Meet Kristen Anne Richard | Fiber Artist & Owner of Kristen Anne Fibers

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kristen Anne Richard and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kristen Anne, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
In the midst of many life altering changes, the desk job that had been keeping me in my safety net was no longer enough to get me up everyday. For the first time in years I was deciding to become an active participant in my own life. Stepping out & leaving behind all the securities I had become too used to in order to venture into a business where I am honestly still learning my craft every day was the beginning of me learning to want the uncomfortable & to always follow the dreams that make me the most nervous to go after. This business was built on the foundation of no longer being a bystander in our own lives, & serves as my daily reminder to not just dream but to actually be.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Being a small business, especially as an artist, is one of the hardest things I’ve ever taken on, but I can honestly say there is nothing else. There is no Plan B. It’s either make it, or make it. Because nothing gets me out of bed, gets my mind rolling, consumes my thoughts, keeps me dreaming, makes me invite the challenges & look forward to the scary the way that growing this business does, the way that diving into my craft does. My art is me, it’s a constant evolution of the stage of life I’m in & the thoughts I’m processing. Each day you overcome what ever challenges you don’t yet see on your to do list by putting one foot in front of the other, by just doing them, understanding that you’ll figure it out as it happens. It’s walking towards the scary & the uncomfortable.

Because the reality is it will never stop being scary, you just get to a point where if it doesn’t scare you, thats what becomes the most scary. If you’re not pushing the line of impossible, if you’re not fighting against the boundaries of what you’re capable of, you’re choosing to not get all that’s possible for you to get out of this life.

We always have a choice, & the choice is only ours to make. I choose to go after the life I always thought was impossible so I can experience how much really is possible.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Unless you’re intentionally heading here, Hemphill, Texas is not a town you’ll just accidentally stumble upon, which is why it might be one of East Texas’ best kept secrets. Whether it’s Toledo Bend or our favorite Red Hill Lake, a day out on the water is always a short drive. Lunch from the new Greek restaurant, Athens Cafe, is an absolute must & dessert from Pineywoods Pie Company will be the cherry on your day! You certainly cannot leave without dropping into Lonesome Pine where all your vintage needs are sure to be met, alongside a stocked inventory from local artisans such as Thrō Ceramics handcrafted mugs or Wildwood Vagabonds skincare line.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
If you asked my mom, she would likely minimize how significant her role is in me pursuing my dreams, but growing up getting to witness her rise above hardship after hardship will forever be one of my greatest blessings. Not much came easy for my mom, but she always kept going, every single day, even when it had to be too much weight to bare, continuously doing the little things that probably seemed so insignificant but would eventually be the greatest teachings of my life. I’ve never seen my mom fully run after her dreams, she was always too busy making sure we had enough to go after ours, & because of that I owe it to her as much as I owe it to myself to be everything I imagine I can be.

Website: https://kristenannefibers.com/

Instagram: @kristenanne___