Crafting Your Passion into Reality with Meg Epps – S3 : E1
Have you always dreamed of turning your crafting hobby into a full-fledged business? You have the passion, you have the drive, and you definitely have the skills; but what’s stopping you from making that jump? If you are ready to take on the passion you have been drawn to, this episode is for you! This episode is a little peek into how it feels right before you take that big giant step you’re scared of taking!
Let’s jump right into our conversation with Meg!
- Back in your ears with Meg Epps (0:46)
- Being willing to try something new (6:52)
- Cultivating Curious Crafters (11:30)
- A love for teaching and creating a Patreon (15:41)
- Creating a positive and unique environment for crafters (18:08)
- What’s next for Meg (23:23)
Are you passionate about teaching others? Meg is such an inspiration to our groups and others, and I know I am excited to see what she has up her sleeve next. Feel free to DM me on Instagram and let me know how this episode resonated with you. Keep creating!
A Culture of Inspiration
Hey friends, welcome back to A Culture of Inspiration, the podcast for artists sponsored by Counter Culture DIY. I’m your host Sarah Brown, and together with my husband, I own Counter Culture DIY, where we serve artists by providing everything you need for your resin art, and we do it with a lot of heart. This season you’ll be hearing from other artists as they share their stories, their successes, triumphs, tragedies, failures, tips and inspiration. Join me every Tuesday for a new episode. I can’t wait for you to hear what we’ve got in store.
Sarah Brown
Friends, I am so excited to be back in your ears. Last time we talked I was just wrapping up Culture Con, our big event in Fayetteville, Arkansas where I got to meet so many of you and finally hug you in person. And now we’re settling into the fall and winter months and I’m thinking about how to keep myself motivated and inspired as the dreary Missouri days are coming around. And have you ever felt like you’re just getting a little bit stale with your art or that you want to take that next step to do something new or different but you’re scared or intimidated or you lack the confidence? I have definitely felt that way and if you ever have, I’d like to introduce you to today’s guest, Meg Epps. Meg is truly someone who is fearless with her art, and she has been such an inspiration to me about how she keeps trying to level up her business. Meg is a brand ambassador for our company Counter Culture DIY, as well as for Craft Haven and some other companies. She is a unique and outstanding artist who has gone from crafter to seller to group owner. And now her most recent accomplishment, she’s a Patreon group owner. I think you’re going to love hearing what Meg has to share. She’ll tell you about where she got started with her crafting, and then all of the steps that she’s taken along the way from crafter to businesswoman to group owner to Patreon group owner. And the day that we sat down to do this interview, she was right on the cusp of launching her Patreon group with Sarah Panal and you will hear that little bit of trepidation and uncertainty in her voice. But rest assured that the group has already started. It is going great just like everything Meg does. She has done a wonderful job with it and we will have links to all of that in the show notes in case you want to join her over at Maker Magic. But this is a great little peek into how it feels right before you take that big giant step that you’re scared of. So let’s go ahead and jump right into our conversation with Meg. Hi, Meg, welcome. I am so excited that you’re joining us on the podcast today.
Meg Epps
So very exciting.
Sarah Brown
Yeah, so we’re just gonna jump right in. If anyone’s been living under a rock and doesn’t know who you are, they can definitely find you in our group all the time. You share so much. You are such a helper and teacher in our CC DIY group. And your art is all over the place with everything that we do. So why don’t we just start with how long have you been doing resin art and tumblers and what got you into it?
