Featured Etsy Seller: PaperArmadillo

Who are you? Where are your roots?
My name is Michal (pronounced Mitchell, or simply Mitch), I live in Los Angeles, California. I grew up in Israel, visited Europe and Africa and have been living in the States since 2002, so you can see I've been all over the place.

What were you like in High School?
The biggest geek... Seriously. I actually went to and arts high school that was more fringe than my art college, so you didn't really have the freaks/jocks/nerds split. We were all... individual (the variation on clothing at graduating was fascinating. Hey, at least no one showed up naked). I was a fine arts major and I did a lot of writing too.

What would you consider your muse?
Nature, specifically - the animal world. Hard to tell, right? All of my work, "art", craft, writing - it always has to do with animals. They're always characters, they always do some adventurous thing. I used to read a lot as a kid, so I guess that got in there too. I love Tove Jansson's Moomins books.

What is your favorite medium, and why?
Drawing is still my favorite. It's still the most versatile to me, where you can just take a piece of paper and create anything at all. It gets my imagination working the best way. It's also the most difficult but hey - what's life without a challenge? I've just graduated with a BFA in animation/illustration from California Institute of the Arts, so you can see how much I love it.

Tell me about your artwork, what kind of style are you?
Well, it's very narrative. There's always a character and a story involved, whether it's a drawing or a stuffie or whatnot. I guess you can call my style quirky, cute but not "cutesie".

Who do you think your top market is?
Adults, actually. I think nowadays people are less afraid to enjoy "kiddie things", or do them with their kids. It's sort of liberating. But I also make things for young children, probably at the 4-12 age range.

Who is your most favorite and least favorite celebrity?
Hmm... I don't really follow celebrities. If anyone, I'd say Susan Sarandon as my fave, because she's such a smart lady, and Mel Gibson as my least favorite. Tom Cruise might actually fight him for the title. What a couple of a**es. 

Do you listen to music while you create? If so, which, and who is your favorite?
I listen to music sometimes, but more often I'd listen to NPR, a podcast or a good audiobook. I'm a bit of a news junkie, so I might have BBC world service on for hours on end.

Other than creating art - what is your favorite hobby?
Wow, my art and my hobby are so mixed these days it's hard to tell. I knit and crochet. I love reading and good television too. Yes, it does exist.

What do you believe is essential for an etsy seller?
A professional attitude. Just take yourself seriously, guys. It's not about fancy deals or promotions. It's about good customer relations, packaging your items properly for shipping, establishing a good relationship with the etsy community, being great with communication, creating a good reputation for yourself. If you're planning to make this a serious form of income - take a business class at your local college. It's priceless.