Today we’d like to introduce you to Michelle Rollinson-Berry.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
I don’t really have the linear path that many artists seem to have. I am completely self-taught, and I didn’t really start selling my work until I was well into my 30’s.
I don’t remember a time in my life that I wasn’t making something, whether it was cross stitching on the edge of kitchen towels and tablecloths or gathering wild flowers and drying them in books to use in collages. I loved those little toy looms with instruction booklets that taught you to make pot holders, and I latch-hooked my way through various rugs in the early 80’s.
All through my childhood my mom and I frequented yard sales. I remember watching her push her gigantic 70’s sunglasses up onto her forehead, checking the newspaper for the address of our next stop while ABBA played on the radio. That day, we found a box overflowing with handmade Barbie clothes, and my mom was absolutely thrilled. She kept showing me the tiny snaps and collars and buttons and all the work that went into sewing them. We bought them all. Over the years we also bought crocheted potholders, knitted hats, macramé plant holders, tiny hand painted ceramic figurines. Tons of little handmade treasures you couldn’t just buy online the way you can now. They were special finds, and I loved them all the more because of it.
My mom’s appreciation of handmade things was always apparent, and I shared it enthusiastically. We grew much of our own food, canned and pickled things all summer, hiked in the woods to find mushrooms, picked wild blackberries. There was always a very high value on making, growing, and creating things, both in practical and purely aesthetic ways.
Please tell us about your art.
I primarily make metal stamped jewelry and accessories. I also design enamel pins, sometimes using licensed art from other independent artists.
I’ve always enjoyed making people laugh, and I especially like laughing at things that are a little dark or inappropriate. I worked in mental health and human services for almost 2 decades, and in that field, you learn to laugh at awful things or you end up running from the building and never coming back. It’s fun watching people react to what I make. It’s either very positive or very negative. Not much middle ground.
I also make tons of custom items. I love that it gives people the opportunity to give very personal gifts. I regularly receive follow up emails and photos from recipients, telling me that something I made got them through a rough time or that it made them smile or gave them encouragement when they needed it. I’ve also had a handful of customers send me photos of my cuffs on their loved ones before they passed away.
I like being able to give that comfort to someone even without personally being there. I don’t think the need to help people has ever left me, even though I no longer work in my previous field.
What do you think about conditions for artists today? Has life become easier or harder for artists in recent years? What can cities like ours do to encourage and help art and artists thrive?
While it’s great that it’s so much easier for artists and makers to find a platform to sell and show their work online, the easy availability of certain kinds of art and handmade items has made it a little more difficult to make a living wage. Metal stamping and jewelry in general is definitely one of those categories. I sell my work while often competing with people who are selling as a side gig or are so desperate to sell that they will happily drop their prices below making anything even close to minimum wage if it means they can make sales.
Another area that makes it difficult is the constant theft that goes on, especially on major sites. Once, a Buzzfeed list featured a cuff of mine that no one else was selling (I had searched the site repeatedly before listing it), and by morning, there were over 20 other shops selling it on Etsy alone. It’s that quick. And of course they were all selling the cuffs for less than I was.
In my experience, makers without scruples have been a much bigger threat to my livelihood than a lack of customers willing to pay a fair price. The only way to overcome that is to consistently come up with new things and not become complacent and just hope what I’ve already done will carry me through.
The oversaturation of handmade work and the homogenization that some sites and handmade markets encourage has begun to take a toll. I see people who do beautiful work get rejected from handmade shows regularly now, and it baffles me. As far as what cities can do to help artists thrive – continue hosting markets that allow customers to meet the people behind what they are buying, and PLEASE encourage weirdness and uniqueness instead of playing it safe, where the main goals are to look cohesive and overly polished.
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
My work is available in my Cynical Redhead shop on Etsy, Amazon Handmade, and on my own site at http://cynicalredhead.com.
My work is also available at Karisma Boutique in Noblesville, Indiana, Blu, A Gift Boutique in Tarpon Springs, FL, and Grace Lifestyle Boutique in Monterey, California.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://cynicalredhead.com/
- Email: cynicalredhead@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cynicalredhead/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CynicalRedheads/
Getting in touch: VoyageChicago is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
