How did I start? Treelilys’ Mission & Value
TreeLilys’ Start
TreeLilys INC was founded in March 2020 when I, an unemployed waitress and three months pregnant during the COVID pandemic, shut myself into my home art studio and ripped apart magazines while the world split at the seams. Change is at the very core of hand-cut collage and change is what inspired me to pursue art professionally. This artistic vision has grown to become a traveling pop up small business centered in Nashville, TN.
I never sought out to make a living doing collage art. I feel like I was pushed out of an airplane with everything I needed to build a parachute. I’m grateful I didn’t hit the ground. Bringing life into this world during a global pandemic was terrifying. I quarantined in my house and barely saw anyone. It was not ideal.
In May 2020, between Animal Crossing sessions and bouts of sheer panic sprinkled with existential dread, I put together a website using Squarespace to showcase my hobby of collage art. People started buying prints. This honestly shocked me.
September 11th 2020, I gave birth to my son and entered the arena of motherhood. When he was around six months old, I did my first pop up. I made $300. This was more than I would make at my old job! This is when I started really pursuing this as my career. I have done over 100 pop up events to date.
My mission
I believe art is a human right and shopping small should be accessible to all. My mission is to inspire the consumer community at large to “Shop Small, Use Big Bills”. At the same time, I believe in community over competition and wish to inspire other artists and small businesses.
My values
“Making a living” implies earning your right to live on this Earth. You are valuable by virtue of birth. Success and failure are social constructs. Thank you for being part of this growing small business community. I value what you have to contribute to this world.