Meg Epps
So . . . five years now. And when I first started . . . everyone else started. I wanted to make, I wanted a graphic t shirt seeing as how cute graphic T shirts were everywhere, I was like, I . . . I know I can make these cheaper. So I did some research on the Cricut, joined the Facebook group. And this is right when tumblers were starting to become like a real do it yourself thing like we were building our own . . . like, PVC pipe turners, you know. So things were starting to become clear, I knew I wanted to do it but I was very scared of epoxy because I knew that it was something that you really wanted to be careful working with and weigh safety, you know . . . and all that and so I really wanted to make sure I had researched on my research, prepared myself and just the same way I did, ok, you know, I just researched that was six months before I even bought one so yeah, so once I made, I actually, funny thing is is I just I don’t know how to make a ton and I have many surveillance cameras and the neighbor was any man and he had told me like five because I didn’t know how to give him I wasn’t. It said, . . . if you want to build this, so I sent him a youtube video, I’ll just give him two years. So he built my first turner. And then me and my stepdad, who passed away two years ago, we built our next turner. And he went out, torch that I’m headed, and I still have the core, he got me safety goggles, you know, really supported the craft and was excited for me. And yeah, so that’s how it was done. And I, as soon as I started I was using, that’s I was just trying it out, you know, I was still learning about every thing. And I did have a very bad allergic reaction to that one. And I broke out in bad rashes, but I kept going. And, you know, I kept trying to get , , , the next thing going wherever, I’ve obviously I tried to work on it . . . And I’ve been with you guys every since. So you have been, that’s been, Yeah, I got into resin art and tumblers and I really, like I . . . never, once I did like my first coasters, that’s when I like really felt like an artist, like awoke inside. I had found my . . . you know, as an artist, like this is what I was good at. So yeah, so I just started, you know, using more and more, doing stuff, then it’s been so fun to see and grow and learn. We’ll just keep on, keep on growing over here.
Sarah Brown
Well, yeah, and I think something about you that makes you stand out in the community is, at least to me, it seems like you’re not afraid to try anything, like you will try anything and give it a shot. And some people are over here in the sidelines, like, Oh, I’m so afraid to try x, whatever it is, and you’re like, oh, let’s just try it. Let’s just, let’s just see what happens.
Meg Epps
Because I feel like as artists, we’re always trying and you can work with one medium, or you can try to work on other mediums and you know, just really be open minded and tie those other mediums into that medium you’re used to. And that’s what I’ve done. . . . because I really want to, you know, you want to create something special every time you make something. You know, this art, you want it to be special. For me, you know, I want it to be unique. And so yes, and that, that tiny thing and that’s okay. There are so many tutorials out there, just even on Counter Culture, Counter Culture alone, there are so many tutorials that are showing you how to use all this. So if you’re scared, you know you have, basically our how to book right at your fingertips and you don’t have to dive right into it, that’s the beauty about this sample size, but you know, just test it out. It’s not for you then you don’t have to do it. I like, I love trying new things as well, because I’m always looking for, I like to create realistic things, right? Like with my personal, my jewlellery and stuff. So I really like to try new things because I’m trying to get very realistic on what . . . We don’t know sometimes what is going to make that happen. My favorite product has been the metal flakes, those, they’re amazing.
Sarah Brown
That’s one of my favorite things to work with too, because you can get that gilded look, that kind of aged, antiqued golden bronze. Yeah, I really like those too. Well, Meg tell us about Linley Grove. So, when you kind of jumped from trying it out to selling things and kind of taking yourself public
Meg Epps
Linley Grove, before we kind of got into really doing this because I knew I wanted to . . . be like model science. So I would always know I was gonna do a small business. My mom and my stepdad have ran their own businesses forever. My mom did catering and stuff like that. So I knew I could learn from them for running businesses and all that. So there was like no reason not to do this as a real thing, you know, trying to do it as a real income rather than just a hobby, which this is totally a hobby. You know, I probably because I do work a full time job, you know, I probably do more selling than I do right now. But my passion is teaching. So literally, it was, I bought a long, long time ago. My name was what I wanted my business to become. I don’t know if you know this, but I had a sister and she passed away after she was born, she only lived 16 days old, her name was Madison. And I wanted to do something in memory of her. And I also wanted a business that just sounded like pretty. So I kept trying to use like, in sentences like, oh, we just went shopping at Linley Grove. When we go, I don’t know, it just kind of rolled off the tongue, it lopped off and just like anything, it took me a very long time to commit to it. And Linley Grove was kind of like my art, selling my art.
Sarah Brown
Well, I didn’t know where that name came from. And I love that. I’ve always thought it was such a pretty name and to know that it has that special connection to you and to your sister that makes it even better.
Sarah Brown
It is, it’s something that is very special.
Sarah Brown
Well, and we were talking before we went live on recording here, about your relationship with Sarah and how you guys work together on Curious Crafters. So why don’t you tell us about Curious Crafters and how that got started. And then I think people will see how it’s kind of led to where you’re at now.
