According to legend, dreamcatchers allow only good dreams to pass through the net and down to the sleeper below, while bad dreams remain tangled inside the net, disappearing with the light of day. Similar to the webs of a dreamcatcher, 21-year-old Erica Kim has come to possess a special dream all her own with Indica Design.
As the creative force behind Indica Design, Kim sells elaborately constructed dreamcatchers that she describes as unconventional and eclectic. Earlier this year, Kim saw her project develop from a part-time hobby into a lucrative and expansive career venture.
“One day, I was looking on Pinterest and saw how expensive dreamcatchers were selling for,” she said. “I knew I could make them cheaper, so I literally went to the store to buy some supplies, went to my room, and started crafting.”
Kim initially designed dreamcatchers only for herself, but it didn’t take long for friends to come asking for bohemian dreamcatchers of their own.
“My roommates would bring people over all the time, and they would make comments about how much they loved the dreamcatchers I was making,” she said. “They wanted to have their own personalized dreamcatcher, and that’s kind of how it got started.”
In response to all of the positive feedback she received about her dreamcatchers, Kim set up an Indica Design account on Etsy.com to sell her dreamcatchers to a larger audience. A couple of months later, she had convinced the owner of Ambiance, a trendy clothing boutique in downtown San Luis Obispo, to sell her crafts in store.
“They can customize their dreamcatchers any way they want,” Kim said. “Customers can pick the size of the hoop, whether they want a doily or woven web in the center, the color scheme, as well as any add-ons like feathers, beads, or flowers.”
Upholding Indica Design’s company motto to “go forth into the direction of your dreams,” Kim was able to produce enough dreamcatchers to book a vendor booth at Melrose Trading Post, a popular outdoor market in Los Angeles. The overwhelming response from customers at the market only further solidified Indica Design as a legitimate business opportunity for Kim to pursue long term.
“I’ve wanted this for so long, and it was then I knew that my path in college wasn’t for me,” she said. “When I was going to Cal Poly for animal science, I was sitting in class sketching dreamcatchers and thinking of ways to make my business better.”
Kim has big plans for Indica Design, such as adding a clothing line and establishing a stronger network in Los Angeles. Her website—indicadesign.tictail.com—offers dreamcatchers, pants, tops, skirts, kimonos, and bags.
Looking back at how far Indica Design has come, Kim is excited for what awaits her in the future and couldn’t be happier about how things turned out.
“If you have that creative idea, go for it,” she said. “There are so many opportunities in the world. You can’t let them pass you by.”
To buy a dreamcatcher of your own, order online at etsy.com/shop/indicadesign or visit indicadesign.tictail.com.
Highlight
On June 17, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a zone change and property lot split for The Rona Barrett Foundation’s 150-unit Golden Inn & Village, an affordable senior housing and care services project. The approval will allow the foundation’s partner, the Housing Authority of the County of Santa Barbara to apply for federal and state tax credits to help complete construction. The vacant land sits on the northeast corner of Highway 246 and Refugio Road in Santa Ynez.
Lauren Piraro, an intern for New Times, the Sun’s sister paper to the north, wrote this week’s Biz Spotlight. Information should be sent to the Sun via mail, email, or fax.
This article appears in Jun 26 – Jul 3, 2014.
