Creative Session with Faithful Artisans

One of my favorite aspects of my job is being able to meet and work with many talented people, and more specifically, amazing women. I love meeting like-minded people along the way and building a community that can support, encourage, and inspire one another. Two ladies I want to highlight for this month’s Creative Sessions is Esther and Sarah of Faithful Artisans. I met Esther a couple years ago and we’ve gotten closer through our mutual love for creativity; I even had the privilege of creating her wedding invitations! Through Esther, I met Sarah at one of their gatherings and we got along right away. We all share a heart for community and just recently hosted our first workshop/gathering together! I’m so excited for our future collaborations and to see these talented ladies grow in their business. Read about this amazing ladies and their vision for Faithful Artisans!

1. What is the meaning behind Faithful Artisans and how did you come up with it?

As soon as we came up with the idea of starting a business together, Faithful Artisans was the first and only name that was brought to the table. We loved everything about it...the way it sounded, the way it was written, and the meaning behind it. Our name reminds us to be faithful stewards in everything we do because we believe our creative inspiration and talents come from our Creator. We are committed to not only be faithful to one another as we build our business, but we are committed to faithfully love and serve each person that finds their way to Faithful Artisans. Our heart is to also collaborate with other like-minded people and share their story through our business. Although we are two artisans who had a vision to start up Faithful Artisans, we believe every person that chooses to journey with us are also artisans that complete who we are and what we're about.

2. How did you two come to a decision to start a business together? What different roles do you each play?

Early on in our friendship, we discovered that our creative interests and styles were uniquely parallel. Our love for thrifting, DIY projects, creative expression, and adventures created a natural bond between us. Most people would say going into business with friends may bring forth unwanted challenges and uncomfortable tension, but we felt our traumatic car accident proved we can overcome anything together. Last summer, we met up to simply make jewelry for ourselves, but found our conversation leading to the idea of starting up a business together. We walked away with so much more than we had expected all in one night...our name, domain, and handcrafted necklaces.

Early on in our business, we learned that it is important to maintain an open and honest communication. We are intentional in our conversations, and we openly share our challenges and joys with one another. Our specific and unique roles help us to keep one another accountable, and we encourage each other to improve and grow in our giftings. Esther's responsibilities include: styling, photography, and social media. Sarah's responsibilities include: styling, web development, event planning/coordination, and written compositions. We both love to bounce ideas off each other and only choose to make decisions and execute plans when we are both in agreement.

3. As a start up, what does your day-to-day look like?

Starting a business brings forth a roller coaster of emotions, but we discovered that it's important to stay grounded through all the highs and lows. As we are choosing the path to pursue our creative passion, we are finding that our Faithful Artisans' day-to-day can look very different. There are days we're meeting with artists or businesses we're collaborating with, some days we're planning and organizing our next gathering or workshop, and other days we're putting together a styled photography shoot. The uncertainty and spontaneity of the creative lifestyle makes us feel alive and full, and we wouldn't have it any other way!

4. Outside of Faithful Artisans, what are your hobbies?

You will often find both of us hanging out at our favorite coffee shops, going on hiking/camping adventures, and shopping at thrift stores. Esther also enjoys playing her guitar and storytelling through her snapchat. Sarah loves a great read, eating anything delicious, and working out to work off all the food she eats.

5. What's next for you two and Faithful Artisans?

We are currently focusing on building a variety of workshops for our business. As we collaborate with other artisans and build a community of people, our hope is to branch out and share the newfound talents and skills we acquired from the workshops. Big picture...after acquiring those skills, we desire to invite all lovers of Faithful Artisans to join us on short-term mission trips to the Nations. Our heart is to teach job skills and help open up opportunities for others to build their own business. We hope people will be inspired to do more and give more as Faithful Artisans grow into something more than it is today.

6. Current favorites:

- Instagram: Esther: @chrisburkard @finn Sarah: @oldjoy @andreadabene

- Ice cream flavor: Esther: Lavendar & Honey from Salt & Straw | Sarah: Dreyer's Mint Chocolate Chip

- Shop: Everlane, Madewell, Eightfold

- Artists/Musicians: Esther: Foster the People | Sarah: Laura Daigle, and Jon Thurlow