Today we’d like to introduce you to Whitney Gallina.
Hi Whitney, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
I’ve always loved art since I was very young. I was always drawing and thinking of stories in my head. I knew I never wanted to do anything except make art. When I was twelve, I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, and over time the disease crippled my dominant hand. Drawing became more difficult, and I soon stopped drawing entirely. Eventually, when I went to college, I found a new love for theater. It was something fun I could do despite my disability, but as I got older, I had to focus on work. I told myself that was okay, and that’s just a part of growing up, but I still felt if I just had the time, I would make art again, even if it was hard for me. When Covid first started in 2020, I was working at Starbucks. We were given the option to keep working with hazard pay or take 3 months off with pay. I chose to take 3 months off. During that time, I realized I finally had time to make art again, but I just couldn’t bring myself to draw. It didn’t feel fun to me anymore. One day, while browsing YouTube a video was recommended to me. The video was a tutorial on how to make polymer clay pins. It looked so fun to me, and I loved pins so I thought I could make a few for myself. I bought everything I needed and for the first time since I was a kid, I felt exactly how I used to when I would sit at my desk all day drawing. I made myself little pins, earrings, trinket trays, and more. When my friends showed interest in buying my clay creations, I opened up my own Etsy store. In the short time I’ve been selling my creations, my shop has grown so much. I’ve moved from Etsy and now sell my work on bigcartel, at craft markets around San Diego, and I even have earrings available inside of Verbatim Books in North Park. Creating with polymer clay has brought me so much joy, and even if it is hard sometimes with my disability, I will never stop trying to improve and make things that bring joy to me.
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?
In the beginning, things were amazing. My shop grew very fast, and so did my following on social media. When my shop started, people were staying home because of Covid, and they had extra spending money. Now, with grocery and gas prices increasing, I find that people don’t have as much disposable income as they used to, so it’s harder to support small businesses. I’ve also had to learn to adapt to social media algorithms, which can be very confusing.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about PudgyMade?
Everything I sell is handmade with polymer clay! I make earrings, pins, incense holders, compact mirrors, and much more. Right now, I’m focusing on miniature food. I love creating realistic mini-foods that you can wear! I also love turning compact mirrors into food. I’m planning on opening up custom compact mirrors soon, and I also do custom earrings. I’m very proud of my brand because I feel as though everything about my work is very bright, colorful, and happy. I love smiley faces and rainbows, and I think that shows in my work. I want my brand to feel almost childish. When I was a kid, the world felt a lot brighter, and even colors seemed more vibrant. I just want my work to feel like that.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
My biggest lesson I’ve learned is to not compare myself to others. I’m completely self-taught, so it’s easy to compare myself to people who have studied art. There are a lot of times when I feel like giving up, but I am lucky to have a boyfriend who always encourages me to keep going. I’ve had to learn to look at other people’s work as inspiration and stop comparing it to what I create. I’ve also learned to occasionally revisit old pictures of work I created as a beginner and compare that to what I make now. Instead of feeling bad that I’m not where I want to be, I feel happy that I’ve grown so much.
Pricing:
- Compact mirrors-$50
- Earrings- $15-$40
- Pins-$10-$12
- Incense holders-$40-$50
Contact Info:
- Website: Pudgymade.bigcartel.com
- Instagram: PudgyMade
- Twitter: PudgyMade
