In 2019, after having been in and out of well-fare, educations, jobs and sick leave for many years, I started selling my homemade crochet clothes. I had picked up crocheting in 2014 because I couldn’t afford a sewing machine (and didn’t know how to sew) and the clothes I wanted I couldn’t find anywhere. Crochet is a craft that can only be made by hand, making it the perfect slow craft reminding us that good things and quality takes time.
At first it was quiet, but pretty soon people wanted to buy my items, I named the brand Mati Denmark, and when the pandemic hit in 2020 the interest in crochet grew exponentionally. I started selling crochet patterns and unknowingly I helped give crochet its renaissance with people all over the world attributing my designs as the reason for them learning to crochet.
In my creative business I have been doing everything myself – from writing, designing, taking photos & modeling, videos, translating, social media, building and maintaining a website, customer service etc. But I have also worked with influencers, photographers and pattern testers. A big part of the lesson in being a full time creative has been: visibility, accepting help, heal imposter syndrome and to be true to myself despite other people’s expectations.
Matilde Rudolph 