1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:26,000 Welcome to the podcast jewelry is your side hustle with sugar gay is for today we have 2 00:00:26,000 --> 00:00:35,760 a crochet maker like she's a world class pattern maker book writer. She has so many things to 3 00:00:35,760 --> 00:00:45,440 share today about the art of using yarn and I'm so glad to have her today we're having Selena Baca. 4 00:00:45,440 --> 00:00:52,720 Yay, we're so glad you're here and we know each other through the craft industry alliance which 5 00:00:52,720 --> 00:00:59,440 is one of us we call it CIA. So if you are looking for a really great place to join and you're a yarn 6 00:00:59,440 --> 00:01:06,960 person of any sort like there's all different kinds of this or or maybe any kind of craft maker we 7 00:01:06,960 --> 00:01:13,600 want you to be in and we want to be a year friend. So take it away Selena and tell me about how's 8 00:01:13,600 --> 00:01:20,880 your day and where are you let's start with that. Hi yeah I'm Selena Baca and I'm chiming in from 9 00:01:20,880 --> 00:01:27,840 Central Oregon I live in Bend and yeah I've lived here I've lived all over the world but I've been 10 00:01:27,840 --> 00:01:36,400 living here for coming on 11 years now. Well I think it's a pretty good craft area right like 11 00:01:36,400 --> 00:01:43,760 people respect it there. Oh they totally do and in contrast before I moved here I lived in New Mexico 12 00:01:43,760 --> 00:01:49,760 and people did not appreciate crochet in New Mexico because they don't wear scarves and 13 00:01:49,760 --> 00:01:56,480 sweaters that much maybe they didn't understand it. I think it's quite a few things I think it's just 14 00:01:56,480 --> 00:02:00,800 I think yeah they don't really you know wear the accessories but I think just as a craft 15 00:02:01,520 --> 00:02:07,440 I just found people were not interested in it as a craft. Well your sweater is just mesmerizing 16 00:02:07,440 --> 00:02:12,880 because that's one of my favorite colors arsenic green. Mine too I love this but I bought this in 17 00:02:12,880 --> 00:02:23,120 a store I did not crochet this. You show a lie it's so good. I can't do that no actually I um fun 18 00:02:23,120 --> 00:02:28,720 story about me I crochet so many different things and I actually have a stack right here that I cannot 19 00:02:28,720 --> 00:02:35,120 show anyone yet so many of the things that I make I have to like mese like museum quality like put 20 00:02:35,120 --> 00:02:40,400 them away because I need them to be photographed for something so it's like I can't enjoy them for 21 00:02:40,400 --> 00:02:46,400 a really long time so I have to wear stuff from the store. Well I would have bought that 22 00:02:47,120 --> 00:02:52,480 to me that's so good it's a great color. I'm glad you like it. Just that color just makes me so happy 23 00:02:53,040 --> 00:02:59,360 every time you get color it makes me happy and I just posted something on my Facebook 24 00:02:59,360 --> 00:03:07,680 Gaiusburg sugar Gaiusburg about this color because this color in the 1800s was actually 25 00:03:07,680 --> 00:03:14,640 made with arsenic and it's a really great story that I posted I kind of like took some scripts 26 00:03:14,640 --> 00:03:19,440 but it was about how they used it for wallpaper and it kind of made people insane and then the 27 00:03:19,440 --> 00:03:24,000 insane people were told to stay home and don't do anything and stay in your room and it just made 28 00:03:24,000 --> 00:03:30,560 them more insane. I was like oh that's the story about it yeah it was so good. I love historical 29 00:03:30,560 --> 00:03:35,120 things like that. Yeah thank you I think it was like the Smithsonian or somewhere which is my favorite 30 00:03:35,120 --> 00:03:41,440 go to. Anyway never mind me it's all about you. Take it away. Tell us about what are you doing 31 00:03:41,440 --> 00:03:50,320 right now like where are you going with your crochet because it's quite the skill. Thank you. 32 00:03:50,320 --> 00:03:56,240 I am I want to say I'm kind of coasting right now. I'm in a really good place where I'm coasting 33 00:03:56,240 --> 00:04:07,360 because I started this particular business 15 years ago and I just worked myself to death 34 00:04:07,360 --> 00:04:13,040 for a really long time to create the vision that I had back then which was online courses 35 00:04:13,760 --> 00:04:21,600 which were different crochet patterns that could just kind of help people enjoy this craft. 