Made in Chicago: Essimar

Chicagoist: How do you make your art stand out from everything else on Etsy?
Esther: Simply with the fragility of paper and color.

C: Where do you want to go with your art? Where do you see yourself in five years?
E: Designing, Designing and Designing.

C: How did you first get into DIY?
E: A nervous, colorful concept fell in my mind, I made it and sold it all in one night. 22 boutiques later and it still happens the same way.

C: What's your artistic process like?
E: Simple, small scale, gentle and shy or a small paw print in the mud. You can see my process at my blog and my flickr.

C: What does the Chicago DIY scene look like?
E: Hmmm, very inspiring and ready to flourish like a hairy coated lamb drinking cheap beer.

C: Where do you see that culture going?
E: Well it depends, it can get better or worse. It's become more challenging for the DIYers that have been around the longest and easier for the new DIYers. I feel many of the new DIYers take what they see from the older DIYers and just add slight changes to make it their "own", and vice versa. Only a few truly use new concepts and techniques.

C: Lastly, do you have any advice for other crafty people wanting to start selling their goods?
E: Make what you like. Look and don't look for the hidden.

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