Today we’d like to introduce you to Bella Ortiz.
Hi Bella, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I’ve always been creating in some form or another. However during the pandemic, my sister moved into the downtown Orlando area and expressed her concerns over her safety. So like any other good sister, I put my crafting to use. I started creating safety keychains, which were meant to help her feel safe but also expressed her style. I focused on creating items which used recycled materials and I know would be durable enough to handle the Florida weather. Since then I have expanded to over 31+ different styles and have branched into sensory jewelry and stim toys. My goal is to make everyone feel safe and welcome in whatever fandom or passion they have.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Definitely not. I created my business to help everyone feel safer, but not everyone has understood the need and I often get allot of hate for my Lgbtqia+ designs. As a member of the community, I made it a point to create a shop where everyone feels seen and welcomed… Which isn’t easy.
Especially with the current economic climate, people are understandable focusing on their pockets. It has been a struggle for myself and so many other artists to afford to continue creating.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m typically known for being the sparkly Gothic shop by most of my fellow artists and that’s because I love crafting items which sit heavily in the glitter goth genre. Part of the reason allot of my art tends to lean to darker colors is that I use recycled or upcycled materials in everything I create. My roses are made with recycled plastic I source from a recycling company, all my resin pieces use recycled glitter and pigments, and my steel earrings are made from scraps from a variety of different suppliers.
And since I still to have everyone included, I kept function and accessibility in mind. It’s the reason why my earrings are made out of 304 surgical steel, I use food grade silicone instead of latex for my stem toys and why I make a point to have as many members of the lgbtqia community acknowledged in my smaller items.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
Right now as a small artist /business, it’s a very nebulous time. A lot of us are very concerned with the manner in which tariff, taxes, administrative choices are affecting our bottom dollars to create.
I hope what ends up happening is that we start fostering stronger and more creative talent given the economy. However, would I fear is that many artists will give up before the start and that hurts my soul. Unlike a lot of other industries, being a small business, small artist is not a field in which unhealthy competition occurs. Every artist will tell you the same thing, we all encourage the ability to lift each other up and move forward. But we can only do that with the support of our community and people supporting small businesses.
Pricing:
- All of my items are priced under $50
- All my safety items are between $25 to $35
- My sensory jewelry and stem toys range anywhere between $5 to $35
Contact Info:
- Website: https://thewitchinwaifu.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewitchinwaifu?igsh=cWgzMWJvNHFjOHg2
