Hi, lovelies! It's truly an honor to have you here!
I'm Mari, the artist behind Come Get Waisted (Creations). I'd love to tell you all a little more about myself on a personal level.
I was born in 1999 (90s baby - they saved the best for last, haha) in Akron, OH, home of Lebron James. I'm a Taurus-Gemini cusp, the perfect definition of "sugar, spice, and everything nice". A free spirit in love with The Most High, food and anything artistic lol. I love to travel, read/write, draw, spend time with people I love, and just recently got intrigued by online content creating. I'm very adventurous, spiritual, naturally curious, helpful, ambitious and reliable with a huge heart.
I had a blast studying Communications and Business Administration at the University of North Florida after relocating from home and graduating high school in Neptune Beach, FL. I met some great people that I still cherish to this day, went to some pretty awesome places and had great opportunities to learn and grow.
Although I'm a new entrepreneur learning the ropes of this new path, the passion of art has lived in me since before my first breath lol. Its been quite a learning and fun experience turning something I love into a career path! It started off as just a hobby, something I loved to do and was very good at: art. I took every art class I possibly could throughout middle and high school. Thankfully, my school offered many options, from basic drawing art to painting and pottery/ceramics. I would love being in showcases and local museums, winning awards from something I created by hand.
My artistic ability comes from my late father. This is something I cherish because he was my favorite person EVER, and it’s something we shared. He always told me I would be a businesswoman. Did i believe it? Absolutely not lol... but I suppose fathers know best. I would mentally run from the idea after witnessing him launching an international telecommunications company off the ground and seeing how busy and stressed he could be, but it was all worth it in the end.
My maternal grandmother taught me how to do a basic double crochet stitch at around 10 years old. It kinda just stuck in my head until I decided to study the craft and picked up another crochet hook at around 22 years old. On a lunch date with my paternal grandmother, I discussed how i wanted to learn how to sew and make clothing. She took note, then supported my craft by surprising me with my first professional sewing machine this year! My sewing experience is currently limited, but I'm excited to learn something new and ready to see what else I can create.
My mother, on the other hand, introduced me to waist beads. I saw her wearing them one day and thought it was a great fashion statement before learning about the importance of its African origin. I begged her for my own set, but due to her availability working in the Healthcare field I grew impatient and asked to borrow her beading kit to take it into my own hands instead. Luckily, they caught the attention of others. I started researching its origin and purpose and was intrigued. Shortly after, I dreamed of a catchy name that I wrote down the next morning. I then basically had to tell my mom that she would not be getting the beading kit back lol. I had things to do and she understood that.
Fast forward, I’m always looking for another project and now I have a chance to share my love for art with the world. My business is a melting pot for all art, with a specialization in waist beads and other handmade (and premade) creations that are requested or that I simply just love doing. It will contain treats-to-go, crochet and regular clothing/accessories, custom paintings, other body and hair jewelry, etc. Art is expressive and can be shown in several ways and I LOVE that. I have high standards and am proud of everything I have to offer now and later. My creativity, determination, perfectionist attitude, and outgoing personality makes me different from others. In most cases, I also take any personal requests/accommodations to any order to make it more personable to the buyer, which is something I really love because everyone is different, and it helps me have a personal connection with every customer.
I'm always open to hear suggestions, opinions or simply just chat via the contact form in the dropdown menu. Thank you for taking the time to get to know me better, and I hope you find something you love!!
“She makes clothes and belts, and sells them to merchants. She is strong and respected and not afraid of the future.” Proverbs 31:24-25 GNBUK
Love, Mari