36 00:04:21,600 --> 00:04:25,840 I started all of this because I really wanted to assure that crochet was passed through the 37 00:04:25,840 --> 00:04:32,720 generations in better hands than we found it and I feel like everything that I've done supports 38 00:04:32,720 --> 00:04:39,120 that and now like I said I can just kind of coast. I can fine tune things. I have time to be on 39 00:04:39,120 --> 00:04:46,160 podcasts and talk about crochet so right now it's a pretty good time for me. It's kind of about 40 00:04:46,160 --> 00:04:53,360 the joy of it and also playing. I think that's where we as artists really get to like create in 41 00:04:53,360 --> 00:04:58,080 our own little world if we're not thinking about oh I have to make this for a customer or I have to 42 00:04:58,080 --> 00:05:03,760 make this for a book or I have to make it's for the joy of it that we get to create and that's 43 00:05:03,760 --> 00:05:09,520 where our best selves come forward. Do you agree with that? I absolutely agree with that. I feel 44 00:05:09,520 --> 00:05:16,000 like there are so many things in well I mean I crocheted because it was a hobby and I loved it 45 00:05:16,000 --> 00:05:20,160 and it was fun. I didn't start crocheting because I was like I'm gonna turn this into a career. 46 00:05:21,040 --> 00:05:27,680 So there are so many aspects about running a business especially when you're a solo entrepreneur 47 00:05:27,680 --> 00:05:32,960 that are not fun and they do kind of suck the life out of you but they're like necessary evils 48 00:05:32,960 --> 00:05:41,600 and I feel like there are still a lot of those things that I have to do but I've worked out 49 00:05:41,600 --> 00:05:47,920 my business in a way that if I am doing something that is related to my craft and I don't love it 50 00:05:47,920 --> 00:05:53,600 I really have to reconsider it. If I don't enjoy this how is someone else gonna enjoy this? Like 51 00:05:53,600 --> 00:05:59,360 if I'm kind of trudging through something then how am I gonna how am I selling joy to someone else? 52 00:05:59,360 --> 00:06:05,840 I'm not. So that really kind of guides me in terms of what I do where I am and how 53 00:06:07,120 --> 00:06:13,280 you know how I present things to the crochet world. Where are your books available because I 54 00:06:13,280 --> 00:06:19,600 know that you're famous but where are they? Tell us about that. I want to know. I seriously want 55 00:06:19,600 --> 00:06:27,200 to know because I've done books too and you know it's published on Amazon and tell me about your 56 00:06:27,200 --> 00:06:31,840 book journey because we're the same and I love that. So that's another little thing that we have 57 00:06:31,840 --> 00:06:39,440 as friends is that we both have really taken that leap which is not so easy. Seriously. No it's not. 58 00:06:39,440 --> 00:06:45,120 So I was self-published for a really long time and that was just on an individual level. I would 59 00:06:45,120 --> 00:06:54,160 write a pattern and publish it myself and then after doing that for quite some time I wanted to 60 00:06:54,160 --> 00:07:00,240 learn more and do more and I felt like getting a publisher could be a really good way to do that. 61 00:07:00,880 --> 00:07:07,120 So I do have a publisher. I've been with them for I think this is 10 years this year. 62 00:07:08,240 --> 00:07:15,200 What's your first publisher? Stackpole Books. And my books are available anywhere books are sold. 63 00:07:15,200 --> 00:07:22,400 So if you can if you're at your local Joann's or Michael's or Barnes & Noble or if you buy books 64 00:07:22,400 --> 00:07:28,880 online anywhere books are sold my books should be there and available too. Okay I saw one of the 65 00:07:28,880 --> 00:07:35,360 names of the books and it was so cute. It was like crochet love and is that your like I don't know 66 00:07:35,360 --> 00:07:42,320 what was it? Oh my tagline is peace love crochet. That's always I feel like when I'm you know that's 67 00:07:42,320 --> 00:07:47,360 just like my motto and it's like my sign-off it's something that I say yeah. That's so funny because 68 00:07:47,360 --> 00:07:55,120 mine is peace love and sugar. On every email that's my sign-off on every email everything I do 69 00:07:55,120 --> 00:08:01,600 peace love and sugar. So we have another thing that's three things. We have a lot in common. I know 70 00:08:02,720 --> 00:08:07,360 we've just met this is our first actual conversation but when I first heard you talk I was like I 71 00:08:08,000 --> 00:08:13,120 we need to connect so when you when you had this opportunity I was like I'm signing up right now. 72 00:08:13,120 --> 00:08:19,040 I'm so glad I'm so glad and not only that I'm just coveting that sweater that you've got on there 73 00:08:19,040 --> 00:08:26,720 just make it make it. It is full length and it has pockets. That's great and it has this pattern on 74 00:08:26,720 --> 00:08:31,600 the front and then. Oh nothing on the back but you could make a pattern for that you could you could 75 00:08:31,600 --> 00:08:37,920 do that right like that would. I totally that's totally that's different thing crochet though. 