you may not know if you don't make hats: The blocking/shaping — i.e. the majority of what makes a hat a hat — is often the quick and easy part! Other steps, such as binding the brim edge with ribbon, where every stitch is done by hand, is the long and tedious work. When I look at this hat, I remember when I was making it just in advance of a runway fashion show. It was almost done, so I thought it would be ready in time. Hardly! Those last steps take the longest. A big lesson for me as a milliner has been to know that things always take longer than expected.

The end result is worth it, I think. And the bow is probably the most perfectly constructed one I've yet made. The flower sequins and bright orange ribbon are my vision of summer.

Pink Asymmetrical Cloche

As an artist — and I know I'm not alone in this — I struggle with figuring out what my style, my vision and my point of view are. And is it even necessary to have a signature style? Well, that's some artistic angst for another post. 

 What I'm trying to say is that this hat is one of the closest to being a Silverhill Creative Millinery signature. It has an asymmetrical style. And it has a cockade. Both are themes you'll see a lot. Plus a bead accent. If I'm not doing full-on bead embroidery, I often like to use at least one bead. (Embroidery, vintage trims and swirls are also frequent components.)

In the description of this hat, I've noted that the ends of the ribbon have been intentionally left raw (unless the buyer prefers them sealed) so that they'll naturally fray over time to develop a vintage-y look.

That vintage aesthetic is the driving force behind my work as a milliner. I can admire the artistry and architectural feats behind crazy couture millinery. But the styles that really inspire me are simply the hats that women wore in their everyday lives 70, 80 or 90 years ago. The cloche is, of course, a classic 1920s shape. And ribbon cockades or rosettes have been used on hats for many years and through many styles.

For historical inspiration, I sometimes look to hat illustrations/ads or vintage hats on Pinterest.

This isn't meant to be a strict period reproduction. It is a "vintage inspired" style. And it's still an everyday style. No fancy outfit required. It can be worn with jeans. (Though it wouldn't say no to being paired with a 1920s-style dress.)

If you have any questions about the process or these "Hat(s) of the Week," just ask, and I'll be happy to answer.

Etsy Challenges

Several weeks ago, I had the honor of participating in an online chat with the Academy of Handmade and two other milliners: When Your Business Doesn't "Fit" Etsy.

According to Etsy, is this a "bucket hat"
or a "formal hat"?

This was before Etsy made changes to categories, so some of our comments and links are out-dated now. But I think the main points are still relevant. Emily Moe posted her own blog piece today about her continuing thoughts on the subject, and I share the same views.

First and foremost, milliners — and hat-lovers — whether on Etsy or elsewhere have the same primary challenge: to promote hat-wearing as a way of life. To "bring back the hat." Show people that it's socially acceptable to wear hats. Help people who want to wear hats get over their fears.

The second challenge has more to do with Etsy, and that is how to stand out in a crowded marketplace. Sure, the hat-making field is not as over-saturated as the jewelry-making field. But if shoppers look for hats on Etsy, they find at least 10 times as many knitted and crocheted beanies as they do "real" millinery hats. And that doesn't really have anything to do with quality. I've seen gorgeous crocheted hats and disgustingly amateurish felt hats. Then there are the embellishers: people who buy a cheap, mass-produced hat and glue gears (steampunk!) or feathers or ribbon onto it and voilá! — it's all of a sudden "handmade."

The solution to the Etsy problem seems simple. But how to implement it and make it successful, that's the challenge.

Anyhow, my dream, my ideal alternative marketplace website would be:

• 100% Handmade
• Fashion and Accessories 
• Juried
• Successful

Handmade means no resellers, no supplies, no vintage and no assemblages. I think it could cut down on the clutter and overwhelming number of items by being limited to fashion and accessories. There's more than enough clothing, hats, shoes, bags, jewelry, etc. — and enough interest in them — to sustain a full site without also selling coffee mugs, stamped spoons and stationery.

