29 year old Marissa is a full time artist currently specializing in custom crochet apparel who has also started to branch out into crochet, resin, and polymer clay jewelry. She hopes to expand her art business to include music, paintings and more. It is her dream to have complete creative freedom.

 

Give a Golden Goddess Gang Greeting to Mik!

 

• • • How did you go from point A to point B? I'm sure our readers are just as curious as I am [about] how you became a full-time artist.

  • First I just started making stuff I wanted to sell, then I made an Etsy (my first selling platform before I got my own website). I researched how to start a business and got a license and what not and I worked on my business off and on when I was in community college studying music. When I transferred to a university, I was truly on my own and only living off financial aid. That experience propelled me to turn my business full time because I already knew I never wanted to work for anyone else. So I consistently grinded for 2 years (creating, making many social media accounts, putting myself out there consistently) and I saw myself start to be able not to need my financial aid anymore or my regular expenses (rent, groceries, car maintenance and gas, etc.). I was getting a ton of orders. After I graduated, I was officially full-time and have been ever since. That was about 6 years ago.

    • Oh my gosh, that is super cool. What did you start out creating?

  • My first creations were little coin purses, slippers, and fingerless gloves that were based on video game and anime characters.

    • Were they crochet or another medium?

  • They were all crocheted pieces! Only since about 208/19 have I started using new mediums like resin and polymer clay. Everything else has been purely crocheted.

    • That is super cool. Where did you learn how to crochet? I love your clothing line.

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  • I learned how to make chains and rows from my Grandma, the rest I learned on my own through crochet apps and library books.

  • Thank you so much!!

    • I love a good old fashioned self-taught method.

    • When did you realize that you were so passionate about the craft that you could do it for a living?

  • I think my whole purpose for starting my lil business was because I knew I didn't want to ever really have a 9-5 job, leave my house, or answer to anyone. I was always passionate about doing my own thing that way but I put my feelings into action around 21 years old. It wasn't necessarily that I was super passionate about crochet, but moreover that I liked it enough to work on it so it could basically support me while I try to figure other stuff out.

  • I think I started to take it more seriously though when I transitioned from making coin purses and stuff like that to designing clothing. I'm pretty much in love with that aspect! But truth be told, originally I just wanted to support myself while I was becoming a musician. I got too comfortable with crochet though and actually put a lot of my other dreams on hold. I've slowly been reinvesting in them for the last year.

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  • I hope this kind of answers your question.

    • Definitely! I love it so much. This is exactly what our Goddesses want to read about!

    • So then, where do you see yourself and your business in the next couple of years?

    • Also, what kind of musician? :D

  • I really would love to branch out even more in the next couple of years! I want to be making more content of all types. Hopefully have new types of art for everyone to see, like my clay pieces and resin stuff! Overall, I don't really have a super strong care of what I'm making as long as I get to use my time being creative still!

  • And I'm a pianist mostly but I'm trying to learn how to at least sing in key.

  • I'd also like to be really stable as I move around a lot and it greatly impacts my business. I'd love to have a real solid home.

  • Thanks for this question! Hahah, I'm using it as an affirmation.

    • This is a good time to be affirming those things. This interview isn't coming out for a few months but as we are now in June, it is a great time to open up and set intentions. {Now in September, we are harvesting everything that we planted this summer ;3}

    • Pivot and shift and not necessarily for the interview, but how are you doing... fuck it. If you're okay with it, let's put this in the interview.

    • So how are you doing right now, this week? I can't even imagine what will be happening when I publish this interview, but right now it is June 2nd and there have been protests and riots for days {months now}, everywhere. How are you doing with all this? If it's not too raw, where is your head at, how are your thoughts?

    • I feel like these interviews are a great way to help people feel less alone and give them a pinch of hope, and since personally I have a hard time with race issues because I am mixed, I would love to share some fresh perspective on this matter.

    • Or not, lol, I have plenty of q's, but it's hitting me hard today so I guess I want to talk about it, lools.

  • Ohhh, yes!! I want to answer this question so much! Imma come back so I can give a detailed response later!!

    • Thank you mama.

    • It's hard being mixed and light-skinned in a northern state, I really appreciate you helping to build up and strengthen this virtual/global community.

  • I'm very curious as to how they are treating you up there. (Still will respond to your message soon also!)

    • Fine. Perfectly fine. Everything is normal. There was a protest on Sunday, but that's about it. {There have been more since.}

    • Racism here is slightly underlying but few and far between these days. Fairly progressive. And I'm pretty sure the non-rioters would help the cops protect our town from rude idiots. I love Montana.

    • How are you holding up?

  • It's June 2nd and I have mixed feelings! I have a mental illness/mood disorder called PMDD. My symptoms have begun and I'm trying to separate those from what's actually going on so I can really understand what it is that I feel. The death of George Floyd, the protest, and all the rioting – all the police sirens and helicopters going off in my neighborhood has triggered my PTSD as well. I'm scared about what's happening but feel helpless. Contrary to all this, my shop is getting the most attention it's ever received in the history of my business. I feel weighted down and almost sad about it because all these shout-outs were sparked by the BLM movement and the fact that people want to show solidarity with black people more than ever. It's just bittersweet because I keep asking myself why this ha to happen first. How can I celebrate these new found successes that were triggered by the death of another man? I'm handling and processing this all better now.

  • Today my PMDD symptoms are a bit high. It makes me respond more emotionally than I would like to. I am trying to stay afloat for sure! I want to succumb to my moody energy but that's no good for me. I gotta fight it because these feelings are not truly mine, they're just amplified because of what's going on in my body.