76 00:08:37,920 --> 00:08:46,400 It is yeah this is probably this is machine knit but there's so much about it that I really really 77 00:08:46,400 --> 00:08:51,680 like and sometimes I'll do that sometimes I'll see some kind of fashion and I'm not about to be like 78 00:08:51,680 --> 00:08:58,080 okay I'm gonna replicate this exactly but I'm like it is like this color's inspiration or wow I 79 00:08:58,080 --> 00:09:03,200 like this neckline I don't see that a lot or I like this kind of like bobble stitch going on. 80 00:09:03,200 --> 00:09:09,040 Is it a zipper on there? It's not it's just open front yeah. You know what I have now I have these 81 00:09:09,040 --> 00:09:15,680 really big gold safety pins they're big they're like you know and I love it for my sweaters 82 00:09:15,680 --> 00:09:22,080 like that so they don't flop open when I'm trying to like move around and they stay closed I got them 83 00:09:22,080 --> 00:09:27,360 on Amazon big gold safety pins. I'm gonna look that up because that's exactly my thing. Oh my god it 84 00:09:27,360 --> 00:09:32,320 was like I've been giving them I've been putting them in my packages when I mail when I you know 85 00:09:32,320 --> 00:09:37,520 sell something I've been saying here here's a little fun thing for you they don't know what to use it 86 00:09:37,520 --> 00:09:42,400 for but I do and I can think of a million things to use it for that definitely on the sweaters 87 00:09:42,400 --> 00:09:48,320 because I got big boobs and they're always flying open so. You need some protection yeah. If you need 88 00:09:48,320 --> 00:09:54,000 me to send you one I will. Oh that's so kind of you I actually I made myself a note I'm gonna go 89 00:09:54,000 --> 00:09:59,200 look that up. Yeah well if you can't find it please circle back that's easy. Tell me about your Instagram 90 00:09:59,200 --> 00:10:09,600 and how is being a content creator kind of changed you as an artist. Yeah so it's interesting that 91 00:10:09,600 --> 00:10:15,040 you bring that up so another reason I joined the craft industry alliance is that they're doing a 92 00:10:15,040 --> 00:10:19,440 mastermind right now for social media and I was like I'm gonna that's what that's where I want to 93 00:10:19,440 --> 00:10:24,320 be I want to sign up for that um and we just had our first meeting today so we had this hour long 94 00:10:24,320 --> 00:10:32,160 meeting about social media and where we've been and what we want to do and I actually cannot 95 00:10:32,160 --> 00:10:40,240 stand Instagram it is my least favorite place to be I was on it 20 years ago not 20 probably like 96 00:10:40,240 --> 00:10:46,560 16 years ago when I first started and I never felt like I fit in or I belonged it never felt 97 00:10:46,560 --> 00:10:52,960 authentic I always felt like I had to fit this mold so I will say that do I have a presence on 98 00:10:52,960 --> 00:10:59,840 Instagram yeah but I it like just hurts my feelings to even be there so in terms of social media 99 00:11:01,040 --> 00:11:08,160 my favorite place to be is my very own Facebook groups and I have a group for American crochet 100 00:11:08,160 --> 00:11:14,800 association and Selena Baca crochet and what I love about creating content specifically for those 101 00:11:14,800 --> 00:11:21,440 groups is that I do have something really specific that I want to share and it's shared with people 102 00:11:21,440 --> 00:11:28,240 who take courses from me who follow my patterns so I really love having a space where they can 103 00:11:28,800 --> 00:11:37,360 ask me questions they can um share what they've done and that way we're all in this community 104 00:11:37,360 --> 00:11:43,760 group together and it's not just me with a megaphone posting pretty pictures it's all of us doing 105 00:11:43,760 --> 00:11:50,400 something with a common goal in mind I love that so make sure that you give me the links to both of 106 00:11:50,400 --> 00:11:57,200 those so that everybody who's listening right now can follow her in on Facebook and they'll be posted 107 00:11:57,200 --> 00:12:04,320 below now I started my mastermind group too with a nest which is the Tory Burch group which kind of 108 00:12:04,320 --> 00:12:10,480 we just kind of started but it really is about these groups that we're forming that we're doing 109 00:12:10,480 --> 00:12:16,400 online with other people they really are about accountability too because you're going to go oh 110 00:12:16,400 --> 00:12:22,240 I I mean I really believe that you and I together we have two great brains but we're making one 111 00:12:22,240 --> 00:12:28,640 really good brain and that we're working in synergy here and that is what the mastermind groups are 112 00:12:29,360 --> 00:12:36,400 so mastermining is really important and I really believe in it and the people that are in my master 113 00:12:36,400 --> 00:12:41,440 brain group you know they're really they're really helping and I know another friend