Etsy, a renowned online marketplace, has revolutionised the way artisans, crafters, and creative entrepreneurs connect with a global audience. Founded in 2005, Etsy has emerged as a thriving community that celebrates unique, handcrafted goods, vintage items, and craft supplies. CE connects with creative entrepreneurs Tejaswi Poojari, Kavitha Xavier and Bhargavi Rudraraju from Hyderabad who are successfully running their shops on the platform.
Play of light
“Art has been a passion for me ever since my childhood. After receiving my first award for art at the age of 5, my parents encouraged me to take it up as a hobby. I have done a masters degree in Microbiology and worked as a Clinical Research Associate. However, a deep passion for art made me turn my hobby into a full time profession and I started Kolor Kovela art studio. I started my own business in 2019 and launched my products on Etsy. My art style has improved over time and my business has grown through Etsy. Now, my art is recognised across many countries, allowing me to do business at a global level,” says Tejaswi Poojari, a mixed media artist who loves experimenting with refractive mediums in art. Adding, “I have a distinctive style of incorporating iridescent media such as glow paints, crystals, glass, gold, etc. to my paintings which refract light through them. My unique art pieces look different at different times of the day. They glisten in the daylight, glow in black light and reveal surprises when the room is completely dark.”
Currently Tejaswi is working with mirror pieces in her paintings which reflect light. Apart from paintings she is also working on a new handmade home decor art collection which she plans to launch during the holiday season around October 2023.
Wordplay
The inspiration behind Handmade Scripture came from Kavitha Xavier’s personal journey and the impact that scriptures, inspirational words and positive affirmations had on her life. “I have always found solace, strength, and guidance in the verses of scriptures, and I wanted to share that same sense of comfort and inspiration with others. The idea of Handmade Scripture was born out of a desire to create something more than just decorative items. I wanted to offer gifts that would hold deep significance and meaning, gifts that would add value and comfort to the lives of those who receive them. From the moment I launched my Etsy shop, I have been on a path of learning, and connecting with wonderful individuals who appreciate the value and comfort that my handmade gifts bring. There have been ups and downs. There have been moments of self-doubt and challenges to overcome. But through it all, my love for what I do and the positive impact I see it having on others has kept me going. There is definitely a lot more to learn,” says Kavitha.
A wife, mother of three beautiful kids, Kavitha, like any other crafter, dreams that one day she will open a physical store, “I want to provide job opportunities to destitute women, build people along with me, teach what I know and also have a personal connection with people who visit my store,” she says.
Travel fuels imagination
“Professionally, my illustration career has picked up in the last few years. I have had the opportunity to create editorial illustrations and children’s illustrations. My illustration journey started in Timor-leste, I lived there from 2015-19. Back then I was painting on paper. Surrounded by art enthusiasts, I was encouraged to take up commissions. From then on, there was no stopping me. I started researching what illustrations are and the work opportunities it provided. I started doing online courses to spruce up my creative thinking and drawing style. I would read online interviews of established illustrators to know about their journey and their illustration processes. I started using Etsy to sell original drawings. I updated it sometime back after my shift to digital illustration,” shares Bhargavi Rudraraju, founder, Blobsandpatterns.
Bhargavi’s artwork is inspired by simple pleasures of daily life and the interesting texts she finds in books. “Currently, books and magazines are my way to travel, feel inspired and draw in my sketchbooks. Having spent some part of my childhood in Ponda, Goa and my adult life in TimorLeste (another ex-portuguese colony), I have a deep love for natural life and so a special interest to draw it. My travels to places like Bodh Gaya and Bali inspired me to capture the outdoors. There was a time when I was traveling frequently, I would rigorously sketch wherever I was, in my brown paper journal. I even drew from inflight magazines,” concludes Bhargavi