The Student Loan Scam as Told by a Bankruptcy Lawyer (very clearly)

Article in the New York Daily News

Monica Johnson
Makes: Crocheted and knit cold-weather accessories
Lives: Long Island City

Making hats, hoods, wrist cuffs and cowls not only keeps others warm, but helps Monica Johnson get through the cold. "I was in San Francisco for about 12 years and with a Mediterranean climate, we didn't get extreme temperatures," she explains. "But I'm from Michigan originally and about five years ago, I moved back there for a year and my mom taught me how to knit. It was my way of creatively handling the extreme weather, and something that kept my hands busy.

"So when I moved to New York a year after that, I just kept doing it," adds Johnson, 34. "Eventually, you clothe so many of your family members and friends, but you still end up with so much more, so I sell them."

Johnson, who has a fine arts background and works as an exhibitions manager for the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards, spends about five hours on each item.

"I like really simple, solid designs," she says. "And they're alterable. For example, the cowls are oversized, so you can wrap it around once or leave it hanging twice. Usually with each of my things you can accessorize it in different ways. And they're all very well-made because I don't rely on this as a way to make a living. I have the luxury of making sure that whatever I made, I feel proud of."

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/2011/01/23/2011-01-23_queens_museum_of_arts_gift_shop_spotlights_borough_artists_including_wire_croche.html#ixzz1BuK0uK92

A New Year for Wool + Brick

When I first started Wool + Brick I imagined myself a one-person commercial store. I incorporated an aesthetic and a language that was – more or less – a descendant of the retail clothing industry. I titled my handmade items with names that evoked a metaphorical experience that I thought would inspire purchase.

Names like “St. John Cap” and “Museum Cowl” were earnestly chosen because these places were a part of my own consciousness at the time they were designed. It is easy to imagine the same names being used in an LL Bean or J.Crew catalogue, where lifestyle and experience is what often inspires purchase.

The bottom line is this: cottage industries – like Wool + Brick – cannot compete with corporations like these because the big guys will always offer a better price. And we all know the sad reality of why that’s true.

So, why compete using their strategies?

The fact that the handmade/cottage industry is thriving - with the help of online facilitators like Etsy - presents a new and unique opportunity to develop a different and equally successful set of strategies for commercial sales.

To that end, I am making a new commitment to using informative language and visuals to sell Wool + Brick products. If I distract your attention too much with metaphorical titles and slick photography, then you might miss what I want you to see – an expertly made product.

This is not my full-time job, though it is for some people. So, I am also committed to making my products at prices that will not drive the market prices down for those people. My part-time hobby should not negatively affect the ability of others to make a fair living.

This overhaul will take some time. I expect I will have the semblance of a new shop starting January 2011. Until then, thank you for visiting – and thank you for reading this far!