we're all part 114 00:12:41,440 --> 00:12:48,080 of this huge circle but she actually pays for a mentor a lot of money every week to hold her 115 00:12:48,080 --> 00:12:53,840 accountable I'm like and she's gone really far I've really watched her zoom forward like it has 116 00:12:53,840 --> 00:12:58,800 made a difference but it does make a difference if you have the ability to talk to people and 117 00:12:58,800 --> 00:13:03,760 work out things or just be inspired and learn like one hour a week yeah it's easier than watching a 118 00:13:03,760 --> 00:13:09,680 YouTube so yeah if you ever have any questions you should come to me and I'll help you if there's 119 00:13:09,680 --> 00:13:14,320 anything in your mastermind group you're like what is this like because I got social media down like 120 00:13:15,360 --> 00:13:20,400 oh so what else are you doing so are you going to go to h&h is that one of your shows or like 121 00:13:20,400 --> 00:13:27,520 where do you sell your products besides Facebook anywhere tell me about that process yeah so Facebook 122 00:13:27,520 --> 00:13:34,720 is more so it's a community cultivation it's where I can get people to know like and trust me 123 00:13:34,720 --> 00:13:40,560 um it you know I I consider my Facebook group kind of like inviting people into my living room 124 00:13:41,280 --> 00:13:48,000 so I just kind of host it with with that in mind I love that people can come in and they're not 125 00:13:48,000 --> 00:13:54,000 just a number it's not just like a you know account it's you know it's actual conversation so that's 126 00:13:54,000 --> 00:14:02,000 that's what I like most about that um h&h I went the first year and I was a speaker I had a few 127 00:14:02,000 --> 00:14:07,040 different speaking events there really loved enjoyed the experience met up with people that I've 128 00:14:07,040 --> 00:14:11,600 known in the industry for a really long time and made some new connections that's always great I 129 00:14:11,600 --> 00:14:16,640 didn't feel like it was something that I could do every year and now this is what the fifth year that 130 00:14:16,640 --> 00:14:23,280 they've been around and I'm not planning on going this year but I think that that's going to change 131 00:14:23,280 --> 00:14:30,480 because my goal is again like I just want to assure crochet has passed through the generations 132 00:14:30,480 --> 00:14:36,160 in better hands than we found it and I'm not the best or the greatest or the smartest um 133 00:14:36,880 --> 00:14:45,680 but it's really fun to share my perspective and what I've created with people um what do I sell 134 00:14:45,680 --> 00:14:50,880 I don't sell tangible think well outside my my publisher sells my books so that's really nice 135 00:14:50,880 --> 00:14:58,160 anywhere books are sold but everything else that I do is e-commerce so I do have online courses so 136 00:14:58,160 --> 00:15:02,720 anything that you want to learn in the crochet world I've created a course at the American 137 00:15:02,720 --> 00:15:07,760 Crochet Association that way you can you can learn you can build your skills you can earn a 138 00:15:07,760 --> 00:15:12,880 certificate to teach crochet you can build a crochet business you can write patterns 139 00:15:13,440 --> 00:15:20,320 everything that I've learned I've put it together uh and then you just kind of thumbs up from the 140 00:15:20,320 --> 00:15:26,400 computer it doesn't do that when it thinks you're doing that like is it one of those kind of things 141 00:15:26,400 --> 00:15:35,600 like it's crazy that's crazy so um so they go on the American crochet association because long name 142 00:15:35,600 --> 00:15:41,440 amazing results okay okay well that's good that's good have you thought about selling them on etsy 143 00:15:41,440 --> 00:15:48,080 or anywhere else like how's that yeah so I do sell my patterns on etsy and then I do have some 144 00:15:48,080 --> 00:15:55,040 templates that I sell on etsy um etsy is not one of my favorite places I feel like 145 00:15:55,040 --> 00:16:02,640 uh I haven't quite figured out how to scale my enterprise there so I have a presence there um 146 00:16:02,640 --> 00:16:09,280 but I find that I really just am laser focused on what works really well instead of having an 147 00:16:09,280 --> 00:16:15,200 omnipresence you know I have platforms everywhere but where do I spend my time and check in every day 148 00:16:15,200 --> 00:16:21,440 it's really just my Facebook group my community okay well I I think that is I think that's really 149 00:16:21,440 --> 00:16:29,520 great for people to see because it is really easy to spread yourself thin and not have that it takes 150 00:16:29,520 --> 00:16:36,080 up so much time like it sucks your time all of these yeah we're creating this free content for 151 00:16:36,080 --> 00:16:44,000 these mega corporations yeah