Today we’d like to introduce you to Mariko Giverink
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I have been teaching classes on and off ever since my days of homeschooling from 1992-2010, but classes back then were for kids and teens, like sewing, beekeeping, gardening, knitting, weaving or beadwork. After my kids graduated and started families of their own, I started thinking about teaching adult classes. I had a successful Etsy shop called Palette & Ink, selling home, wedding and event signs all over the country. A local Anthropologie store asked me to come be a guest teacher, so my first class was teaching chalkboard sign painting. When they asked me back, I did a denim embroidery class and then a frayed jeans class, because those went along with their store aesthetic.
I learned to sew on the lap of my mother (on the same 1942 industrial sewing machine I use today), and my dad was an inventor who was also very creative and artistic, so I’ve been a maker my whole life. All my life, people have been asking me to teach them to make things, and I find so much joy in inspiring people to try new things and learn new skills. I love breaking down projects into simple, easy to follow steps, and seeing the confidence it gives people to create something beautiful, or learn a useful skill like preserving food.
In 2020 when things shut down in California, so many people were desperate for social connection, so that’s when I really kicked things into gear with gardening classes and a backyard monthly sourdough club. People came out of the woodwork to be a part of those classes and we made so many fun memories. Some of my best friends now were met at those gatherings in 2020 and 2021.
Most of my classes got off the ground by someone asking me to teach them a skill. My first soap making class was for a few friends, and I ended up repeating that class too many times to count. It’s my most popular class now! When I needed more space than my house could hold, I started reaching out to local businesses. I recently taught the soap class for a large group of kids at a local shop called Glovebox in the Factories at Columbia. They have a large art table that holds more than twice as many students as my kitchen.
Other classes, like watercolor pet portraits, house portraits and sign painting have been collaborations with my favorite local coffee shops like Elroy Coffee Co in Franklin and White Shepherd in Spring Hill. A local art school, Concordia Arts Academy in Thompson Station, also asked me to bring a class to them, and the pet portrait class I taught ended up connecting several neighbors who had never met, but left as friends planning to walk their dogs together!
I love working with local businesses for two reasons. They provide me larger spaces so I can include more people, and it brings them exposure to people in the city that might not have discovered them yet.
Another part of my business is selling the things that I make at a pop up shop that I set up at all my classes. This started on my porch, hence the name The Homestead Porch, but now it moves with me wherever I teach. I sell whatever I’m making at the time- soaps, skin care products, utility aprons, bread bags, tote bags and fun little gifts, like old fashioned needle books and inspirational journal markers. My prices start at just $1! I also paint custom watercolor house portraits for people to commemorate a first home, custom build or other special place.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Because I’ve always planned classes and sold product by request, I’ve always been pretty happy with the turnout, however restarting classes after moving across the country was a huge challenge. I had such a good network and personal connections that developed over the years in California that I had no idea how to start again in a new state, literally not knowing anyone, and no one knowing me.
At first, I focused on the sheer joy of teaching by starting a meetup group in my dining room. My primary goal was to meet new friends and share some of my love for crafting and homemaking skills. I did this for free for about 6 months, teaching skills like home canning, beading and painting, until the meetup app increased their fees to the point it was costing me to teach. My daughter suggested I try starting The Homestead Porch classes again by putting the word out to local facebook groups. I wasn’t certain I would get any response, but when I put the post up to get an idea of interest, I was literally flooded with over 300 messages in just a couple days, so I knew there was enough interest to get started again. I had 20 spots open for my first Tennessee class and over 150 people asking to join it, so I quickly learned how to turn those messages into an email list, which in itself was a challenge since I’m not super tech savvy. I literally asked a random guy on a laptop in a coffee shop for help, and he saved me a ton of time! Now I put out a monthly newsletter with upcoming class links.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m a little (or a lot) all over the place with my business, pretty much the same way I’m all over the place with my life. I’m a diverse person with many different interests, and it shows in my little business. I’m a wife of 38 years, a mom of 3 and grandma of 6. I help homeschool my grandson. I’m a professional musician playing keyboards and singing for the classic rock band Vinyl Ride in California and I’m working on another recording project for the band I played in 40 years ago called Battlecry (it’s a long story!). I train in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and I’m passionate about fitness, health and wellness. This is part of the reason I maintain a large garden and have been a beekeeper- I love all the fresh food and honey!