  • Also, Montana sounds lovely.

    • PMDD is such a pain. This whole thing has ramped up my PTSD too and I just gotta stay calm because right now we DON'T have sirens and fires, a few helicopters though. I also have mixed emotions about the “support black artists” movement because it is beautiful but also, I don't think people should single each other out in that way, even with beautiful intentions.

    • I am glad I'm not the only one with a mixed bag of “feels”

    • So, how do you manage your PMDD? What about your PTSD? My favorite part of doing this newsletter and these interviews is giving people a little hope in how to deal with their feelings that may make them feel isolated from the rest of “normal” society.

  • I actually made a YouTube video talking about how I manage my PMDD. Click here to watch it!

  • Mostly though, I try to listen to what my body really wants. Sometimes being busy helps and other times doing nothing helps. I take CBD 18-1 tincture 10-15 days of the month to keep my symptoms in check and of course I try to create as many pretty things as I can :) ! I'm not ready to talk about my PTSD because it is something I don't know if I can control. It is more spontaneous than PMDD (since I can at least track my cycle xD). I definitely self-isolate when I'm feeling unstable. Probably not great for long term and socializing but I just feel better doing that now than forcing myself to go out and interact with people. I think the best thing during the mental hard times is being honest with what you're feeling without drowning in it. And I balance that by saying, “Okay, I feel this right now but I won't later,” and I try to watch more happy things or do things I love like making art or going on walks, taking baths!!! Ahahah, simple pleasures.

    • That's so beautiful! Don't worry, I am the same way. It's hard to be in situations where you can't control multiple variables, in general, but especially during an “episode”.

    • I think that simple pleasures are the best therapy and recovery.

    • And don't worry, eventually, once you've worked through your emotional and spiritual wounds you will be able to control it better and talk about it more <33 thank you so much for sharing.

    • I also really appreciate opening up your feed or stories at this time and seeing your art and people supporting you instead of political drama.

    • And thank you for the video reference, that's a super special resource for our readers.

    • How long have you know you have PMDD?

  • You're so aware and supportive <3 !! Thank you!! I really appreciate that and you and for giving me space to open up. I'm happy my page and stories are some relief, I don't think I can take anything else right now, it comes in waves.

  • I've known I've had PMDD since I was 26 but my symptoms became noticeable when I was 23.

    • What were those 3 years like in between getting symptoms and figuring out what you were dealing with?

  • Oh boyyyyy ahahaha...

Those 3 years were like utter chaos. So fricking chaotic. I struggle a lot and was mostly in denial. I thought I could get it under control with a strict schedule and tracking my mood and stuff. And while that does help, it wasn't enough. Also, I've read and experienced that PMDD gets worse with age, so my symptoms kept increasing and the more I started to lose it, the more I realized that I needed extra help so I started taking CBD tinctures and gummies. Helped significantly!

• • • This is so cool, definitely not the direction I thought this interview would go in :D

    • Everybody's self-care is different, so I am curious, do you manage any of your symptoms through diet (i.e. what you eat, not like a scary “need to lose weight” diet).

  • Kind of! What I don't do, and never really have is eat “traditionally healthy”. I always try to eat whatever my body is craving because it's usually balanced naturally. During PMDD weeks, I especially do this and try not to fight myself because giving into those craving helps my mood soooo much. Like, I have to extra enjoy myself. And cravings for me don't always equal unhealthy sugary foods or something, sometimes I want bananas and I freaking hate bananas xD ! It differs each month. But yeah, I haven't noticed a specific food that really helps every time. But actually, water. Drinking a ton of water has been helping my moods. I think it's cus I'm so busy peeing I don't have time to have an episode xD

  • Thanks for the questions! This interview has been the highlight of my days. It's nice to have a space to be this honest.

    • Good, I am so glad! I actually started drinking more water and using an app to track it. Turns out I was hella dehydrated. Now I'm maintaining weight, mood, and overall homeostasis a lot easier. Water is magick that we forget about!

    • And thank you for being open. It is great for the community, and I could go on and on forever.

    • So, to close, I have a two part question for you: What's your best piece of advice to anyone struggling through mental wellness because they are clinging to a skewed idea of what “normal” is? And, hand in hand with that, what is your advice for any Goddess who really wants to work for herself but feels discouraged by the weighted ease of fitting into the status quo?

  • My best advice for someone struggling with maintaining mental wellness would be to find something they strongly believe in, and try to mirror that in their own life and mind. To expose themselves to as many different ways of living as possible to see there is no normal, just being. For the second question, I'm not too sure I really understand it to be honest.

  • I also made a video on “fear of failure”. It's something I cannot really relate to as I have more of a fear of success and sabotage myself that way. I truly believe that no matter what, as long as you try, you can never fail. I also really don't like the idea that you can't do something just because you think you won't be received the same way as your peers. Because your dreams need to really be about you, and if you truly love what you're doing, fitting in is irrelevant? Unless your goal is attention?

    • That answered that question flawlessly.

    • Mik, thank you so much for being here with me through space and time to do this. I feel like the readers have a lot to gain from reading this.

    • I know it's probably a lot, but hit me with all of your links and social deets so that our readers can keep up with you and your amazing journey.

  • Thank YOU!! For even wanting to interview me and giving me this opportunity and space to share so much of myself to you! I super appreciate it. It was so fun!

  • My socials:

Instagram:

Main page - @eurythmik

Customer page - @eurybabes

Backup page - @eurythmiksbb

• • Youtube.com/eurythmik

  • Twitch.tv/eurythmik

  • Twitter.com/eurythmik