everybody engaged and it can be quite a bore and a chore so I'm glad 152 00:16:44,000 --> 00:16:49,440 that you have those people on the interaction is is really an important part of the feedback 153 00:16:49,440 --> 00:16:56,480 that you're getting on how you move forward right yes yeah that's right what's coming up 154 00:16:56,480 --> 00:17:01,760 soon for you like what's the next thing on here besides okay you got a mastermind group and you're 155 00:17:01,760 --> 00:17:12,800 in your Facebook group and you're creating things for your books came us oh I have a corgi healer 156 00:17:12,800 --> 00:17:17,360 who has a lot of opinions especially while I'm chatting uh it's probably who you hear in the 157 00:17:17,360 --> 00:17:26,960 background oh is it a boy or a girl boy his name is goose goose duck duck goose I got you hi goose 158 00:17:27,760 --> 00:17:34,720 hey goose I missed you dog oh I love him he's great he's he's my buddy he's my my co-worker 159 00:17:34,720 --> 00:17:41,120 is he wearing little sweaters you name him he will not allow any kind of clothing he absolutely 160 00:17:41,120 --> 00:17:49,760 protest yeah no hats no booty no hats no booties no sweaters no he is not that kind of man 161 00:17:51,680 --> 00:17:56,560 okay my husband won't wear my jewelry it's the same thing like seriously what's up with that I know 162 00:17:56,560 --> 00:18:02,080 my husband's allergic to crochet he's not but he's like I can't it's too hot I can't wear that now 163 00:18:02,080 --> 00:18:10,880 do you teach anywhere like locally where you are I do I volunteer locally uh so I've got a great local 164 00:18:10,880 --> 00:18:15,600 yarn shop here and they have a fantastic community space what's the name give me a shout out let's hear 165 00:18:15,600 --> 00:18:23,840 them fancy work yarn shop here in Bend Oregon uh I've met some fantastic people there we meet every 166 00:18:23,840 --> 00:18:30,160 single week for the past year we've been meeting every Thursday from one to three and it's free I 167 00:18:30,160 --> 00:18:34,640 just volunteer my time if people come with questions you know I'll kind of help them through things 168 00:18:34,640 --> 00:18:40,320 but really it's just we get together and it's crochet fashion food friendship it's it's all of 169 00:18:40,320 --> 00:18:46,320 those things it's great and and maybe some day drinking sometimes sometimes well we usually like 170 00:18:46,320 --> 00:18:51,360 sometimes afterwards we'll go get dinner we'll go get like a little happy hour so yeah of course 171 00:18:51,360 --> 00:18:56,800 because that is that is nice and it also it's supporting that whole your whole community there 172 00:18:56,800 --> 00:19:02,080 because yes you're in Bend I don't know how big how big Bend is how big it's big yeah it's a big 173 00:19:02,080 --> 00:19:09,920 little city oh okay now I have to say that I grew up on my grandmother's knee like learning how to 174 00:19:09,920 --> 00:19:17,840 crochet and not knit but she did tatting or whatever and that really took me an embroidery 175 00:19:17,840 --> 00:19:24,720 and that really took me in as an adult later I had some little bit of wire and some bees and I kind 176 00:19:24,720 --> 00:19:30,960 of you know rethought about all that she taught me and I loved my grandmother so my first book 177 00:19:30,960 --> 00:19:37,200 is dedicated to her because that was really the basis of starting jewelry for me so it's it has 178 00:19:37,200 --> 00:19:42,960 such long legacy when we're teaching children you never know how it's going to come out how do you 179 00:19:42,960 --> 00:19:49,040 feel about teaching children like or young people because it keeps their hands busy which is a really 180 00:19:49,040 --> 00:19:57,440 and it's a really great skill to learn yeah I think I think absolutely I mean I learned how to 181 00:19:57,440 --> 00:20:05,280 crochet when I was five years old and it was just something that stuck with me and the reason 182 00:20:05,280 --> 00:20:12,880 I am even you know neck deep in this business now the reason my my driving force is to assure 183 00:20:12,880 --> 00:20:18,640 crochet is passed through the generations in better hands than we found it is that in crochet 184 00:20:18,640 --> 00:20:23,520 and I imagine this is true for a lot of different you know skills that are passed you know from one 185 00:20:23,520 --> 00:20:31,200 person to another we're taught the way we were taught which isn't always a great foundation 186 00:20:31,200 --> 00:20:38,080 you're not always passing along all the pieces or the terminology or the verbiage and so I think that 187 00:20:38,080 --> 00:20:44,960 anyone who wants to learn crochet no matter what their age is I want to make sure that they can learn 188 00:20:44,960 --> 00:20:50,000 or they have someone who can teach them that will give them the best foundation