Not Your Average Witch's Jewelry
Kim Kowalski in Tucson, Arizona.
Where are you from?
I grew up in a small city, Roanoke, in southwestern Virginia - the "Star City of the South". When I turned 25, I joined the military and moved all over the place. Now I call lots of places home!
What do you like most about where you live?
I ended up settling in Tucson, Arizona. It's warm, I don't have to scrape my windshield, it's home to one of the biggest gem shows in the world, and I can eat at a different taco place every day for a long time and never eat at the same place twice.
What’s your backstory?
While I got out of the military in 2001, I was still married to a military member. I wanted to have a career that I could do no matter where I was, so I decided to experiment.
I've always liked little tiny things, weird things, found objects, that kind of stuff. So I started making little weird lockets.
The very first thing I sold was a little clay fairy I made, and I told a story about her. She'd been warned by her grandmother to stay away from humans, and she didn't listen- and now she was a taxidermy fairy in a locket, with her little pet beetle. The beetle was one I found outside in a spiderweb and liked how shiny the wings were.
My next problem to solve was that I didn't like the components I could find at local stores or online. The only answer was to learn to make them myself. I signed up for a soldering class at a local art school.
Then I decided to step outside my comfort zone and apply for a co-op of artisans who send gift bags to TV and movie stylists and celebrities- The Artisan Group, run by Valerie Propst Guerrero. One of the first pieces I sent in actually got used on The Vampire Diaries, and was worn by Kat Graham as the witch Bonnie.
Since then I've had my jewelry used on more than a dozen TV shows and movies, from science fiction like The Orville to everyday TV like The Young and the Restless. Most recently, Stevie Nicks wore my Full Moon and Stars necklace in her latest music video, The Lighthouse.
What are your income streams?
I have definitely moved on from just having a little Etsy shop! While I do still have a presence on Etsy, I've moved most of my business to my website, Crepuscular Conjuration.
Sometimes I vend at craft fairs, and have some pieces on consignment at local witch shops. I also have a podcast called Your Average Witch, where I talk to witches from around the world about their practices, their lives, and share their stories.
Finally, I have a monthly subscription box called Bee Boxes. I put together a monthly spell and include most, if not all, of what someone would need to do that spell for the month.
It comes with the written spell, the "ingredients" for the spell, a crystal, a piece of Clever Kim's Curios jewelry or altar tool, a drink, and a snack. I usually throw in something that I just think is neat, like kazoos, notecards, or found objects.
How have you grown the business?
One of the biggest things I did was start advertising on niche podcasts. I searched for witchy podcasts and reached out to them to advertise. The people who run one of my favorite podcasts, one of the very first ones I reached out to, have actually become very dear friends.
While it's great to use free social media and word of mouth, I feel like spending the money to advertise, and spending the time to find the right place to advertise my product, really impacted the growth of my business.
If you are looking to grow your business, I definitely recommend sitting down and working out, in detail, who your customers are specifically. It's kind of a pain, and you might feel weird doing it, but it really does work!
What is your favorite product?
I think my favorite product right now is the subscription boxes. I have SO much fun putting them together. I choose the theme for each month, and then put together all the items that go with it. Every box comes with something that I've made, so they feel very personal to me.
If you could go back, would you do anything differently?
There are some pieces of equipment I would have bought earlier- the ventilation system, for example. And I would have NOT vended at some of the shows I did, because they weren't appropriate for my work. This is why you need to find out who your customers are! My customers are not going to Christmas markets to find weird goth stuff made of bones, y'all.
What are your goals?
My goals... That's a hard one. I hope to double my subscription boxes for one. It's just easier to buy in bulk than to buy a bunch of single items. I'd also like to improve my recording area for my podcast.
But my biggest dream goal- I'll feel the most fancy when events reach out to me to attend, instead of the other way around. And maybe seeing someone who I don't know, wearing my merch. That would be wild!
What platform do you use?
My own website. I also am gradually moving to Discord, it's really fun.
I think the tool I use the most (that isn't in my jewelry studio) is the Marco Polo app. It has really enabled me to grow a wonderful community full of amazing witches. Shout out to Hive House! I love y'all!
Do you have a favorite motivational quote or podcast?
One of my favorite podcasts is the Witch Bitch Amateur Hour, with my delightful friends Charlye and Macy. They're the ones I mentioned earlier. As for a quote, let's go with Bill and Ted- "Be excellent to each other."
Do you have a pet?
I always sign notes to customers with my name, and my dogs' names- Crow and Aoife. Crow is a German Shepherd/Great Dane cross, and Aoife (pronounced Eefah) is a quarter Dutch Shepherd, a quarter Malinois, and half Great Dane.
Where are you online?
You can find me at crepuscularconjuration.com, on instagram at @youraveragewitchpodcast and @cleverkimscurios, and on facebook at facebook.com/groups/hivehouse.