Today we’d like to introduce you to Joy Woodson.
Hi Joy, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
When the pandemic first started, my anxiety peaked. The first time I tried to go to a grocery store, I had a panic attack in the parking lot. So, for the most part, I stayed home. I ran a lot in my neighborhood, and I also did a lot of puzzles. Tons and tons of puzzles.
Both were a welcome break from the pandemic and social unrest, giving me something else to focus on — and see progress. But I wanted to do puzzles that celebrated my culture, my people. Images of dogs and doughnuts abound, but they didn’t speak to me.
So I looked for puzzles that represented me, and I discovered that black and brown faces were largely void as art or artists across the puzzle industry. But it is a $2 billion industry, how can that be?
For centuries, artists of color have helped shape the visual culture in the U.S. and across the world. But these artists have not been aptly recognized for their talents nor contributions. Major galleries continue to give artists of color short shrift.
We’ve come far, but not far enough.
I set out to create a company to help change that. Our jigsaw puzzle company Piece Love Soul works exclusively with women of color who are emerging artists. Creating a puzzle business makes their art accessible to all, transforming anyone into an art collector.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I’m a reluctant entrepreneur. Despite getting an MBA from Georgia State, I never planned to start my own company. Why? A 9-5 just seemed more manageable, honestly. Some people just have that indomitable entrepreneurial spirit. And I had convinced myself that was not me.
And then something bothered me enough to do something about it — myself.
For me, the biggest challenge wasn’t the start-up capital, though it wasn’t cheap. It wasn’t even finding a manufacturer. That turned out to be among the easier things I did. One of my biggest challenges was getting artists to return my emails and persuading them to work with me.
When you jump off a cliff, as entrepreneurs do, and start figuring things out on the way down, it’s hard to convince people that you’re not being reckless and that they should take a chance on you.
I looked at Instagram accounts, I scoured artist websites, I viewed art galleries online, I researched college arts programs, and I contacted artist after artist after artist. After months of effort, I finally had a good core of women artists to work with.
The second biggest challenge was ignoring naysayers, mainly knowing who to talk to about my idea. Naysayers always seem to have a lot to say, so you cannot tell everyone your plans.
The third most challenging aspect has been getting this business going as a new mom. I recently adopted a baby, and that’s roller coaster all by itself. You can’t tell your blessings: “Hold up! I’m not ready for you.”
You just walk in faith.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
As a black-owned and woman-owned company, we have joined a community of only a handful of companies with a stated mission of diversity in the puzzling world. Few puzzle companies are owned by people of color, and far fewer are founded by women of color who are solopreneurs.
The women artists we feature are bold, creative entrepreneurs who represent the BIPOC community. We work exclusively with women of color as way to amplify their artistic genius through puzzling, finding our piece in a place we are mostly unseen.
We curate vibrant, original artwork (of any theme) for our pieces. Our high-quality puzzles are unique to us — you won’t find them anywhere else. They reflect our commitment to unity (peace), compassion (love) and cultural diversity (soul).
To further our commitment to art access and representation, a portion of puzzle sales go back to the women artists featured, and we also support talented student creatives and their teachers.
I want the next generation of artistic students of color to know there is a place for them in the greater art world. Their talents deserve to be nurtured and their art deserves to be seen.
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
Greater Atlanta is a melting pot of so many cultures. If you come from any place in the world, you can find your place and your people here. That’s what I love. It can be a big and intimidating place, but it’s also full of so many opportunities to enjoy and learn other cultures. It didn’t always use to be an international city, but it certainly wears it well now. I also love the outdoors, and metro Atlanta has so many places to relax with nature amid the hustle and bustle.
What I don’t like. Traffic. I know it’s cliche. But I hate the traffic, and I hate driving, for many reasons. I drive because I have to get from point A to point B, not because it is fun. It’s so dangerous! Remember my anxiety… well, I once drove a car into the side of stone-faced house, straight through the neighbor’s foyer. It was a freak accident, and it’s a long story, and I’m lucky no one was hurt. But ever since then, I just haven’t been completely comfortable driving. So, our traffic in metro Atlanta certainly does not help.
Contact Info:
- Email: hello@piecelovesoul.com
- Website: https://piecelovesoul.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/piecelovesoul/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/piecelovesoul