As for the juried requirement, in my dream world that doesn't just weed out poorly made items. Do a search for "wrap bracelet" or "beaded bracelet" on Etsy. Then see how many of them — even ones that are nicely made and well-photographed — look exactly like one another. Or explore how much of Etsy "fashion" is "handmade" by someone with a stock of Hanes t-shirts and an embroidery machine.

And then there's "successful." One of the best things about Etsy — and the reason why I stay — is that it is successful, even if I am not. I know of other sellers who have tried other online selling venues, without getting even a fraction of the views as they get on Etsy. So that's the real trick. Creating an alternative that doesn't just launch, live and die unnoticed.

So that brings me full circle, whether I'm talking about Etsy, another online marketplace, Facebook posts, Instagram, Twitter, or my hats in the real world. ... How do I market myself? How do I get my work seen? How do I grow my business?

I'm starting to take some steps, but it can be intimidating and overwhelming. One of the first things on my list is to improve my display/photos.

Navy blue fedora with cockade

Until next time ... wear a hat!

A Different Kind of New Year's Post

I'm not one to make resolutions for the new year. I tried, kind of, in 2014 to pay down debt — and then that plan goes by the wayside with car repairs, car replacement, back storm door replacement, etc. Plus, when I quit smoking for good, the date was June 20. So I know the important changes can come at any time and do come when we are ready to make them.

I had transitioned over to making goals instead of resolutions, specific things I wanted to accomplish in the year ahead. But after a couple years of procrastinating and not accomplishing my goals, I've decided against that route, too.

The new year is really a great time for reflection: What went well last year, and why? What didn't go well? What can I do to improve my happiness and my chances of success?

So, I was all ready to write a New Year's post about those things. And then, two things happened:

1. I got sick. Not sick. A cold. The kind that just makes you feel whiny. Not a serious illness that demands a fighting spirit; a moderate inconvenience that makes you want to stay in bed. It makes broad reflections and long-term plans kind of tricky. At the moment, my biggest focus is that I want this darn head cold to go away. Yes, I do realize how fortunate this makes me. But it's hard for me to go roaring into 2015 with a can-do spirit when I feel headachy, tired and congested. My "start" of 2015 might have to wait a week.

2. I found out that Australian milliner Greer McDonald passed away. (I previously devoted part of a blog entry to her in "Camaraderie, not competition".) I knew that she had been ill, though I don't know any details of what her illness was. She was quite a bit older than I am, but I felt like we were at somewhat similar points on our journeys as milliners. Greer and I interacted on Twitter, Etsy's Milliners of Etsy team, our respective Facebook pages, Instagram, and www.hatacademy.com. I didn't know her well, but in every time we "talked," I adored her. She was enthusiastic about hats and a genuinely nice person. We cheered each other on a couple years ago as we each neared 100 Facebook "likes." I met the milestone first, but then she far surpassed me.

And she was a talented and imaginative milliner. It seemed like she was always experimenting with new techniques and new materials instead of just sticking with the things she had mastered.

Her Facebook page no longer exists. And her Etsy shop had been put on hiatus a while ago (which makes the listings invisible for the most part). But you can still view several of her hats on her Pinterest page: Greer McDonald Millinery. [EDIT: Her Pinterest account is now down, too, sadly.] Here's one of hers I had pinned to my "Hats I Like" board:



I'll put forward my philosophies and plans for 2015 later. In the meantime, I could do worse than follow the example set by Greer — creating with joy, being kind and trying new styles and techniques.

Buying Priorities

A couple comments recently have made me think about the idea of priorities when it comes to buying things.

I was talking with my mom today, and she mentioned a certain pair of boots that she wanted — but she was going to have to pass because they were $270. "They're a brand called Pikolinos. I don't know if you've ever heard of them," Mom said. "Um, I have actually. I have a pair," I admitted. "I bought them 10? 12? years ago. And I wear them all the time."

I paid less than $270 for mine because I bought them so long ago. But I did spend $200+ per pair for two pairs of La Canadienne boots maybe 5 years ago. One pair has since been re-soled. But I still get great use out of both pairs.

Contrast that with the time I was looking at a $55 pair of shoes. "How long will this brand last?" I asked the store owner. "Oh, you should get a full season out of those!" she said — as though getting a single year out of a pair of shoes is longevity. I immediately took a pass.

