As the busy school year continues, CSUN senior Veronica Gutierrez finds time between her packed schedule to create and sell art.
Gutierrez started her business, Artsy Creations, in 2022. She sells crochet plushies, canvas paintings, hand-painted earrings and more, opening her business to broad creativity.
“I started crocheting a little earlier because there was like the trending bees and all that after COVID-19,” Gutierrez said.
She used to sell jewelry alongside her mother at different events, which allowed her to develop an entrepreneurial attitude. After gaining experience, she began selling her work.
“I started making stuff, and I had made so much of it, and I was like ‘Why don’t I just try selling it, like, what’s the worst that can happen?’” Gutierrez said. “Now I’m getting a ton of custom orders and getting to do fun events and meeting amazing people.”
According to Gutierrez, she faces challenges, such as the added stress of balancing being a full-time student while hustling a small business.
“I’m kind of a people pleaser, so it’s like, if somebody asks me for a custom, I’ll wanna do it, but then sometimes I don’t have time to do it, so I’ll kinda overbook myself,” Gutierrez said. “It’ll stress me out a little bit, but I’ll always manage to get it done.”
The best part of owning a small business for Gutierrez is sharing her work with the world and making others smile.
“Honestly, it’s just been getting to make people smile. That’s kinda one of my big goals,” Gutierrez said. “If somebody comes up to my table and looks at one of my buttons or paintings or plushies, even if they don’t buy anything, if it just makes them happy, that’s all that matters to me.”
Gutierrez wants to convey that “have fun crafting and creating.” She posts YouTube tutorials of her artwork to inspire others to create their own.
“I want to make art accessible. I want to go into art education, so accessibility and art is a big thing for me, and so I do a lot of stuff like that just to be able to teach people different things,” Gutierrez said.
