Meet Mary Elizabeth Lizzie” Darwin | Small Business Owner/Artist “

We had the good fortune of connecting with Mary Elizabeth “Lizzie” Darwin and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mary Elizabeth “Lizzie”, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
When I started Modern Muse, I wanted to create something real. I have branded modern Muse with the slogans or hashtags #authenticaf and #BEUROWNMUSE. Although it sounds cliche, being yourself is the best way to do something, no matter what “something” is. Theoretically, the hashtags came from me wanting to promote the power in what being your own Muse is, and that is looking inside yourself for answers and using your mind and soul as intuition to pursue the life you want. It is so easy to get swept up in another person’s thoughts and ignore your own. What makes modern Muse so unique is that none of our pieces are pre-made, which means I only make a piece once the order has been placed. I do this because I want the design to be entirely about the client and what they want. Almost all of my designs are custom orders and account for more than half of my sales.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Creating Modern Muse has been a long journey and is thriving today because of research, practice and communication. The hardest part of starting a small business is the number of mistakes you make along the way. It is crucial not to get frustrated from mistakes but to embrace them. Making mistakes is a part of life; you can not avoid them. I used to get so angry whenever something went wrong. Mistakes only mean more improvement; embrace them! Feedback is also essential, even when it is harsh. Analyze what the person is saying and figure out what or how something went wrong, and then improve it for your sake. 90% of my sales come from social media traffic, and with that being said, branding is crucial to success. No one wants to follow a weak social media account. I realized that social media is more than half of my business plan because an online presence is everything. I feel like “grid aesthetic” is made fun of or looked down upon, but I disagree. Creating a brand is curating familiarity with consumers. Having a specific aesthetic or look will get consumers to recognize you without throwing a commercial logo in their face.

That is not to say logos are not important!

Coming up with a brand image, aesthetic and official logo almost took me a year. I kept changing it up and playing around with it. I kept trying to make something, but once I came to terms that I am no graphic designer, I eventually found an amazing graphic design through Instagram — I am obsessed with her and her work. Ultimately, Branding is all about knowing yourself and understanding the people you are selling to.

I am an empath, I used to think this quality would hold me back in running a business, but it has turned into the quality that has helped me the most. Customer service is KEY to running a business. You have to realize that people are spending their money on your products and that they deserve to be heard throughout the entire process. Understand what they are feeling in specific contexts. I promise it pays off. I also learned when to stand up for myself and what boundaries I need to set between myself and the customer. Setting boundaries also means taking time for yourself to avoid burnout. Asking for help is something I have always struggled with. My pride sometimes gets in the way of reality and contributes to taking on too much at once. I have finally realized that I can not do 1,000 things at once and that asking for help is normal and should not be considered failing.

Most importantly, be confident, and sell yourself, especially in the small business sector! People love small businesses because they are personal! I have made so many relationships through modern Muse and could not be more thankful!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
We would start the day with smoothie bowls from Sustain Juicery then a walk around the trail at Rice University. The art in Houston is to DIE for; my favorite gallery to go to is the Christopher Martin Gallery. After that, we would either end the day at Brasserie 19 or Loch Bar for frosé and truffle fries (the essentials).

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Modern Muse would not survive without my muses. My muses are family, friends and supporters I have met on this journey. My parents and sister have always supported me in following my dreams, and I could not be more thankful for them. I call my mom my “momager” because she will run errands for me, help make pieces and emotionally support me when I have a lot going on. My Dad has supported my small business since day one and helps me handle my fiances. You could call my sister my PR agent; she is currently on her high school yearbook staff and is creating an entire page for Modern Muse. My roommate Ally helped cultivate a new, more efficient, protective shipping method that has improved my shipping process immensely. My friends constantly support Modern Muse and always offer to help with smaller tasks. Lastly, I am so thankful for all of my followers on social media that believe in me and my work. Nothing makes my day more than getting a thoughtful message from a follower.

Website: https://www.etsy.com/shop/modernmusebylizzie?ref=seller-platform-mcnav

Instagram: @modernmusebylizzie

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/modern-muse-art-shoppe

Image Credits
Image Credits: Modern Muse Logo — Caitlin Burdick Photos: Lizzie Darwin