Fripp Jewelry

For artists, feeding creativity while earning a living takes practice. “The pressure of developing “art” for profit, for me, challenged my ability to maintain its conceptual truth, but I knew I still needed to work creatively” says Sarah Bush of Fripp. Sarah started Fripp after fifteen years of exploring different artistic mediums, and working in various positions in art and craft resale. Sarah designs her jewelry products almost exclusively in metal, with a contemporary yet timeless aesthetic. She combined her love for metal work with an endeavor she could sustain “I realized jewelry made sense, it’s small, which is a huge deal when managing overhead costs, in both space rental, and shipping.”

Deciding on a product is only part of the battle an artist will face. Running a for-profit artisan business can be more difficult for a creative person. In order to succeed there is a need for balance between the creative right brain and the analytical left brain. Finding this balance can require training and support. At the Lane Small Business Development Center we help artists and craftspeople in many different mediums thrive, without giving up their creative time.

“Roger is always extremely helpful. He is probably most impactful through his presence of mind in each meeting, and willingness to listen and strategize, and hold people accountable for their desired progress.” 

The Lane SBDC has helped Sarah grow her business from idea, to fruition, but she still has much more she wants to achieve. In the next five years she would like to increase her wholesale business and work towards a storefront or mobile studio. Regardless of what’s to come Sarah says, “I’m an artist before I’m a businesswoman, and continuing to feed that creative process is critical to me.”       

If you are running an artisan business and could use some help to take it to the next level, give us a call at the Lane Small Business Development Center!