Meg Epps
Curious Crafters, it was created as like a team effort. And some of the, you know, people that, and it was just me, and others, you know, Carmen and we started a group and then it kind of blossomed. Like any Facebook group, we cared about what our members wanted. If members wanted tutorials, things like that. So trying to blossom into a big story over, you know, learning roaming and things like that. And I try to, the group is definitely more of a team effort group, there’s nothing, like I’ve always, never tried to be like Selena, or anything like that. Everything that we do is like a group decision, we all have a very open mind, we all exist, we all have the same morals, we all want the same things for the group. And we want to know and want to give back to community, and things like that. So if we don’t all agree on some angle, we’re open minded to hearing what everyone thinks, and it is always working out, because we all have this same outlook for the group. And that’s with just being kind and caring about our members, and what we’re giving back to the community. Curious Crafters is a wonderful group. I’ve been going and doing, just wanting them to do their work as I do and I have done unboxing. That’s kind of how I started getting into going live in the first place. But once I know that, you know, the girls in our company . . . So I had to go into that group, not for me and Carmen, but simply . . . kind of smaller when I first joined it, but there was so much support and everybody was just so nice and supportful. I had never felt like that, you know, that work from like, other people have the same passions of people, you know, so it was just very heartwarming and popular. And I knew I wanted to be part of this group. So Amanda Hughes, who is the runner that group, you know, always encouraged us to go live, to the giveaways, people that went live and things like that. So I started off small with just going live and doing an unboxing. Unboxings are a great way for people to get comfortable in front of the camera and it’s also that they knew to be able to be on social media and be like a content creator and work with . . . So join me with unboxing. You don’t have to . . . you don’t have to know or memorize anything. All you’re doing is opening a box and showing the product inside of it and now when I first did that there was such a great response for that and it can make you want to continue going live. So I would do more unboxings and I’ve worked with . . . and I finally mustered up enough courage to do it . . . as you know, that’s just how that all be done. So while the Curious Crafters I continued doing unboxing. I have never been . . . have gotten the mail, not everything that is in my room. So yeah, so it’s . . .
Sarah Brown
Once you’ve established yourself the way that you have in the community, really a Patreon group was kind of a natural next step for you. So why don’t we talk about that, about how you linked up with Sarah and what you’re offering in your group?
Meg Epps
Like I said before, my, my real passion is more in the teaching. Like I love creating art, but I’ve loved teaching as well and helping others. So I would have committed to do a Patreon group. So I needed a name for that. I just wanted to be separate as far as my teaching, and then my small business, my art side. So my best friend Sarah, now that is going to be doing the Patreon group with me, she her mind, it’s like, her mind is just an amazing mind as far as when it comes to like marketing and just all that stuff. When it comes to like thinking of businesses,, small business name, graphics, just all that stuff. Yeah, so I’ve always had kind of . . . I mean, the art that I create, when I first came on the scene, as far as getting quite some attention, as you know, as far as people voting, wanting to learn, was a problem when I started doing physical training, my little, my little dishes and stuff, so a lot of crystals and just whimsical, vintage, things like that. So magic, magical things like that. So magic has always been like a star, I knew that just and then we’re makers, we’re creators, we’re artists to make the movement on it’s fairly strong. So I just, I mean, she just played her mind words thing. Yes. And she helped and came up with that. And it was just, it sounded perfect, like nature magic, . . . and . . .though and all of it.
Meg Epps
I think it’s a perfect name for you. Like when I saw Maker Magic with Meg Epps of Linley Grove, I was like, that is perfection. Like, that just encapsulates you, and your vibe, and your aura perfectly.
Meg Epps
That’s, I’m telling you, Sarah, because she does all that. I hire her basically to help me with stuff. So you know, it’s definitely a team effort, but it’s definitely, you know, her brain that helps me . . It literally grows results. So me and Sarah, we’re growing, and I definitely as I said, teaching is my passion just right now and I don’t want to . . . I’m going to, my whole life outside of work is devoted to, you know, my group and growing on social media and working with types of brands, you know, all that stuff. My whole life is, so why not really give it a shot at being like a real, trying to make a real impact? So me and Sarah because like I said, she’s my right hand man. And I also did . . how I can really use . . . you know because everybody offers something special, right? So how will we be able to, . . . what will I be able to do to offer something special and I know that I had the three . . . and tumblers. It sounds more scalable . . . area and we’re both strong. It’s not like we’re one more stronger. We level each other out and it’s like so, there’s also a graphic designer in 3D graphics and doing the editing, and things like that, and working with Illustrator and things like that, and then I’m good at being in front of people and working with people and, you know, working with brands. I’m a little . . . but I can talk. As far as us being a team, and as far as like helping people grow in media. Now, everything is about social media. So if you want to be a, I feel like if you want to be like, a super in . . . you’ve got to be out there so people can see what you’re doing and creating and things like that. And that’s how you do that nowadays is on social media. So I thought that that would be something that would be beneficial for people, helping them grow, not only in learning about resin art and toddlers, learning how to grow in social media, and creating videos and editing and typography and all those other things that come along with being on social media. So how are they a little different from everybody else, and I hope that . . . everyone that I even on part of daytime groups and other folks that . . . just want to be given a really big shout out, and I hope that it’s enough for people.
