What in the World is Polished Moxie?

Welcome to my foray into the small business world, or should I say very small business community consisting of me, myself, and I.  I’ve been thinking about starting a home-based business for quite some time and have done a great deal of research.  It’s now time to do something with all of that research.  After all, in order to turn a dream into reality you have to first wake up, push the cats off your face, and get your behind out of bed.  To that end, I am creating two blogs to establish myself on the web and to share my business journey and artistic handiwork.  I have also opened an Etsy shop.  You can find it here Polished Moxie Etsy Shop.

This is the first blog I’m creating and it will be utilized for my papercrafting, photography, and polymer clay work products.  My other Polished Moxie blog will be utilized for my handcrafted products in stained glass, sewing, and painting.  Once my second blog is up and running, I plan on sprinkling a few items between the blogs to entice you to visit both.  My goal for each blog is to post 3-4 times per week.  Content will include: my projects, info on how the project was accomplished, and any tips I stumbled across while in my creative haze.  I’ll also share some of my adventures into electronic cards, video, animation, and electronic presentations.

For my first blog entry I’ve decided to delve into my thought process behind “Polished Moxie”.  I love to create things and have gleaned lots of information and gained substantial experience over the years in a variety of arenas (both from structured courses and self education).  I find delight in exploring new things and artistic techniques.  This will often times put me into a zone where I lose track of time and people.  My husband is supportive of my artistic endeavors, however, his facial expressions tell a story of their own and speak volumes.  I repeatedly see that “Now what on earth is she doing?” look on his face.  I find this quite amusing because I know he’s to blame for many of these episodes.  After all, he frequently brings home interesting materials that he thinks I might be able to incorporate in my projects.

Through the years, I have collected a substantial array of raw materials and a significant stash of projects much to the astonishment, or is it dismay, of my husband.  But what’s an artist/crafter to do?  For crying out loud, there are only so many cards, wind chimes, jewelry pieces, totes, etc. that you can give as gifts before the recipients begin to think that you’re using them as alternate storage facilities.  I have mulled this dilemma over and over in my mind to the point that I almost feel guilty (well, somewhat guilty) about the pleasure I feel when making things.  I don’t want to give up my artistic cravings nor do I want my husband to come home and find me sprawled on the couch clutching my latest project and mumbling incoherently about where to put it.  I’m sure my hubby would have some colorful suggestions, but that’s another story for another time!

Finally, a notion struck…what better way to feed my creative passion and eliminate the need for more storage solutions than to sell my new projects and share my experiences.  Sure it’s going to take time and a lot of hard work, but I now have the chance to channel my creative energy, it expands my horizons, and I’m used to working hard.  Starting my own home-based business will not only give me a continued outlet for my creative expression, but it will also give me incentive to complete several unfinished projects.  If I was locked in a room with my unfinished projects until they were completed, then I would be imprisoned for a very long time and that is definitely not my idea of fun!  Therefore, I am taking the entrepreneurial avenue to establish Polished Moxie Concepts and Designs.


Determining a Business Name

Why “Polished Moxie”?  I envisioned a name for my business that hinted at professionalism with a little spunk.  I sought to reflect my style and personality, but also encompass my work ethic.  I can be very professional, but I have a wicked sense of humor.  Both of these characteristics often show up in my art.  I have a tendency to pay attention to detail, but love to throw in a little twist when appropriate.  I also wanted a business name that would allow expansion into different creative directions.  A name that portrayed professional, well executed, classy, elegant designs (polished) with a touch of attitude, spunk, sass, spirit, spice, boldness, and humor (moxie).  Hence, “Polished Moxie Concepts and Designs” was born.

Creating a Logo

Next, I thought long and hard about a logo that would represent my brand.  Again, I wanted it to reflect me and my products.  I put my heart and soul into my handcrafted items and this is represented by a tracing of my hand adorned with an encircled heart.

The spunk of my designs is represented by a feline wearing a crown and sporting a tattoo.  A cat reminds me of independence with a touch of attitude, plus I have two of them that are always with me when I’m working on my projects.  I’ve named the crowned cat “Moxie”.

Combine the two, add the words, and Wah-Lah… my logo.

I created my logo by drawing it and then importing it into Photoshop Elements (which you can find here or an older version like the one I use here).  I refined it using a Wacom Tablet (which you can find here) and converted it into a digital stamp.  In a future post I’ll share how I used my digital logo and an inked background to create my blog banner.

Thank you for visiting and I hope you come back soon!

Page Content © 2010 Polished Moxie Concepts and Designs