Wick Whispers Introduction:
Hey there! Are you ready to dive into the world of candles with me? This is the first entry of my Candle Chat series, and I can't wait to share it with you! My name is Becka, and I am the owner and candle-maker of Artemis Illuminated. I live in Ottawa, Ontario, with my spouse and our two bunnies, Mars and Artemis (who, as you have probably surmised, is my muse), a hamster named Loki, and our foster rabbit, Queeny. I've always enjoyed creating with my hands, my primary outlet being cooking. My passion for culinary creation fizzled, leaving me feeling uninspired and stagnant. It was the first sign of my burnout nearly two years ago. As part of my journey through recovering from stress and losing my creative drive, I found the craft of candle-making through a kit I found online. The next thing I knew, my YouTube and Instagram algorithms were overtaken by candle-making, and my stash of equipment slowly expanded. As my skills in this hobby improved, a little voice grew louder, saying I could share my creations beyond my inner circle. Thus, the seed of Artemis Illuminated began to bloom. But this blog's purpose isn't to sell you my products. I want it to add value to your journey with candle-making or business growth.
What Value Does Candle Chats Provide?
This blog series will cover all things candles, from candle-making tips, juggling starting a small business and a 9-5, to behind-the-scenes experience and lessons learned in establishing my business. I love working with coconut waxes, but like many of us, I started with soy. When switching to coconut apricot wax, I had to relearn much of what I knew about candle-making, so this blog will focus on coconut waxes. I learned a lot from candle-makers who generously chose to share their expertise online. This blog is the beginning of how to pay it forward (the next step will be YouTube, but I have a video-editing learning curve to concur first). I've loved having the opportunity to hear from established businesses on what inventory tracking systems the pros use and other tips. That said, I see a gap in peaking behind the curtains of the early stages of building a candle business from the ground up. Whether it's learning from my triumphs or my mistakes, I hope you find value in this blog.
What's Next?:
We'll start where any candle-maker should- with testing. Stay tuned for my next post on my burn-testing methodology and the template I created to ensure my candles are thoroughly tested and replicable. I'd love to hear from those who found this blog on what drew you into candle-making and any tips or tricks you'd like me to focus on in future posts.
Until next time,
Becka