possible 189 00:20:50,000 --> 00:20:55,040 I don't ever want anyone to walk into crochet have a lesson and go well this is just way too 190 00:20:55,040 --> 00:21:02,160 hard I can't do this I don't ever want that to happen Elizabeth in our group and I'm not going 191 00:21:02,160 --> 00:21:09,360 to say her name right right because I'm terrible with names but it starts with an O she has she was 192 00:21:09,360 --> 00:21:14,800 in Africa and I would love for you to meet her she's a lovely person I've had her on my podcast 193 00:21:15,520 --> 00:21:24,160 and she has a quest to teach 20,000 children in Africa so that they can have a skill keep 194 00:21:24,160 --> 00:21:29,840 busy with their hands and it's not an expensive hobby or business and they can make things you 195 00:21:29,840 --> 00:21:36,000 know little hats and whatever it does get cold there at night so um so that she and she's like 196 00:21:36,000 --> 00:21:41,840 traveling all over Africa and I think if you had any extra yarn don't ever throw it away because um 197 00:21:41,840 --> 00:21:47,680 oh I would never yeah I know you're never I would never throw a D away I would dig that B I 198 00:21:47,680 --> 00:21:55,840 was a bead it was a B it was a B it was a B it was a swarski crystal bead I must have picked it up 199 00:21:55,840 --> 00:22:00,720 out at my hand and thought don't let this go away and then there it was I'm like okay we're gonna 200 00:22:00,720 --> 00:22:05,360 put that back on the table because on the hot exactly but it's the same thing with yarn right 201 00:22:05,360 --> 00:22:11,600 like every little it's the mark of the maker right I think it it you know it's a good way to weed out 202 00:22:11,600 --> 00:22:18,640 you know the non-believers if they don't if they don't keep all their little scraps and they are 203 00:22:18,640 --> 00:22:24,320 not a good are they really a crocheter if they don't hoard yarn like I don't think they're an artist 204 00:22:24,320 --> 00:22:28,400 I don't think I don't think they have any reason to be crocheting I give that yarn back to me 205 00:22:28,960 --> 00:22:34,720 exactly exactly I also have other people that I've interviewed from our podcast from our group 206 00:22:34,720 --> 00:22:42,240 CIA which make yarn and that's a fascinating process tell me about what yarn do you use 207 00:22:43,520 --> 00:22:52,400 yeah so I like to for my own personal what what I do with my craft I love any kind of yarn I know 208 00:22:52,400 --> 00:22:58,240 some people have very specific interests like I only use wool or natural fibers or you know I don't 209 00:22:58,240 --> 00:23:05,600 use acrylic I really like to use all different kinds all weights from all backgrounds whenever I am 210 00:23:05,600 --> 00:23:11,920 writing patterns for books and because these books are available anywhere books are sold 211 00:23:11,920 --> 00:23:17,440 I want to make sure that when people pick up one of my books that they can find these yarns whenever 212 00:23:17,440 --> 00:23:24,000 they go to a place where they buy yarn so lately I've really only been working with commercial 213 00:23:24,000 --> 00:23:30,480 yarn companies where if you do walk into any kind of local store uh Joanne's Michael's 214 00:23:31,040 --> 00:23:35,840 Walmart Hobby Lobby you're probably going to see one of those yarns on the shelf so it just 215 00:23:35,840 --> 00:23:43,920 feels so much more accessible to you that's very important and we have somebody in our group that 216 00:23:43,920 --> 00:23:52,720 only uses yarn from one breed of sheep like just that yes very specific location within her 50 217 00:23:52,720 --> 00:23:59,680 mile range she only like wow that's really interesting yeah so we're good we're good so I get that like 218 00:23:59,680 --> 00:24:05,920 there's a you know there's a whole need for that to have all different kinds of people using all 219 00:24:05,920 --> 00:24:12,720 different kinds of yarn what are you working on right now I'm working on my next book I do a couple 220 00:24:12,720 --> 00:24:19,200 a year with my publisher so I'm really I feel like we've had a good process for for producing things 221 00:24:19,200 --> 00:24:25,760 um my next book I don't think I could really tell you about it that much right now but 222 00:24:25,760 --> 00:24:29,680 here are the things right here so you could at least see some of the colors that I'm using 223 00:24:31,200 --> 00:24:39,200 yeah so so I am almost finished with that book and then I have two more books I'm going to be 224 00:24:39,200 --> 00:24:43,680 doing this year so this year is a little little hectic I'm doing three books are you doing all 225 00:24:43,680 --> 00:24:51,520 your own photography and writing up all the steps yourself I do so my publisher allows me a lot of 226 00:24:51,520 --> 00:24:59,360 creative input so I make all of my own