Today we’d like to introduce you to Kelsie Hall
Hi Kelsie, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
During, 2020 the world was shut down and I was going through a divorce. I take care of my grandfather full time and for his health I rarely left the house, I was terrified of him getting covid. I felt very isolated during this time period. I was looking for any outlet to help with my mental health. I started with collecting plants and then moved to art. I was learning embroidery, watercolor, how to dry flowers, etc. Then, I decided I wanted to paint a few terracotta pots for the large plant collection I was building. I’d never really painted before besides art class so I never expected to fall in love with painting. The first few pots were in the pointillism style, hundreds and hundreds of dots layered over and over. Once I started I knew I wanted to sell what I was making, but also knew that dotting would not be feasible in the long term (due to the amount of time each project took). So I started with painting flowers, lots and lots of flowers. For over a year I was painting pots constantly (still mostly flowers at this point) but I was too scared to put myself out there. In September of 2021 a family friend bought about 12 pots from me in one day and that sale pushed me out of my comfort zone. I decided on the name KelBre Designs, my name is Kelsie and my sisters name is Breanna; my mom has always said if she started a business she would use KelBre, so it was an easy decision to make. Once I had a name, I posted about my work, made a Facebook page, and applied for my first event in Ocean City for November. I have since been in 4 shops and done multiple events. None of this would have been possible without the support of my family and best friends.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I would say the biggest struggle for me since starting this business has been my own brain. I am very critical of myself and have a huge fear of rejection. I’m still working constantly to learn that not everyone is going to like what I make and if they don’t like it, that’s okay. I’m lucky to have made other small business friends that understand these struggles and offer advice. I also make being a caregiver a priority over everything. My grandfather is my world. He’s done more for me in this lifetime than I could ever repay, taking care of him always comes first. In the past few years we’ve had a lot of scares, he’s been in and out of the hospital/rehabs and in those times painting goes on the backburner.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I’ll paint basically anything I can. I have this inherent need to make everything pretty, I’ve done this my whole life. I sell a variety of items including bookmarks, picture frames, canvases, wood, stickers, etc. but I’m known for my colorful hand painted terracotta pots. I’m a perfectionist and spend so much time on each pot. Every piece that I work on has so many small details, usually a lot of dots in the background (I didn’t want to completely leave behind pointillism). I’ve painted almost 1,000 pots and each one is made with so much care.
There are two things I’m most proud of when it comes to KelBre Designs. The first, is that I am very openly queer, and I’ve made multiple collections to represent the LGBTAIQ+ community. These collections have been my favorite and mean so much to me. I love vending at pride events and seeing how excited people get to see how they identify represented in a piece of art. The second thing I’m most proud of is being apart of the Botanigal plant shop in Sykesville, MD. I’ve been apart of this shop since the grand opening almost two years ago. The owner, Hannah is amazing and has allowed me to share my work with so many people.
I think what is different about me than others is how I use my social media. I am very open and honest about my mental health. I know talking about mental health struggles isn’t always the best for business but I believe talking about it is the best way to normalize mental health issues.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
I am an open book. I would say that talking is my favorite hobby. So I would say the most surprising thing about me is that I’m not really an extrovert.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/kelbredesigns
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/kelbredesigns
