Today we’d like to introduce you to Sandy Lopez.
Hi Sandy, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I was working as a social media designer in a working environment that was not allowing me to grow or be myself. Besides feeling stuck, I didn’t feel appreciated and was starting to lose confidence in my work and in myself. I had moments of deep self-reflections before I decided to put in my two weeks and pursue freelancing. I quit January 2021 and began to find clients while working on my personal work. I started to find myself again in my art and that pushed me to finally start selling my art. But I wanted my art to be part of something bigger than me, so I brainstormed some branding ideas and fell in love with “Smile Cult”. From then, the brand has grown and evolved with me. I will be celebrating my first year anniversary with Smile Cult this June, and I can’t believe I made it this far and continue to grow! I am so excited for what’s to come.
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?
Definitely not a smooth road, lots of bumps, detours, wrongs turns, cruise control and steady driving. My biggest struggle in the beginning was knowing nothing about how to buy inventory, finding vendors, what materials to use for my products and the financial business sides of running an actual business. It was extremely intimidating but it didn’t keep me from at least trying. I am still learning but at least now I am a little less scared of failing.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
My art is a reflection of my growth and personal mental health journey. I’ve always liked incorporating some type of message in my art, and this helped me create products for Smile Cult. I knew I wanted to share messages that helped me find myself and believe in myself, and I found ways to do that through my art prints, stickers, and sweaters. When folks tell me that my work has encouraged them to practice more self-love or that my work makes them smile, it makes me so happy and proud. I think what makes Smile Cult different is we are a community before a brand, and we continue to grow and celebrate together.
We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
I am a self-taught artist and was failing my design classes so I dropped out.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://smilecult.co/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smilecult_/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/smilecultofficial
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@smilecult__
Image Credits
Thanya, Kim, Ulysses, Ivanna