samples I write all of my own patterns I have all of them 227 00:24:59,360 --> 00:25:03,920 proofed and tech edited on my end of course they have a professional process as well but before it 228 00:25:03,920 --> 00:25:09,360 even gets to them I want to make sure that it's as good as it can be and then I can pick my own 229 00:25:09,360 --> 00:25:15,200 photographers so I've used a few different ones in the past just based on availability and then 230 00:25:15,200 --> 00:25:22,400 I've even kind of taken some pictures myself although I'm not very good at it but I did 231 00:25:22,400 --> 00:25:29,360 a little bit in the past so yeah I really love that I can have uh that much input in the entire 232 00:25:29,360 --> 00:25:35,440 process of of every book that I put out I agree I took all the photos from my book and do you find 233 00:25:35,440 --> 00:25:43,120 it your first book to now how much you've improved can you feel that every single thing that I do is 234 00:25:43,120 --> 00:25:49,600 an improvement from the last every single thing I was just writing a pattern like I've written I have 235 00:25:50,320 --> 00:25:59,600 published almost 500 patterns in my career so I'm saying that to say that I was just writing a pattern 236 00:25:59,600 --> 00:26:06,160 for this next book and it occurred to me to do something different that I'd never done before 237 00:26:06,160 --> 00:26:12,880 I'd never even considered doing before and it was such a simple thing that I was like oh so yes I 238 00:26:12,880 --> 00:26:18,960 am always learning and growing and whatever I do today of course it can be better tomorrow but all 239 00:26:18,960 --> 00:26:26,000 I can do is the best today yeah I look back on it on writing my first book I would get up at like 240 00:26:26,000 --> 00:26:31,200 five in the morning and work I had a day job and then I would take the take the stuff there and on 241 00:26:31,200 --> 00:26:35,360 my lunch break take the pictures and then run home and then we'll do some more and then do some more 242 00:26:35,360 --> 00:26:41,360 and you know like it was just uh it was a fun happy creative time like I wish that somebody would 243 00:26:41,360 --> 00:26:46,400 have put the brakes on me a little bit more and said wait a second like what are you making here 244 00:26:46,400 --> 00:26:51,680 like this is I was just rolling with it I'm like so good I thought they would like cut some stuff 245 00:26:51,680 --> 00:26:58,320 but they didn't so I was like oh okay well I guess I kind of I went down a rabbit hole but it was fun 246 00:26:58,320 --> 00:27:04,960 and then I did another book and blah blah but you know it's like I don't work so I it is I understand 247 00:27:05,600 --> 00:27:12,960 you know from my limited experience uh how how much work it is to create a book but it is your legacy 248 00:27:13,680 --> 00:27:18,720 so yes I think that will be you know there with you at all times and it does give you 249 00:27:18,720 --> 00:27:26,640 yeah that's social uh credibility just totally because you're an author like seriously like 250 00:27:26,640 --> 00:27:35,840 don't you feel I think I think that you're right and I will say even though I have published a lot 251 00:27:35,840 --> 00:27:42,640 of books I really put so much time and effort and I work with not only my own community but with my 252 00:27:42,640 --> 00:27:49,520 publisher about what could be perceived as valuable I I don't ever want to just produce something just 253 00:27:49,520 --> 00:27:55,520 to produce it I don't ever want to have quantity over quality so another thing that I really enjoy 254 00:27:55,520 --> 00:28:00,560 about the books that I produce is that yeah I want people to see oh Selina's an author and here's what 255 00:28:00,560 --> 00:28:06,160 she's done but I love that you can put anything that I do under a microscope and I hope that there's 256 00:28:06,160 --> 00:28:13,120 some value and some sort of teaching element that will excite you and make you want to learn crochet 257 00:28:13,120 --> 00:28:20,080 or will give you something that makes you feel like you have a craft that brings joy to your life so 258 00:28:21,920 --> 00:28:28,880 yeah you're always learning something I bet too yeah oh yeah absolutely and I I love to have that 259 00:28:28,880 --> 00:28:35,680 mindset um I love to have the mindset of I'm the leader of the learners in my space we're all learning 260 00:28:35,680 --> 00:28:41,920 together and maybe I love that pass it on to you that's a great way to say it yeah I love to sit well 261 00:28:41,920 --> 00:28:48,960 so many people and no shade but it's just not my mindset so many people say oh I'm an expert and I 262 00:28:50,000 --> 00:28:54,960 whether or not I believe that about myself that that doesn't really connect or resonate with me I'd 263 00:28:54,960 --> 00:29:00,400 rather just always feel