Believe in yourself and trust the process! Building a community, improving your art skills, building a brand, etc. all take time and it’s all about the journey so have fun. Progress won’t always be linear and don’t be afraid to experiment with your art – do what brings you joy.
Mirae Sophia, owner of Mirae Creations
Tell us a bit about yourself
Hello everyone! My name is Mirae Sophia and my brand name is Mirae Creations, where I focus on bringing digital embroidery patterns and embroidery YouTube tutorials to those who love embroidery worldwide.
Based in Toronto Canada, I am a girl that has a million different crafting hobbies, so I wanted my brand name to be flexible in case I decided to diversify in the future.
Right now, I am focusing on building my brand as an embroidery content provider and educator, and I would describe my embroidery style as “cartoony” or “chibi”.
How and why did you start your business/brand?
I started Mirae Creations in 2019 and at the time I sold home-grown plants, cement planters, and completed embroidery pieces through a platform in Toronto called Bunz and through various internal hospital staff networks in Toronto.
I had learned embroidery skills through YouTube tutorials and I was making pieces on the side but it wasn’t the main focus of Mirae Creations at the time.
On a whim, I made a Baby Yoda (Grogu) embroidery piece for my friend and I filmed the process because I was interested in learning how to make YouTube videos.
I uploaded my video to YouTube and I was shocked to see how supportive people were.
So, I gradually transitioned my small business to focus solely on embroidery as I saw a need to create fun embroidery patterns that people could relate to.
Share challenges in running your business and how you coped
Running my small business was going smoothly until COVID-19 lockdowns hit in March 2020! This was a huge challenge since I would typically meet up with people for sales. I decided to take a break during this time and rebrand – focusing on transitioning my small business to an online platform.
This was such a huge learning curve since I didn’t know how to use Instagram, edit YouTube videos, nor use the Etsy platform!
It was really sad having to leave the Bunz platform since I had built a lovely community there and had over 100 five-star reviews! But this setback also provided me with an opportunity to learn new skills and start fresh.
I opened up my Etsy shop Fall of 2020 and it has been such a fun learning process and I am always looking for new ways to grow my brand and rebuild that awesome community I had on Bunz, but now with Instagram and YouTube.
What is your vision, and why is this important to you?
What I love the most about embroidery is that it can be very relaxing and is a mode of self-care. Mental health is something that I am extremely passionate about.
In 2019, I completed my Ph.D. at the University of Toronto where my thesis focused on treatments for individuals living with depression and/or anxiety.
When people seek treatment or therapy for these issues, it is often recommended that they pick up a hobby and incorporate it into their lifestyle.
Doing a hobby like embroidery helps relax you and thus reduce stress levels which can in turn, promote better sleep.
Hobbies can also give us a sense of purpose outside work or school, can lead to forming friendships based on similar interests, and can help build self-confidence.
What inspires you/your work?
The people I meet and all the talented artists I see on Instagram inspire my work! Everyday I am so awestruck by all the amazing artwork I see on Instagram.
It inspires me so much to try different art styles, different pop culture characters, different colour palettes for embroidery. I keep a list of ideas on my desk and I’m slowly chipping away at them.
There are so many things I want to do, but there is so little time. I also get a lot of suggestions for future embroidery tutorials from my followers on Instagram.
I post surveys on Instagram and people vote on what they want to see next!
Any advice for aspiring artists?
My advice would be to believe in yourself and trust the process! Building a community, improving your art skills, building a brand, etc. all take time and it’s all about the journey so have fun.
Progress won’t always be linear and don’t be afraid to experiment with your art – do what brings you joy.
Instagram: @mirae.creations
Etsy Shop: Mirae Creations Shop
I’d love to hear your story! Drop me a message at hello@makenstitch.com and I’ll get back to you with a few questions to get to know you or your business a bit better.
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