My Hobby - Do what you love then create a brand around it! (Part 01)

Written by: Ely S.

On my spare time, I am a designer and maker of masterfully handcrafted products that include bespoke leather goods that people love.

Having retired early in life rewards me with a whole lot of time on my hands. This allows me to try new things and develop new skills. Being a creative guy, I'm always exploring and constantly trying to find ideas to express my creativity. There are many ways to express creativity and producing content for the steemit community is a great way to do this.

However, another fulfilling way to express creativity is by finding a hobby. To me a hobby is far more than just doing something new or learning a new skill. It's finding something that you're passionate about and that by doing it, it gives you pleasure and a sense of satisfaction.

My Hobby

I've always been passionate about making things with my hands. There's just something about handcrafted products with distinct attention to detail that boasts quality. The kind of quality you get from a bespoke tailor made suite.

We live in a world where everything is mass produced with large brand manufacturers virtually forcing everyone to buy the same products. These days it is difficult to stand out or be original when you realise that everyone around you owns the same things that you own. We carry the same phone, wear the same shoes and even eat the same food. I believe that when something is too "available", regardless of its brand or perceived value, it loses appeal, exclusivity and charm.

I started designing and making leather products for myself because I wanted something that I would be proud of owning. Products that are original, unique and a stand out from the crowd. It had to serve a purpose or solve a problem while maintaining a quality at the highest level and attention to detail that exceeded my own expectations.

This became my hobby. And with practice, determination and a whole lot of patience, I was able to produce something that I was quite proud of.

I experimented with various quality leathers from Australia and Japan and continued making things until eventually people started noticing what I was doing. They began appreciating the things I made and they too wanted to wear leather watch straps and carry around my little wallets. This was very encouraging and motivated me to continue developing my skills while finding new ideas for unique products.

steemit

I want to use steemit as a platform to document my activities around this hobby and the thought process behind those activities. I'm hoping that in doing so, I can give value, insight or inspiration to readers and other content creators. In the future, I hope to document my day to day challenges and successes in the quest to create beautifully unique leather goods that people love.

In part 02  I discuss branding and how I developed a personal brand around my products to help solidify peoples perceptions of what I was offering.

Stay tuned...

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