If you can't afford expensive shoes — and I recognize that even $55 is expensive for many people — I'm not saying you should buy them anyway. (Don't worry, Mom! I'm not questioning your priorities.)  But a lot of times, you get what you pay for.

The other comment (from some weeks ago) was this: "Kristin, you make beautiful hats ... but nobody I know can afford them."

Yes, my hats are expensive in the sense that they can be over $100. Yes, my hats are expensive in the sense that they are priced higher than a mass-produced hat bought at Macy's. And, yes, there are people who truly cannot afford them. But I guarantee that the same person who said she doesn't know anybody who can afford them does know people who spend $100+ on jeans or shoes. So why not spend that money on hats?

It's all about priorities. I know that hats are considered more of a fun, optional accessory. Personally, I've never spent more than $100 on a pair of jeans. I have spent more than $100 on a hat, though.

This post isn't about trying to say people should buy my hats. I want my customers to want my hats; I want my customers to love my hats. I don't want my customers to resent me or think "Ugh, why did I spend money on this?"

So buy, or don't buy, things as you see fit. It's your life. It's your money. It's not for me to judge how you spend it. You get to set the priorities.

For my part, I prioritize spending more on something I know will last for a long time and that I will continue to enjoy.

And a hat made using traditional millinery techniques — as opposed to a mass-produced hat — is meant to be something that will last for years to come. (All the delightful reasons why will be coming in a future blog post.)

Etsy, Hats and ... Toy Campfires?

Previously, I shared Emily Moe's blog post The Milliners vs. Etsy. Her prior post Milliners, Etsy and the Category Problem is also worth reading.

So I wanted to offer my thoughts ...

I have kind of a love-hate relationship with Etsy, and I'm sure that's true of anyone who sells there.
What I love about Etsy is that it's easy to use. They charge a listing fee and a percentage of each sale. As a person who isn't selling in anything close to a high volume, it is far cheaper for me to have Etsy be my store than to have a dedicated web site and shopping cart. And even when Etsy's categories fail milliners, there are times when I do get miraculously found.

The trouble is that getting found is hard. Part of that is the category problem; part of it is the sheer volume of items on Etsy, most of which are lousy.

Oh, categories. Emily pointed out how "Accessories > Hat" turns up a huge amount of knit or crocheted beanies. Here's the thing, though: yarn artists have their own dedicated categories! And those categories not only break down to hat, but also the sub-categories of hats (such as "baby" or "beanie"). Milliners have nowhere else to go but "Accessories > Hat." Knitters can file their items under "Knitting > Hat" or "Knitting > Accessories > Hat." Same goes for crochet.

by MoeSewCoMillinery

by ChapeauEgoiste

by SilverhillCreative

The bigger problem is that there's no policing of categories even where those distinctions do exist. Out of curiosity, I clicked to see what shows up when I click through to "Accessories > Hat > Cloche." Unsurprisingly, several crocheted beanies are called cloches. What did surprise me is seeing on the first page of results a PDF pattern for a crocheted cowl. A scarf. Not a hat. Not even close to being a cloche! (And a pattern, to boot, not even a finished item.)

But clicking "report this item to Etsy" is no help. The only options you are allowed are if an item is not handmade, not vintage or not a supply (the three main categories of Etsy) or if it is prohibited or mature content. There's no recourse for category abuse. As an aside, I've seen many sellers write about how Etsy does not do much to police manufactured goods posing as handmade (or vintage). After all, Etsy is still making money off of them.

The problem is that there is so much junk on Etsy. There are some amazingly beautiful finds on Etsy. I have bought some fabulous vintage trims there. And I have admired the work of other milliners and handmade artists who are actually artists. But Etsy adding new categories or fixing SEO* isn't really going to help.

Take away all the crocheted hats, knit hats, surgical scrub caps and vintage hats, and you can still end up with "handmade" hats where the seller bought a manufactured hat base and glued feathers or flowers or ribbon onto it. Add categories for fedoras or any other millinery terms, and you will still have mass-produced hats. You will still have beanies or scarves intentionally mislabeled in order to hijack the results.