like there's always something I can learn and because this is my profession 264 00:29:00,400 --> 00:29:07,600 I have the time to learn things that if you want to do what I'm doing I'll show you what worked best for me 265 00:29:08,560 --> 00:29:14,960 so when you are meeting someone for the very first time what how do you introduce yourself what do 266 00:29:14,960 --> 00:29:20,240 you say to these people who you are because I bet they ask and they're like what I don't do what 267 00:29:21,440 --> 00:29:29,360 I you know I see all of this is my job but I look at it as like it's there's not a separation 268 00:29:29,360 --> 00:29:35,280 it is who I am like I am a crocheter so a lot of times I just tell people that oh yeah I have my own 269 00:29:35,280 --> 00:29:40,720 business oh what do you do oh I crochet and if they're interested and they want to know more 270 00:29:40,720 --> 00:29:46,160 I'll let them lead I never just pitch and say oh this is who I am and this is what I do and here's my 271 00:29:46,160 --> 00:29:53,120 resume so I always start with I I'm an entrepreneur and if they're interested and they want to 272 00:29:53,120 --> 00:29:58,960 hear more then I'll give them all kind of you know answer that specific question but I find it 273 00:29:58,960 --> 00:30:06,960 very few people you know ask me more questions beyond that so I'll tell people exactly what they 274 00:30:06,960 --> 00:30:12,640 want to know I guess is what I'm what I'm trying to say you're hiding it I think that you should like 275 00:30:12,640 --> 00:30:21,680 say I'm a professional crocheter like no really I could drop like bam like here you go because 276 00:30:21,680 --> 00:30:27,120 I think that it's interesting but I don't think it's the most interesting thing about myself 277 00:30:27,120 --> 00:30:33,360 I'm actually far more interested in other people um I'm far more interested in what other people 278 00:30:33,360 --> 00:30:38,960 like and what they do and so I think typically whenever I meet somebody new it's much more about 279 00:30:38,960 --> 00:30:44,240 me getting to know them and if they're really very interested in getting to know me then 280 00:30:44,800 --> 00:30:51,360 then yeah well we'll have that conversation but I will allow other people to lead it well this has 281 00:30:51,360 --> 00:30:56,640 been a really great time with you today and I'm so glad that you've been on my podcast and thank you 282 00:30:56,640 --> 00:31:05,200 for coming to me and being my new friend forever and I just so mean that like I am Selena I am not 283 00:31:05,200 --> 00:31:13,520 being like verbose it's like forever if you're just like oh I need to like chat pick up the phone girl 284 00:31:13,520 --> 00:31:19,680 I I never want anybody to cry alone or not think that we're not somebody's not here for them you're 285 00:31:19,680 --> 00:31:23,120 in the car and you're like oh I got this really good news and I'll have anybody share it with 286 00:31:23,120 --> 00:31:30,800 because sometimes I don't even my husband he's like I hear it I'm like okay okay I understand 287 00:31:30,800 --> 00:31:36,960 you're overdone today because he comes home exhausted so yeah I don't have that so please know that 288 00:31:36,960 --> 00:31:42,480 and I'm so glad that you've been on my podcast today and I hope that other people will follow you 289 00:31:42,480 --> 00:31:49,360 on Facebook and buy your books and support you in every way possible and we want to know that we're 290 00:31:49,360 --> 00:31:55,120 really proud of you and that you're doing a great job as an artist and please know that so 291 00:31:56,080 --> 00:32:02,880 we're friends forever Selena and thank you oh that's lovely yeah it's for sure so our time 292 00:32:02,880 --> 00:32:08,400 is winding up and I don't want to be cut off at the last second but you have one more thing to say 293 00:32:08,400 --> 00:32:15,040 anything you want to say to your peeps out there I just want to say that crochet has been such a 294 00:32:15,040 --> 00:32:21,520 joy in my life and I really love connecting with people and if that speaks to you then come and 295 00:32:21,520 --> 00:32:28,400 follow along it's all about joy like that's every day needs to all be about joy so thank you very 296 00:32:28,400 --> 00:32:35,200 much this has been Selena Baca and she is a extraordinary crochet or you can find her books 297 00:32:35,200 --> 00:32:40,160 anywhere books her soul just look for her name the links will be down below and thank you for 298 00:32:40,160 --> 00:32:46,560 listening to our podcast jewelry is your side hustle with sugar gay is for and it's great and growth 299 00:32:46,560 --> 00:32:52,000 today so we're gonna like really grow with you today and we're so happy you're here thank you so 300 00:32:52,000 --> 00:33:10,160 much for sharing this time with me and hallelujah we got it done