About Me

I’m Natalie, the lady behind Embroidery Art by Nat and this is my story. In the childhood I was always drawing something and liked hand made. I learned the basics of embroidery from my grandma when I was about 6 years old. But I didn't do hand embroidery much, I was cross stitching during 15 years at school and when I was a student.

I started hand embroidery to get some relaxation and stress relieve 3 years ago as a hobby. I opened separate instagram account to just have some fun and share my embroidery with others, find other creative people and connect. As usual I didn't follow any patterns and created my own designs by drawing right on the fabric.

People started asking for patterns and kits. I didn't know how to make them and sell so I started investigation and learned how to do it. And I thought wow, it’s actually possible to make money with my passion. So I took my art much more seriously.

After 1 year I had my own Etsy shop and 50k of followers in IG, 10k in FB and I was earning enough money for living doing my art on my free time. I loved to pack orders, it’s so great that I can send something right to your door steps even if you are living on the other side of planet.

But working full time and managing my own shop, I was extremely overwhelmed and exhausted and I needed a change. I didn’t have a real vacations and I was spending my weekends by working. I started feeling seek, never ending headaches and high blood pressure. I decided to choose something one. And as embroidery became my new passion and I just couldn’t stop doing it, I had to leave my primary job and become a full time embroidery artist in order to save my health and get some freedom. It’s almost 2 years since I quit my job and enjoy my creative happy life.

I need to confess that it was super scary at the beginning, I was worried that I will never get a customers, I was afraid of not being able to pay the bills and that I ruined my career for nothing. And millions of bad thoughts and I was doubting if that was the right decision. It’s totally normal to be scared at the beginning. My friends and family were supporting me. So I just decided to go and try out and if it’s not working so It’s ok to go back to “normal” job again.

And I was right, there are lot's of risks. After one month I left my job instagram has changed his algorithm, less people seeing my posts (about 1000 people out of 50k), just imagine - only 200-300 likes comparing to the 2000-6000 in the past. Many artists were suffered and telling in their posts that instagram is killing the artists. I realized that it was bad idea to rely only on instagram, I was broke during 4-5 months since then and tormented herself with thoughts that I ruined my career for nothing, I did a mistake...

But then I decided to grow audience on other platforms.Pinterest started bringing me missing traffic to my Etsy store. I was raising my business from the bottom, I finally made enough money for living again, it was less than before but it was better than when I was broke))) So moral here is - don’t start your full time creative business too early and do not rely on only one source of traffic.

Then I started my YouTube channel and I was trying to share tutorials and provide a great value for beginners because many people were asking me the same questions all the time and I knew that they need someone to teach them and help to learn embroidery.

Then I created my own page on Patreon and it became my little online embroidery school (because this is what people wanted and asking if I’m teaching embroidery). I like making educational articles and tutorials for my patrons there, they became my best fellows. I’m so grateful that I can do what I love and hope I can do that for a very long time. My Patreon community is growing and this is so awesome, it gives some sense of stability and opens a lot of new opportunities. Patreon is an amazing platform.

I believe that my mission here on earth is to except myself and help others, create the life I love doing by what I love. Because for so long I was tought to believe that you need to go to work to make money and it’s ok to have a job you don’t like.

So now you know that it is possible. You can do it, you just have to work for it. If you are feeling like you are not growing and you are not where you want to be - guys I wasn’t where I wanted to be for like 3 years))) So just don't stop fighting till you will figure out how to make everything working. The phone in your pocket has everything you need to start.

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