Why Freckles and Flowers???

Choosing a name is sooooo difficult!

I’m on my third name for my art pages. I know, right?

There is nothing like the internet to make you feel like you don’t have a single unique idea! My previous name was Handmade by JMJ. It worked, but I was not in love with it. Honestly, not even a little bit. Before that, it was Daisycraft Designs, which I liked even less. When you have what you think is a great idea and unique to you, something that you feel really represents what you are, all you have to do is search Etsy and Facebook to find out that you’re definitely not the first one with such a marvelous idea. It’s actually  very discouraging. When I came up with both those names, I had other great ideas. Unfortunately for me, I was not the only one with such wonderful thoughts. I must have brainstormed for days. Checking and rechecking what was available. Then, when you think one name that you can live with is available in one spot, it’s not in others. So you keep on trying variations of what you originally came up with.

Those two previous names were what I settled on. My original ideas were not near what my names ended up being. Disappointing, to say the least. When I chose the name for Handmade by JMJ, I felt like I was under some pressure for a “brand” name, as I was starting to rent a space in a craft mall with my sister in law and my mother. I wanted to be able to differentiate my art from theirs and we were all in the same space. I had an Etsy page set up, under the name DaisycraftDesigns. I wanted it all to be the same, because ideally I wanted to do both. Turns out that was a lot more work than I had anticipated, but that’s another story for another time. Anything with my name that I liked, Jenny, or even Jennifer, in it was already used. What a bummer! But my initials were pretty unique, so I went with that. Still didn’t like it, but I needed a name like NOW and this was a great reason (excuse?) to get rid of the Daisycraft one. It was available on Facebook as well as Etsy.

The booth in the craft mall is ending in March. Before that ended, I wanted to re-brand for real this time! Something I loved! Something that was about me! Something unique! Oh, and also it had to be available as a dot com, on Facebook, on Etsy, on Twitter and on Instagram. No pressure at all, right? I had to start over from scratch and brainstorm all over again. This time, I really wanted something that I felt represented me as a person, as an artist, and also gave me the flexibility to explore different avenues in my art. I’m not a person that sticks with one thing in my creative explorations. My style shines through in everything that I do, that is what ties it all together. But I enjoy playing with different mediums and creating different types of art. I needed my name to just reflect me as an individual so that I HAD that option to play around. If you visit my Etsy page (here) you’ll see what I mean. I have wreaths, paintings and magnets listed right now, and I’m currently working on some new drawings that I’d like to post as well.

So the freckles part of my name is about me. I’ve got some freckles going on. Not a ton like some people, but enough that they used to really bother me when I was younger. The older I’ve gotten, the more I’ve just embraced them as a part of me. They are unique, and so am I. Sometimes, it doesn’t even register in my mind that I have freckles until someone points them out. I’ve never really tried to cover them up, just lived with them. But they are me.

The flowers part of my name is because I adore flowers, especially daisies. Or anything that resembles a daisy. I don’t know all the names of the flowers I like, I just like them! They are fun, colorful, wild and free! They dance when the wind blows and show their colors when the sun shines. They make a dull landscape a little brighter. I enjoy being around them, and having them around me.

Including the “art” in my brand name was for a couple different reasons. One, there does happen to be one or two other pages around that contain the freckles and flowers words. Two, so it was clear that it was art I’m about. Not drawing, or painting, or flower arranging. ART. This also enables me to do whatever I choose when making art. Freedom, if you will.

My shop icon is one of the first paintings that I did recently that really resonated with me, and I felt was the real start to my new goals. It’s become my symbol on all my social media. I’m considering converting it to a line drawing in the future, should I choose to make stationary or something like that. That’s a job for another time. I feel like this painting was the beginning for me to create on a regular basis again. I had it up for sale for a period of time, and finally pulled it off the market and into my craft room. It’s not big, 8″ x 10″, and it sits on my shelf. But for all it represents to me at this point in time, it needs to be where it is, so I can see it on a consistent basis.

So, that’s it. That’s why my name, Freckles N Flowers Art, is what it is. The story behind the name. The girl behind the brand. I hope you enjoyed my story, and as always, please feel free to comment and share. Thank you!