Today we’d like to introduce you to Maria Ahmad.
Maria, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Growing up, I’ve always loved to draw and craft. I got my artistic ability from my mother’s side of the family— my uncle was an artist/graphic designer and I really looked up to him. When I was diagnosed with depression, being creative gave me an outlet, something to live for, and a way to keep my hands and mind busy. Since then, making art has been my way to cope with overwhelming or stressful situations.
It wasn’t until my second year of college, which was 2018, when I decided to start an Etsy shop and call it MarsBarsArt (“Mars bars” being a nickname my close friend gave me; I’m not a fan of the candy!). I started off selling acrylic paintings, which did not sell very well, as I wasn’t very experienced with paints. I decided to experiment with melted crayon paintings, which were a hit. Later on, I expanded MarsBarsArt with decoupaged items, masquerade masks, and origami jewelry.
The mediums I’ve used in my creations throughout the years range from gold leaf, newspaper, magazines, melted crayons, broken glass, colored pencils, scrapbook for paper, acrylic paint, wood, napkin, cardboard, duct tape, yarn, and found items. I’m not sure if that’s even the complete list!
It took me months of joining Etsy groups on Facebook, attending my first craft show, and most of my paychecks investing in art supplies and resources to be where I am today. I’m not completely satisfied with where I am right now, but I’m proud of how far I’ve come along. I’ve sold over 100 of my items, expanded my skills and knowledge of various arts, and gained perseverance to improve MarsBarsArt .
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Balancing college, work, and an Etsy shop is hard work, and a challenge I did not foresee. One of my obstacles was a lack of experience and prior knowledge. I was an inexperienced college student who didn’t know anything about running an online business, marketing, SEO, or even shipping. All I knew how to do was creating my products. But creating isn’t everything; I had to learn how to be seen, how to manage my social media to attract an audience, and many more things. I’ve made mistakes (never do anything free for “exposure”!) and learned from them. I’ve had to test the waters so many times that I’ve lost count. From time to time, I get discouraged about not seeing satisfactory results from my hard work. But then I remember to try even harder during the times I feel like giving up. It always pays off later on.
Another challenge was limiting my items to a select few instead of having a large variety. To me, MarsBarsArt isn’t just an art business— it’s a reflection on my journey of exploring my creativity and showing people that as an artist, you aren’t limited to one medium or focus. I wanted MarsBarsArt to be as free-spirited as I am as a person.Nevertheless, I don’t limit the kinds of products I make and sell, because as a creator, selling isn’t always the point. (But I’m a student and the extra money is always handy!)
We’d love to hear more about MarsBarsArt.
As the owner of MarsBarsArt, I make it a point to regularly go beyond my comfort zone to discover new things to create. Currently, I sell decoupaged magnets, origami jewelry, and original paintings. I’m experimenting with alcohol inks, decoupaged bottles and boxes, and masquerade masks. I’m hoping to perfect my products and introduce them into my shop sometime soon.
I think what sets me apart from other companies is that I don’t have a particular structure or a single kind of product. I create according to my moods, using whatever I have at hand. Some may call this being “disorganized”, but each to their own. My items vary greatly from each other and though I strive to maintain consistency, no two wares are identical. Additionally, I like to post some of my creations on social media that are not for sale, but show my audience what I’m capable of doing.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I’ll start with the good— I have the most amazing sister and best friends ever. I’m not sure what exactly I’ve done to deserve them, but they have done so much I can’t thank them enough for. From helping me set up at my craft show, to supporting MarsBarsArt by buying from me and sharing on social media, to encouraging me that everything will work out in the end. My sister is the one who takes 75% of the photography in my Etsy shop. I can safely say that MarsBarsArt wouldn’t be what it is today without the support and love of my friends and sister.
Also, a gift shop from New York reached out to me to buy my magnets wholesale, and now resales them in their shop! This was a big step forward for me, and ever since, I’ve been reaching out to gift shops for vendoring opportunities.
The bad luck is— I’m horrible with money and tend to buy more supplies than I know what to do with! Recently, I had to part ways with my precious stash of scrapbook paper, simply because I ran out of ideas on what to do with it all! Additionally, I have abandoned paints, brushes, and canvases lying all over my closet, waiting for the day I find some use for them. I also tend to be forgetful and misplace items, causing me to delay certain projects or impulsively buy replacement items from Amazon.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.etsy.com/shop/MarsBarsArt
- Phone: 4043959406
- Email: maria.s.ahmad77@gmail.com
- Instagram: Www.instagram.com/mars.bars.art
- Other: Www.pinterest.com/mars.bars.art
Image Credit:
Amina Ahmad
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