Etsy is a great place to host a shop. It's a great way to have an online store without investing in a dedicated web site and shopping cart, so it's perfect for small sellers. It is not, however a place to get discovered. I simply can't expect to ever be found there.

The ideal would be an alternative to Etsy that is juried. No mass-produced goods. No sellers lying about what their item is to gain views. No beanies featuring cartoon characters. (I'm sure that 99% of Etsy sellers do not have a license for their Ninja Turtles or Minion "handmade" items.) That's not to say that knit/crochet should be banned. I would be happy to have my hats appear along side quality knit/crochet.

by esozaJewelry

by lilithist

The good knit/crochet hat makers are getting lost, too, among hats that look like something you stuffed under your bed and forgot about after your grandma gave it to you for Christmas.

by MaddyRoseCottage

*And the search, by the way, is definitely broken. I searched for "felt" in the accessories/hat category ... and some of the results were for felt toys. (Of the two I noted, one was a slug and one was a campfire. Weird. But oddly cute.) I assumed that maybe the sellers used the word "hat" in title or tags to make their items stand out in a category where they did not belong. Nope. Etsy just decided, through whatever bizarre algorithm they use, to return a toy campfire to someone searching for hats.

One Year on Etsy

I have had an Etsy shop exactly one year today!

In that time, I have made 12 sales, to average exactly one a month. It doesn't sound like a lot (considering that some Etsy sellers have hundreds of sales or more). Considering that hats are a much tougher sell than something like greeting cards, I regard it as quite an accomplishment.

Baby steps to be sure. Etsy is not a place to get found. There's just too much stuff on there to even have a good shot at showing up in searches. Most "hat" results on Etsy are crocheted beanies or scrub caps. Ugh! But it is a good place to set up and facilitate e-commerce without having to set up a standalone web site, shopping cart, etc.

For today only (Oct. 31) until around noon tomorrow (Nov. 1), I am having a huge sale to celebrate my anniversary! 25%-45% off everything in my shop, with most things 40% off. No coupon code needed; just shop at the link below:

Silverhill Creative Millinery on Etsy

My First Discounts

National Hat Day is tomorrow (January 15). That — plus the fact that I want to clear some space for more hats — is why I've decided to offer my first SALE!

I believe in sale prices actually being a sale, none of this save-one-dollar nonsense. So I steeply discounted four styles. Plus, I discounted shipping!

Here are the hats that are on sale:

$50 off

$5 off

$12 off

$7 off

Web site! ... Well, domain name.

One of my goals for 2013 is to build a web site for my hat-making business. I completed the first step toward that goal today ... the easy part. I registered the domain name. Woohoo! I am so excited! :)

Silverhill Creative Millinery
www.silverhillcreative.com

Don't bother clicking it (for now). It currently forwards to ... here. I set up the URL to redirect to my blog. The web site will be coming.

Yeah, that's the hard part. A while ago I did a bunch of research on hosting plans/companies. And I lost my work. So I don't remember the names of the 2-3 companies I was considering. Choosing a hosting plan is next, along with actually building the site. *gulp* That's a lot of work to do! But I'm excited about it. :)

Having a real web site instead of just an Etsy shop makes me feel more legit. Speaking of which...

Click here to buy hats from my Etsy shop! :)

Goals for the New Year

I think New Year's resolutions are about change: lose weight, quit smoking/drinking/whatever, save money. I'm more the type to set goals for the year. 2012 saw the official launch of my business. That means in 2013 the real work begins. Here are my goals:

1. Set up a web site.
2. Design some bridal hats/headpieces/veils.
3. Photograph my hats being worn by models (not just a display head).
4. Get my hats into bricks & mortar store(s).

Plus, in general marketing, marketing, marketing. Basic building up of my business, etc.

Oh, yeah, and make a couple hats for myself instead of just making ones to be sold.

Happy 2013! :)

Busy busy ... but not blogging

I feel like I've been neglecting my blog. But that's because I've been working on my Etsy shop and busy learning the ropes there. So many Etsy sellers! I've joined teams etc., networking to get my shop noticed.

