Meet Mesi Autio | Small Business Owner & Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Mesi Autio and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mesi, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I think I’ve always known that I wasn’t interested in a traditional 9-5 job but trying to figure out what to pursue as a career outside of that was quite stressful for high-school-me. I’d always gravitated more towards artistic electives in school and I eventually got really close with my art teachers which was a huge catalyst to me pursing an art education degree in college. While in college, I’ve been able to take so many classes and experiment with medias that I hadn’t ever used- a major one being digital design. I really just fell in love with the ability to take your art anywhere, be able to undo and redo at the click of a button, and connect with other creators in the same space. In the beginning of COVID, I didn’t have a big creative outlet so I started posting some digital lettering and illustration designs to my instagram and quickly found a community of people with similar interests working in the same medium. I saw many of them sold their own designs on stickers, prints, apparel, etc. and it really pushed me to do the same. I eventually opened up my etsy shop and the pieces just sort of fell into place. I wasn’t expecting a huge response but over the course of a year I’ve sent orders to almost every state and several countries. I love what I do so much, outside of the business side of things it’s allowed me to connect with so many people with small business similar to mine and it’s a very encouraging and loving community. I like to think that I’ve made a space for all my customers to feel welcomed as well and being able to give them little positive reminders in their life is the best part of all of it.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I love working with more traditional mediums outside of my business but I focus more on digital art within it. I have a foundation of skills from the classes I took in college but apart from that, I’m mostly self taught so just learning new techniques and programs has been a little difficult. Luckily there are so many free tutorials and videos out there that I really encourage people to jump into digital design if they’ve been thinking about it. A lot of my art focuses on illustrations and lettering of positive and affirming quotes and ideas. I always try to be as positive as I can be and I think being surrounded by art that’s uplifting and encouraging really can help shift your mindset. This is why I chose to print my designs on stickers and prints that are easy for anyone to incorporate into their rooms and belongings. I focus a lot on mental health, self care, and positivity and really believe in the message that my products convey.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I always recommend the Bishop Arts District to people who haven’t been in the area. There are a lot of cute local shops and restaurants in the area and they’ll often have live music and bars open at night so you can pretty much spend all day there. Even outside of the buildings there are a lot of murals and art pieces that are fun to take photos with. Of course I recommend the Dallas Museum of Art- it’s one of the largest art museums in the country and it’s free, aside from some special exhibitions. Across the street from that, you can also walk over to Klyde Warren Park which a lot of out of town-ers find interesting since it’s built over a highway. There are seating areas, play places for kids, dog parks, and a whole bunch of food trucks. Lastly, a little spot that a lot people don’t think about is the Trinity Overlook. Especially during sunset, it’s a beautiful view of the skyline and just a nice place to sit and get a good look at Dallas.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My family and friends have really been so encouraging throughout my entire small business journey. I place a lot of value on the opinion of my parents and brother so they’re usually the first people I show new stickers and designs to. They couldn’t be more supportive and I know I’m really lucky to have parents that trust me and didn’t force me to pursue a career that I wasn’t passionate about. My friends are also so sweet, they’re always reposting my pictures and ordering things from me even when I tell them all the time I’ll be happy to just give them what they’re wanting to buy. It makes me so happy that they believe in me, my art, and my business so much and without all their support I probably wouldn’t have made it as far as I have. It can sometimes be scary and intimidating to start something new, but I’ve been surrounded with so much love and kindness from everyone mentioned that it’s kind of washed away that fear and just brought more excitement.

Website: https://www.etsy.com/shop/Madebymesico

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/madebymesi/