Sarah Brown
I think anything you do is going to be extremely special. And I think you’re right on the mark, like you have so much to share as far as helping people with their presence and getting out there on social media. You do such a great job, of course, you do a ton of stuff for us, for our business and in our group and always do such a great job. And then Sarah being able to teach people about the technical side of creating, that a lot of people don’t have skills in that. I definitely don’t, and it’s something that I really wish I did. So you’ve got some things there that not everybody has in their group. So it’s going to be special Meg, I guarantee it.
Meg Epps
I just know and just need plenty of practice. Our main focus is being able to really offer whoever’s going to be a part of the group. In fact, you know, we just want to make sure we’re doing as much as you can to help them and just be very embodied and so we’re excited.
Sarah Brown
Well, you guys have done such a good job in Curious Crafters. It is, it’s such a positive group, just such a great vibe over there. I, I check in on that group every day to see what people are sharing and posting and it is. It is a great group. So I think if you harness some of that energy and then the additions that you’re talking about with your Patreon group, it is going to be fantastic. I’m so excited to see where you go with that
Meg Epps
Thank you very much. I appreciate all the support that you guys show me in everything. Yes, you guys are amazing as well.
Sarah Brown
Well, we appreciate you. We think you’re pretty amazing too. Well Meg, tell us what’s next for you? We’ve got the Patreon coming up and we will be sharing links to that in the show notes so that everybody listening can get in on that because I know they’re not going to want to miss out after hearing what you guys have to offer. What else do you have on the docket?
Meg Epps
I’m gonna . . . be doing Monday before aerials. In order to get all the last year I really kind of . . . practice you know, doing them right now, so and it varied so anybody that is out there doing . . . they talk to facebook and be very easy to grow over there if you’re consistent and posting so . . . you know, that’s going to keep on putting out really good content and just moving along artists as a content creator because that’s my passion and I get . . . going for it you know and is really chasing my journey that just because there’s not a lot of times that people find things that they’re actually really good at also smooth. You know, enjoy doing and want to continue going for years on and . . . It’s not easy to just stop but this amazing beauty that we’re not allowed to have I just want to keep going, and spreading that kindness and showing people that there is so much to learn, we can do it together. We’ll see, we’ll see what’s next.
Sarah Brown
I think the sky’s the limit. It’ll all be good. Anything that you do is going to be good, it’s going to be special. So I’m super excited for the Patreon. And just everything that you’ve got in store for us. Well, thanks so much Meg for joining us on the podcast today. We will share all of your links so that everyone can find you everywhere that you are on social media, that Tiktok, Curious Crafters, the new Patreon and of course, you can find Meg in our group as well. She is out there and loving it everywhere.
Meg Epps
And that’s something I’ve been wanting to be, is being a part of the community. My group, you know, I used to own lunch now. I used to do it in so many different routes on I still show up live in other groups, I’m always knowing and getting involved in the extensions and the virtual conventions. So yeah, you keeping on giving me support.
Sarah Brown
Well, I can’t wait. I can’t wait for all of it. So thanks so much, Meg, and everybody, tune in next week for another episode. Thank you all for joining us today. And we will talk to you soon.
Sarah Brown
I know I am so excited to see what Meg has up her sleeve next. If you want to find her online, please check our show notes. And we’ll make sure that you can find her everywhere that she’s hanging out including our group. And of course most importantly, that new Patreon group she’s got going with Sarah Panal.
Connect with Meg:
Curious Crafters Facebook Group
Connect with Counter Culture:
Facebook community, Counter Culture DIY artists support group
Thanks for joining us on the A Culture of Inspiration podcast! If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a rating and review to help us reach even more creators who need a little inspiration. Keep creating