The creative process, side hustles and where life takes you
Interest in fine and applied arts typically begins with childhood, and my story is no exception. I have fond memories of sitting at a table in the corner of the kindergarten sleeping room, under the guidance of one of the teachers, with a pencil, colourful paper, scissors and glue. Perhaps, I owe it to her, that I discovered and developed artistic skills and love for the process of creation.
This continued in my teenage years, with Studies in the Technical school for Fine Ceramics and Glass art. This opportunity introduced me to a variety of possibilities. First being a Decorator, storefront curator, and subsequently finding love for fashion - first out of necessity due to Bulgaria being part of the Soviet Union, you really couldn’t get fashionable clothes in stores, unless you made them yourself, but later turning it into a profession for many years, working for a variety of fashion brands - Georgio Armani, Hugo Boss, Ferre, Cherruti, Valentino, Calvin Klein, and some local brands such as Paruchev, and Adrian-MI.
My entrepreneurship journey begins there, in the early 2000’s, with a side hustle involving fixing, tailoring and making suits for others, as well as other boutique clothing items, home decor, and variety of textile creations, as well as handmade polymer clay jewelry.
In the recent years, I discovered the world of knitted toys, and is what my business is currently based around. It started with Youtube - my first knitted apple appeared, then bear, bunny, more complex dolls, etc. I also continue to make themed decorations from fabric, as well as felt, hanging decorations and wreaths for Easter, Christmas and other holidays. Some of the designs I choose, based on what I find interesting, while rest are from client requests. “Can you make this model for me from the photo?” is an opportunity to problem-solve, while bringing joy to people’s lives, and I strive to satisfy my clients, fulfilling their ideas, while building on my creativity.
The biggest difficulty I faced as a one-woman army, was building my B2C business operations almost exclusively through Facebook, as that still remains the easiest platform to reach clients, at least within Bulgaria. Building a brand from scratch, actively promoting the page, and having product inventory was not enough. People have to trust you, and reputation takes time to build. I offer my products through my page, but mainly benefit from listings in Facebook groups for handmade products, where I have slowly become a recognized name and capable creator, and most importantly - a trustworthy seller.
My creative journey continues, and I look forward to future challenges. I hope that my creations will continue to enrich people's hearts and bring smiles to their faces. If you have any questions or if you want to order something unique, do not hesitate contact me.
About the author
Rositsa Belcheva is a serial side-hustler, continuously developing her craft to match market demands. She is based in Bulgaria, creating knitted toys, fashion and home textile goods, and polymer clay jewelry.
