the shiny bubble: Creating Success around the World

Welcome to
Creating Success around the World

The worldwide blog hop tour, that introduces you to creative people from all corners of the globe.

Every Wednesday our hosts on each continent will introduce you to someone new whose creativity is inspiring!

Here's how you can take this worldwide tour with us:

You can follow all the hosts to support them and keep up to date with the fabulous posts they will share every week. Then if you are inspired to join, just link up your own blog to make some new international friends.

Remember to leave us a comment when you follow us so we can follow you back! And of course we'd love if you added our button to your site to help spread the word!

Here are your hosts:

Make sure you visit them all to see the inspiration and creative people every continent has to add to our community.

Australasia - Jill @ Creating my way to Success
Europe - Yaga @ The Shiny Bubble
North America - Suzy @ Suzy's Artsy Craftsy Sitcom
South America - Molly @ Marya Mariah
Asia - Janelle @ Of Pinks and Fairytales

Africa - Sadly, our African host is not able to participate in the Blog hop anymore. We are looking for somebody new to join the team - could it be you?! ;o)

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The blog and etsy shop "Moois van me" (beautiful things from me) are run by, well, 'me'. She's an inspired lady from Belgium, creating so much jewelry, that in the end she started selling it because she couldn't wear it all. Read more about her business in the following interview.

Tell us a bit about your trade: What do you create, how and where do you sell your things,

how long have you been doing this?

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As long as I can remember , I like to create things.

When I was a child, I liked embroidery, crocheting, spinning, … When I grew older I sometimes made or remade clothes.

A few years ago I started with making jewels with beads. I made a lot of them and gave them away. But even then I still had a lot of jewels left . I just had too much of them. Someday someone suggested that maybe I could sell them.

I liked that idea because it was a bit sad that my jewels were just hidden in a box where no one could see them. And it was a good way to get some of the money back I invested in buying supplies.

Most of my buyers are people I know. Friends , colleagues’, …

And a few months ago I started my own etsy shop : www.mooisvanme.etsy.com

I haven’t sold great amounts on etsy ( yet ;-) ) , but I don’t care …

I enjoy it every time someone chooses a piece to wear !

I sell some of my creations because I have too many of them to wear myself and for buying new supplies. But I don’t make them for selling : I make them because I like to make them. It’s fun to create things, it gives me satisfaction and pleasure. And if someone buys them, it’s a surplus. Not the goal .

Please, tell us a little bit about the place and the country that you live in.

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I live in Belgium, a small country in Europe. Many people abroad don’t know our country but they do know our capitol : Brussels.

I live in the biggest city of Belgium : Antwerp. In the Flemish part of the country. What I don’t especially like : for me it just means that I speak Dutch, not French…

I live in an apartment, on my own. I don’t have a partner or children and I like that.

Although I do live in the city, I have a very small garden and I live nearby a nice park. I’m surrounded by nature , but I’m also surrounded by the benefits of living in the city ( café’s , access to busses or subway, restaurants, shops, … ).

Do you think that your surroundings influence your creativity? How?

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The part of my surroundings that does influence my creativity, is the fact that I used to live in the countryside when I was a child and I now live in the city. The city and his big variety of people, cultures, subcultures and colors, combined with the open mind my parents have and gave me, give me the possibility to create with a lot of variation. I don’t think I have a very specific style. I even don’t have a specific thing I create : I make pictures, crochet, paint and draw, makes jewels, knit, …. I like variation …

How and why did you 'pick' your creative outlet of choice?

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The main reason why I create the things I make, is because I can : I like music, I even think I have some talents in music… But I can’t sing or play an instrument. So I don’t make music myself.

However : I did learn how to crochet when I was a child, and therefore I like to use that ability to make things…. I like to drawn, and I do sometimes. But I surely am not that talented in that area, so I’m not going to show a lot of my drawnings.

Why did you decide to sell what you are creating?

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As I said before : I just had too much jewelry after a while …

How did you start your business?

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I don’t have the feeling that I have a business… I create things because it gives me a good feeling. That’s my goal. Not the selling part : that’s an extra that gives me the opportunity to make people happy with my creations and to earn money to buy new supplies .

I started selling by telling people around me they could buy my things. And some day a friend told me about Etsy and I made a shop .

What, in your opinion is your biggest strength in your creative life and how does it

influence your work?

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The fact that I don’t have a specific style. It results in a big diversity in my work.

What would you regard as your greatest weakness in terms of your creativity and how do

you deal with it?

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The lack of time to make everything I have in my head.

Sadly I only have one life ;)

And I think there is not one skill I am extraordinary good at…

How do you stay motivated and inspired?

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I don’t know how not to be inspired. It just comes and keeps on coming… Sometimes even a bit to much… Especially when I want/need to go to sleep. :)

Where do you see yourself and your creative life in two years? Do you have any plans?

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I don’t have plans. I ‘ll see in two years.

What are your 5 hottest tips for people who want to be more successful with

creating?
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just DO it … Everyone can create things. It’s just a matter of getting started and trying…
don’t be a perfectionist : be happy with the things you make… be proud of yourself.
create things because it’s fun, not because you want to become rich J
make things because you like them, not because they are popular or ‘trendy ‘. Be yourself…
You don’t need the latest expensive material or tools… even with a simple pencil and paper you can make nice things!

Thank you so much for your openness, 'me'!

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Now it's your turn! Link up your posts: Inspiration, craftsy blahs, tutorials, tips or business talk: We wanna know!
Link up your blog and you might be the next artist featured in our interviews!

New to the world tour? Check our previous tours here!