Owner of Chartreuse on the Loose
Chartreuse on the Loose started as a way for me to start making stickers for my laptop and eventually, I figured I might try to see if people online might like what I made. Back in 2014, I started posting some of my designs online and I barely sold anything for almost three years. But, I stuck with it and now in 2021, I've done over 17,000 sales. The name came from my favorite color, chartreuse, which I've now learned is a color a lot of people don't know how to say or spell, but it's still my favorite. My shop now sells laptop stickers, greeting cards, decals, home decor, apparel, personalized gifts, and more. I am so excited that I was able to turn this little hobby that I had into a full-time business, shipping all over the world. It all started once I realized more people might like the weird, random stuff that I like and I am so excited that I didn't give up after my slow start in the beginning.
UHart helped my business by introducing me to people that were in the same boat that I was. I finally got a chance to surround myself with like-minded individuals who saw the world a little bit more like I did, and to learn from teachers who had been in my same shoes at some point in their life. At Hartford Art School, I was able to learn from professors who were working artists in all different types of fields, and was given opportunities to explore new forms of art I otherwise may not have tried. Going in as a 2D artist, I never had any interest in working in 3D, but after several classes I was able to build an appreciation for it—it made me see my work in a different way. My shop online is essentially me continuing and developing that exploration and appreciation of new forms—in my vision and in a way I enjoy—and learning along the way the similarities in people’s interests and tastes. As unique as we all are, there are people out there who appreciate all the things you think nobody would like, and people who can learn from you. I am grateful for the confidence in my own work I was given at UHart or else my shop would not be in business today, because I would have given up after the first year of less than 20 sales.