I started making postcards because I wanted to send my grandma one from Wilmington and couldn’t find one anywhere. So, I thought, I’ll just make one. From there, I started making little seashell hair clips, bookmarks, posters, and all sorts of little knick-knacks. Eventually, I took my things to a local market in the back of a warehouse with three other vendors. I think I made just enough to cover my vendor fee each time! Haha. But honestly, I didn’t really care. I was so excited—and so proud of myself—to see people actually buying something I had created. I started paying attention to what people were drawn to and what was selling best, and I quickly realized that people loved the postcards. So, I decided to put more of my energy into those.

Not long after, a sweet little shop called City Gypsy, which carried locally made goods, reached out and said they wanted to carry my postcards. That was the first store Art by Alexa was ever in, and I was SO excited. That little opportunity gave me a lot of momentum. Once I saw how well the postcards were doing, I started thinking about what else I could create. I wanted to make something a little bigger, and that’s where my ILM coloring book came in.

I worked on that coloring book for a solid six months. Seeing it printed and holding it in my hands for the first time was one of the best feelings. Once it was finished, I was able to partner with even more shops and boutiques. That’s when I started realizing that I wanted to turn Art by Alexa into something bigger. I kept learning, experimenting, creating, and figuring things out as I went.

Wilmington really was the place that taught me the most. After about two years there, my best friend got a job in Charlotte, NC. I loved Wilmington so much, but I also felt like I had learned everything I could there and was ready for something new.

So I told her, “I’m going with you.” We packed up our things, loaded up the animals, and headed for the city!