Bound to fall in Love with Toronto Artist Amelia

Journey into the heart and soul of what it takes to be a maker, a story of Bound Love

Our site is very much inspired by the makers, their stories, and their passion for creating something all their own to share with the world. I personally started following Bound Love in 2017 when I came across the 2018 moon calendars on Etsy while doing research for gift ideas last Christmas. The simple and yet so very detailed and gorgeous design of each individual sphere caught my eye, and had me carefully staring at the tiny intricate details. Amelia is the talented Artist behind Bound Love, she creates each piece from her home studio in Toronto, Ontario. Her Instagram is so wonderfully styled, it is  just one of the many reasons her almost 8K followers love her and her art so much.

Recently Bound Love celebrated a milestone, 4 years in business. It had been four years since Amelia finished school and went off to travel the world, soaking up inspiration as she went, and when she returned home, she started Bound Love.  We wanted to help share the love with a profile on Bound Love. Helping you discover more about this wonderful Brand and the artist behind it, a bit of information that you might not find on her Etsy profile.

Q&A with Amelia, Creator of Bound Love

Was there something on your travels that inspired you to come back and create your own business? Had you always felt like an artist + entrepreneur trapped inside of you waiting to get out, or did you kind of stumble into it?

When I came home from traveling for four months, I was struggling to find a job in my field. I was living at home with my parents and needed to make money somehow, so I started BoundLove. It was right around Christmas, so the first things I sold were Christmas cards!

Working full time and creating for Bound Love, how do you manage to find the time to let your creative juices flow, and still stay on a schedule when it comes to shipping, delivering, shows, etc?

This is something I am still working on! I work Tuesday-Friday as an in-house graphic designer for a Toronto business. That leaves Monday open for me to ship all of the orders, create new content & execute some ideas. Although there are still nights that I come home from my other job and don’t want to sit at my desk to mail orders, I just force myself to do it.

What was the biggest sacrifice you feel you have made when starting this Bound Love journey?

At the beginning, I just didn’t really have evenings and weekends to do anything but work on BoundLove. I think asking my job for Monday’s off helped a lot with my work/life balance, and having a boyfriend that is super helpful when I need him is great, too!

What has been your biggest triumph?

Amelia was unable to answer this one, and yet she did at the same time, “I still don’t know aha!” Sometimes it is hard to recognize our biggest successes ourselves, also we are sure there are more and more triumphs to come. Next time we will add, “so far”.

What is the one thing you wish you knew before starting your maker journey?

That it doesn’t happen over night! It takes a lot of work, consistency and trial and error before you’re going to be successful-and I don’t think I’m quite there yet! Sometimes I create a new product that I’m really excited about, and customers just aren’t. And that’s something that was difficult to digest, but now I see it as a learning experience.

Who has been your biggest supporter? Or has this been a lone-wolf situation?

My boyfriend, Brian! He’s the one that helps me set up at markets, sits there all day with me and runs to get me food. He helps me package orders late at night when i’m overwhelmed, and he gives me great feedback on all my work. (He’s a designer too!)

What is your ultimate goal for Bound Love?

Ultimate goal—to be able to do this full-time! I’m really hoping that one day BoundLove will be my full-time job, and that I can donate a portion of sales to a local charity or organization. I want BoundLove to help the community in some way, I just haven’t figured out how exactly.

What scares you the most about the future … of the World ? … for yourself?

Everything! Not being successful, running out of ideas or passion for doing this. The future as an entrepreneur is scary!

Cat or Dog person? Just kidding, what music are you listening to while you create, or have time to just relax and enjoy it?

Both! And I am all over the map when it comes to music! Sometimes I listen to Childish Gambino, Billie Eilish, Maggie Rogers or Led Zeppelin. I normally just hit shuffle on my iTunes and listen to whatever comes on.

Congrats again on 4 years of gorgeous projects and adventures in the world of being an entrepreneur and a maker. Many more amazing years ahead! Like what you see, visit Amelia’s Etsy shop and put a little Bound Love in your home. Want to discover more amazing Canadian made brands, visit our brands page.