So the fact that I teach so many different classes and sell so many different things reflects all the creative thoughts that are going on in my brain. If someone asks me to teach them a skill, I ask them to invite a few friends so they can learn as a group. For example, I recently entered a pair of floral painted jeans into an art wall display at a new cafe/creative space in East Tennessee. So many people asked to buy them that I’m currently working on a solo show with a whole wall of denim art to sell to their customers. I wore those floral jeans to a garden club meeting where several people wanted to learn how to make them, I’m doing a class for them on how to paint their own denim pieces.
It really excites me to see students try new things, sometimes completely out of their comfort zone, and accomplishing things they didn’t believe they could. I put a lot of time and attention into details for each class, and I’m proud of the feedback I get. I used to be a photo shoot stylist and photographer in the wedding industry, so I set my classes up like upscale events. Almost every class I teach includes something to sip, something to snack on, swag bags full of goodies, raffle prizes (everyone is a winner in my classes) and lots of laughs. I love decorating with flowers from my garden, candles and candies spread across the workspaces so everyone feels like they are a guest of honor.
As far as what sets me apart? When it comes to my classes, I don’t have a competitive mindset, and I love to see other artists/teachers succeed, so I really don’t compare myself to whatever anyone else is doing. That’s not even on my radar. I just do my thing and try and make it the best experience possible for those who take time out of their busy schedules to come participate.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
I’m definitely a risk taker. I love all kinds of extreme sports and used to be a rock climber. I tend to dive into everything head first, and have learned the hard way that it isn’t always the best way to go about things.
However, I’ve developed a sense of confidence over the years, and believe that if I work hard enough at something and pour myself into it, I know from experience that the outcome will be positive. I didn’t start this business to make a lot of money, but I did have a goal in mind, and so far I’ve been able to surpass it. That goal drives me to put steps in place to organize my schedule so I can achieve what I set out to accomplish.
Every time I plan a class, I risk failure. What if I don’t get enough students? It’s happened. What if someones project doesn’t turn out so great? So far I have loved everyone’s creations. What if I don’t sell anything from my pop up shop? Yup, that’s happened too. But what about all the classes that sold out within minutes, or the hundreds of students who absolutely loved their work and were proud to show it off? And those that discovered talents they didn’t even know they had, and pursued them further? Now that’s worth the risk!
Currently I’m finishing up my book “Lessons from the Garden”. It’s a family devotional and homeschool resource book that teaches character lessons from 36 different beneficial flowers, herbs and trees in the Bible- that’s one for each week of the school year. Each short lesson teaches plant benefits and has an illustration that I drew and painted along with the coloring page version of that illustration. Each plant also has either an activity, a recipe, craft or game to reinforce the lesson. I’m taking a risk in publishing it. Maybe no one will be interested in it and possible not many people will buy it. But it’s something I was inspired to write for my grandkids and something I’ve become passionate about finishing. So even if no one else buys it, it’s still worth the year I spent working on it.
IMO there’s always some positive gain that comes from taking risks, whether it’s monetary or just life lessons learned from the experience. I always say “Sometimes you win, sometimes you learn.”.
Pricing:
- Black and White Custom House Portrait – $60
- Watercolor Custom House Portrait – $90
Contact Info:
- Website: https://thehomesteadporch.mailchimpsites.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thehomesteadporch/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thehomesteadporch/
- Other: https://mailchi.mp/e4431c16572c/thehomesteadporch
