It Began With a Prayer My Story
At the beginning of 2021, I felt like it was time to start pursuing a dream I had kept in the back of my mind for a long time, starting a business. I had recently moved to Texas from California, and it felt like I had flipped a new page in my life. I spent my time taking community college classes online, working in retail, and attending daily mass. In my day to day, I began to brainstorm ideas for my future business. I watched YouTube videos by young entrepreneurs who recently opened sticker shops. I spent a lot of time researching trending designs and aesthetics on Etsy and Pinterest. I was drawn to boho and retro style stickers that celebrated nature and the universe. During this time, I also began praying for guidance because I knew that I did not have the motivation or the creativity to start and run a business on my own. Once I had decided that I wanted to sell stickers, I knew my next step was to decide on a theme for my sticker shop. My sister, who is two years older than me, is a Dominican sister in Nashville, Tennessee. Our primary communication is through snail mail. While she can only write me letters ever so often, she always has a way of sending me letters with very timely and grace-filled messages. In early February, I received a letter from her. Enclosed in the envelope was a beautiful poem, called "The Starlight Night" by Gerard Manley Hopkins. There are not many times in life when I am confident that God is speaking to me, but as I read this poem, a great sense of peace came over me and I felt assured that God was speaking to me. The poem illustrates the vast grandeur and beauty of the universe by drawing the reader's attention to the stars in the sky. Then, in the final stanza, it directs the reader to the center of the universe, the nativity scene, where the Christ Child, the creator of the world, is born into the world. I was amazed. The day before receiving my sister’s letter, I had pitched to my family my idea for a sticker shop based on the idea that nature, such as the stars, points us to God, the Creator, who is at the center of the universe. Her letter served as confirmation and gave me a great sense of peace. I began designing my first collection of stickers, and as tribute to "The Starlight Night", I titled my first collection, The Heavens. While my business is still very small, I have already began to see the fruits of starting a business centered around Christ.
About to unbox my first printer.
Printing my first sheet of stickers.
Testing different printer settings for my designs.
Creating my first pins for a pro-life campaign.
Photographing my stickers for the first time.
Running my first booth at a Catholic speaker conference.