Here it is:

Silverhill Creative on Etsy
www.etsy.com/shop/SilverhillCreative

Featuring my new favorite hat:

My husband thinks I should keep it for myself, but I'm offering it up for sale. :)

I hope to get a web site going in 2013. For now, though, it's Etsy.

My Logo, Dissected

After spending a long time working on it, I rather recently finished my logo. I am lucky that I have a background in graphic design, so I can have a nice, professional logo without having to pay someone else to design it.

The part that took the most time was the lettering. Those are not fonts. All of the letters were created by me! :) Side note: In the past, I have occasionally wanted to be a font designer. No more. The amount of nitty-gritty detail work, getting curves just so, etc. is very tedious. I am proud of the results of my work, but I don't think I'll make font design a permanent part of my life.

I wanted a logotype (that is, a text-based logo) rather than an icon of some kind. Partly because I didn't want to lock myself into a certain style of hat being depicted (fedora, cloche, etc.). Also, I wanted kind of a vintage look, and fashion and millinery labels have traditionally been logotypes.

The style was all about Art Deco. Because I love theatre so much, I took my inspiration from deco-era marquees and theatre facades. Obviously it doesn't look much like a marquee now. In the process of designing it, I had to simplify the style and make it symmetrical. But that is the origin story of the shape surrounding the text. As for color scheme, I went with a deco-inspired color palette as well. I have a secondary color scheme as well:

So there you have it. I hope this was at least somewhat interesting.

And Twitter

And here's the link to my Twitter account:

Follow @SilverhillHats

I am on Pinterest

I dragged my feet for the longest time on joining Pinterest. There are just so many things about the site that are so cheesy to me. But the great thing about it is that you can use it however you want. So there will be no avalanche of recipes or kids' craft ideas from me. Just hats and vintage-y things.

What's in a Name?

I've been thinking about names, titles and words in a few different ways associated with my business. I guess I should admit that I am overly analytical, and I have a background in writing and editing. As such, maybe I think about words a little more than the average person.

First of all, I officially registered my business name (DBA) with the state. So exciting! I registered just "Silverhill Creative" instead of "Silverhill Creative Millinery" in case I want to branch out beyond just hats. In any event, Silverhill Creative is the brand name. Millinery is the the descriptor.

When I think about names, I also think about naming my hats. Many, many hat makers out there give their creations girls' names. While I like that strategy, it seems like everyone does it. On the other hand, I don't want to be stuck with something strictly descriptive like "blue cloche" or "brown trilby." ... "When from out of the blue, and without any guide, you know what your decision is — which is not to decide." (Ahem, channeling Cinderella from Sondheim's Into the Woods there. My theatre geek is showing.) Back to my graphic designer background. I'll use the naming convention of fonts — which really isn't a naming convention at all. Some fonts have girls' names, some fonts have merely descriptive names and some fonts have more esoteric names. I draw my inspiration from a variety of sources, so my hat names will reflect those varied inspirations.

And then the third way I've been thinking about words: the term "entrepreneur." I suppose that by having my own business (and, yes, trying to make money with it), I am technically an entrepreneur. And that word sounds so powerful and thrilling. But it also connotes (at least to me) the goal of making money and of growing one's business as much as possible. That's not my goal, not really. Sure, I like money. But I do what I do from the love of it. I want to bring pretty and creative things into the world and share them with people. I want to spread the joy of hats to others. And, really, I think most artists and milliners are the same way.

Pun intended

I've been kind of procrastinating starting this blog. First blog posts always seem so awkward to me. I don't want to just jump in as though the blog has already been around for years and speaking to a not-yet-existing readership. On the other hand, I don't much like the "Hi, this is my first post" approach. This seems to be leaning toward the latter. Oh well.

I'm the new milliner on the block. (Pun definitely intended.) I've been obsessed with hats for years, but I haven't yet endeavored to make money from creating hats. That changes now.

I will post photos of my work, etc. as soon as I am able. Thanks for visiting, imaginary reader!