Back in 2002, I was working at The Evergreen State College half time, making arts and crafts as a hobby the other half. I had been selling my work here and there, but I was a dabbler, jumping between wire jewelry, ceramics, linocuts, collage, painting, mosaic and mixed media. I hadn’t dedicated myself to any medium long enough to really get good at it. But, since I was beginning to have sales and commissions, I decided to file for a business license. I never expected to be a full-time artist, but I did want to access wholesale accounts for supplies, and a business license allowed me to have a reseller permit. This means I get a discount with most of my suppliers, and as my business grew, this became essential.
That first business was Cosmic Blue Monkey Designs. This name came from my “Mayan Signature” (Blue Cosmic Monkey) and I really love the imagery and the way it sounds.
In 2003, I had a baby and my position at the college was eliminated due to budget cuts. I struggled to find part-time work that paid enough to cover my expenses, and I was pretty miserable and exhausted. It seemed to cost more for gas and child care than I was earning and I was actually making more through art sales and commissions, so I took a leap and focused my energy on building my mosaic skills, marketing my work, and vending at various bazaars and festivals. In 2007, I graduated from Enterprise for Equity, an organization that trains low-income people to start and maintain a small business, and that spring, I was featured on the cover of Olympia’s Spring Arts Walk guide. Suddenly, people were noticing me, and I was hired for 16 commissions by the end of that year, including Swing Wine Bar (which remains a favorite.)
In 2010, I was turning 40 and realizing that it was time to reassess my life and business. My daughter was in school and I was able to take on larger architectural commissions, which I had come to love the most. I had just completed the entryway for Olympia Pediatrics, and had heard valuable feedback that my business image needed a makeover. I reached out to the Small Business Administration and got some coaching on both finances and marketing, and started my 5th decade with new goals and a new name: JK Mosaic. I soon had a new website (thanks to Jill Carter Designs!) and promo materials, and soon after, I bought business insurance.
In 2014, I was hired for 15 mosaic projects all over the U.S., including my first larger-scale mural for a shopping center in Alpharetta, GA. In 2015, I installed 2 more murals in the Dallas Fort Worth airport and in Walnut Creek, CA, and with each mural, I was climbing on scaffolding and operating hydraulic lifts, hauling heavy buckets and sacks of thinset and grout and power tools…. I learned that my insurance wasn’t enough to protect my personal assets, so I filed to become an LLC.
So, now here I am, just shy of 2 weeks from my 50th birthday, and I’ve been thinking a lot about the direction my business should go for the next 10 years. I had a surprise come up a couple of weeks ago when my reseller permit renewal was rejected for reasons I did not understand at all. The DOR stated that I needed a contractors license – something that has never come up for me before. Since then, I’ve had a crash course on the subject and learned that, because I attach mosaic to walls, floors and structures (“anything attached to real estate”) I am, in fact, required to be a contractor. Who knew!?! Basically, I had to decide within 2 weeks whether to continue installing mosaic, or make major changes to my whole business model. Luckily I had guidance from some very helpful people, especially Mike Sweney at the Washington State Arts Commission. I am now licensed and bonded, and I’m a specialty contractor! It feels like a big step for me, and I am considering it a birthday present to myself.
In October, I was selected for my largest public art project to date. Next week, I’ll be heading to Tigard, OR for a site visit that will initiate new work funded by the National Endowment for the Arts. I’m excited to get started on an ambitious project to celebrate the culture and history of the Tualatin Valley, and to go forward into my 6th decade as a real professional, with my business in order.
Thank you for reading my whole business-life-story!
~Jennifer, Contractor # JKMOSML812QE
