Guest Artist Series - Beth Smith
Today we have a new installment in my guest artist series where I am featuring some of my fellow artist friends.
I thought this would not only share awareness to what they’re doing (and maybe they will gain a few new followers out of it), but I also want these posts to be relatable (not aspirational). As an artist and mother, I want to know that other artist/mothers struggle just like I do. I mean, we’re all human, amiright? I can’t be the only one who follows those artist/mothers who seem to have it all together. They seem to be a perfect mother who gets to spend tons of time with their kids, they have a beautiful home that always seems to be perfectly clean (dog hair blowing around like tumbleweeds over here…), they have unlimited time for their artwork, they have time for yoga and/or lunch dates with girlfriends, AND they always have time to post on social media multiple times each week.
That’s not real life... at least it’s not MY real life!
A few weeks ago we featured my good friend, Lauren Duncan. This week we’re going to learn ALL ABOUT my new super creative virtual friend (I’ve seriously made THE.BEST.FRIENDS through Instagram), Beth Smith!
Beth Smith
You can find Beth on Instagram at @bethsmithtextiles, Facebook, sometimes on Twitter, and her website.
Tell me a little bit about yourself.
I grew up in Eastern Pennsylvania near Philadelphia. We moved to Michigan in 1999. I have 4 kids and 5 grandkids. One daughter will be a sophomore at Ball State University this fall and my son will be a Junior in high school. My husband works from home and has for the last 18 years so we are home together almost all the time unless one of us is traveling for work.
What kind of art do you do (**or what type of product do you sell)?
Currently I make skirts. They are colorful and bold and for people who don’t mind standing out in a crowd. Before I came back to sewing I was teaching and writing about spinning, specifically wool. I owned a spinning store where I sold everything someone would need to be a spinner.
What kind of art (**or product) do you WANT to be doing?
I love sewing and I would love to expand my line of skirts to several more styles and also offer a dress style or two. I’m taking some pattern making classes right now. Because of copyright laws any clothes that I sell have to be my own designs and so I’m learning how to make patterns and how to do sizing. I want to be as size inclusive as possible which will mean lots of sewing and testing to get it right.
What does your daily schedule look like?
Often I wake up and check social media before I even get out of bed. I spend too much time on that and so then I run around getting dressed and ready for the day because I’m later than I want to be. I skip breakfast and head into the sewing room. I sew until lunch and then after lunch I spend more time in my sewing room. After dinner I usually go to my room around 7 PM and spend time doing my other job as an entry person for a medical transcription company or I write a blog post or work on my newsletter which I am improving.
What would your IDEAL daily schedule look like?
Well, I have spent lots of time thinking about this. I would wake up around 6:30, spend time reading/studying scriptures and then pray/meditate for a little while. My room would be so clean that I could find all of my clothes easily and get dressed and put on makeup and fix up my hair. I would always remember to take my supplements and make myself a delicious protein drink for breakfast.
After breakfast I would sew any deadline work and then after lunch I would work on my classes and upcoming projects.
In the evening I would still work on my writing and also my transcription work but instead of watching TV after that I would read a little.
That even feels good writing it. I wonder why I don’t just do it…
What kind of daily ROUTINES do you use to keep yourself on-track (AM/PM/home, etc.)
Routines are my biggest obstacle. I’m having a hard time finding routines that work for me. But I do know that I need to work on deadline stuff in the morning while my brain is clear and the afternoon needs to be a bit slower paced which is why I use that time to listen to podcasts while I work on my pattern making class or sewing for myself.
How do you make time for your art?
I actually should cut out some of the time I spend on my work stuff and spend more time on the house. I’m terrible at housework. I hate it.
What does your creative process look like?
One thing that helps me is to listen to podcasts of other creative people while I work. Lots of new ideas seam to pop into my head and I get new inspiration while I’m listening to other women who are building their own businesses or designing their own clothes. Also, I get new ideas while I’m working so I think it’s important to just get in there and do the work and then take a pause to write down ideas – otherwise I forget them. So keep some paper and a pen handy.
What are some things you struggle with as a mom?
This might sound weird because of what I said before about routines and stuff but I do like to have a plan for my day. So if I have written in my planner that I’m going have a skirt finished and then cut out a dress and also write a blog post or newsletter I really want to accomplish that. The problem with having older kids is they wait for you to be in the work groove and then they tell you something they need to have happen that day. They need you to take them to the store, they moved their music lesson and didn’t tell you, or they just want to stand in the doorway of your work room and have a heart to heart so you cut everything wrong and forget to add the seam allowances!
What are some things you struggle with as a mompreneur?
My kids don’t understand that I am working in the day time. Just because I’m home doesn’t mean I’m available to play. Sometimes I know I hurt their feelings when I tell them I can’t just stop and go to lunch or hang out. I feel sad about that. The funny think is, my husband has an office at home but they don’t ask him to stop working, just me.
How do you overcome those struggles?
I think they are mostly beginning to understand that, if they give me a little notice, I can add some play time to my schedule. I don’t like to be asked last minute.
Where do you want to be as a mompreneur (where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years?)
In 5 years Ryan will hopefully be in his Junior year of college and so by then I’ll be an empty nester. My dream is to have a thriving skirt business where I have small batch skirts in a store or two and I employ one or two sewists to help me get the work done. I don’t want to make a lot of skirts from the same fabric. I see myself more as a designer using great fabrics for just a few of the same skirts so you never see someone wearing the same skirt as you.
Where do you share and/or sell your skirts?
I have my own website www.bethsmithtextiles.com and I also have the skirts listed on Etsy under my store name Beth Smith Textiles. I talk about them on Facebook (Beth Smith Textiles) and Instagram at @bethsmithtextiles.
Where do you go for inspiration?
I love looking at vintage clothes to see how they are assembled. I also like to watch movies. If a movie has particularly great wardrobe I often watch it over and over. One movie I did that with was called A Simple Favor with Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick. The clothes in that were fantastic.
What other accounts do you like and/or follow on social media?
I’ve been changing my favorites since I’m still sort of in a transition phase. I’m moving from interacting mostly with other makers to more fashion and styling accounts so I can see what people are up to who might want to wear my clothes. So on Instagram where I spend most of my social media time there is @stylebyabena, @colormecourtney, @howtobefancy. Then there are the makers I admire like @creativecostumeacademy who has awesome pattern making classes and @nicoleelisedesigns who has a dressmaking business. There are a ton more so if you want a longer list I can give it to you!
I am so grateful to Beth for taking some time out of her current self-quarantine #WFH schedule to answer these questions for me. I feel better knowing other mothers/artists struggle with some of the same things I struggle with.
What are some of the things Beth said that resonated with you?
What are some additional questions you would like me to ask my next guest artist?
Don’t forget to go follow Beth on Instagram at @bethsmithtextiles, Facebook, Twitter, and/or her website and let her know you learned about her from this blog post!