Esther Myong Hall has been a part of the craft circuit for over 14 years and hung up her production hat when she opened her dream shop, Yarn it & Haberdashery, a yarn store in Columbus, Ohio, that provides for fiber lovers in all the gentle arts from knitting to needle felting. She graduated from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2003 with a BFA in both fashion and sculpture. Before opening her store she was the director for the Ohio Art League, a 103-year-old nonprofit statewide organization for artists, and she was a contestant on Tori Spelling’s “Craft Wars” on TLC. Currently she runs her store, continues as an independent fashion designer/fiber artist, mentors, teaches and runs lectures on professionalism as an artist for VSA Ohio, a state organization on arts and disability.
At Midwest Craft Con 2017, Esther’s going to be presenting a session on Applying for Grants as an Artist.
How would you describe yourself in 10 words or less?
Feisty, blunt, calculative, jumps into the deep end, not fearless.
What is your earliest crafty memory?
Crocheting a skirt for my barbies at my dad’s office at the junkyard.
What is your favorite thing about the Midwest?
That is is AFFORDABLE and we get all the seasons.
What would you be if you weren’t an artist/creative?
Probably nothing because I can’t think of life without some sort of creative outlet. If I didn’t make physically, I would be making in the written word.
What three things would you recommend to makers?
- Tara Swiger’s podcasts are great.
- Crafty Superstar is a great book.
- My favorite tool to keep all my notes and pictures and things together is Evernote.
What are your personal resolutions for 2017?
To get involved again into my local arts community and take more time for myself, away from family and business.
What are your 2017 resolutions for your business/professional life?
Be better at my budget and look for new partnerships and outlets that my business can work with to help other charities and small business partnerships that are equally beneficial.
Midwest Craft Con 