Life Update (Closing Etsy Shop and Starting Patreon)
Frani Beard
Photo by Emily Boyette for Christina Kober
Dear Friends,
Things have changed a bit, and I want to get everyone up to speed on how Authentic by Frani is adjusting. There have only been a couple of shifts in the past few months, but they’ve been MAJOR, so here’s the backstory and my intentions for the future.
I’ve closed my Etsy shop!
If you’ve been with me since the beginning, you’d know I started Authentic by Frani back in 2015 as a way to share my spiritual growth through art and poetry. At the time, I thought an Etsy shop would be the best way to receive financial support for my hand-lettering and botanical illustrations. As the years went on, Etsy became something that gave me more exhaustion than excitement. Unfortunately, I was so obsessed with turning my shop into something profitable in order to prove my worth as an artist that I ended up feeling limited, uninspired, and ceased creating anything.
As a child, I was always encouraged to sell my cards and “make a cool mill", but that sweet, young version of me refused. She hated the idea, as there was something grimy about it for her. Back then, my cards were created because I loved to draw and give my art away, not to make massive profits. I guess I still feel this way.
When it came time for me to re-evaluate my work and what I’m choosing to give attention to, I came to the conclusion that it was time to let Etsy go. I’m grateful for the ways it supported me and allowed me to meet so many new people. My work has traveled all over the US and even into Canada and Europe. What an honor to get to say that!
What’s beautiful about closing the shop is now I spend more time drawing, and I’ve even started hand lettering the way I used to. The other day I had the urge to sit down and paint again! I haven’t felt excited about creating anything for a long time. Closing the shop gave me space and mental clarity, gifts I didn’t realize I needed.
That said, I still have a few sets of cards and prints remaining, and I would love to give them away. If you’re reading this, finish reading everything, but then send me an email through my contact form and I’d love to chat with you about getting some of my pieces in your hands. Just pay shipping.
I’ve started building a community on Patreon!
This might be perfect for you if you’re struggling to find your personal style because:
you experience anxiety about your body and the topics surrounding it (how your body looks/doesn’t look, how clothes fit/don’t fit, what your clothes say about your inherent worth, etc.)
you hop from trend to trend and have no idea what you like or what suits your frame
you grew up in environments where your body was seen as evil or shameful
you feel you need to prove your worth through over-functioning, over-working, and fitting the mold
(Believe it or not, all these issues are connected!)
What is Patreon?
Patreon is an online platform where you can support your favorite creators and gain exclusive access to their content, insights, and process. Creators, like myself, often offer multiple tiers at varying prices to encourage people to support them financially in the amount that feels responsible for them.
Why am I choosing to use this platform?
I want to create a gentle space to share the ways I’m growing and changing with the hope that it supports other people in their growth. I’m most passionate about exploring and discussing the overlap between trauma-informed mental health and personal style expression. I am by no means a professional, but I’m on a journey of unpacking my religious trauma (with professional help) and how that’s effected my relationship with my body and the earth. Personal style emerges from self-compassion, from building a gentle and kind relationship with yourself. It’s a lovely and tangible avenue to begin healing your relationship with your body and the earth.
I want to share what I’ve been learning because it’s been life-altering for me. I believe this perspective is valuable and liberating. I want to give people the opportunity to financially support my work if it resonates with them and they have the means.
What are my offerings?
My Patreon feed offers exclusive content revolving around astrological, seasonal, and lunar themes each month. Signing up at any tier gives access to a backlog of videos and posts that already exist on the feed.
TIER 1: Bare-Faced Beauties ($5/month) gain access to an exclusive feed where I share weekly videos and posts surrounding a monthly theme. The theme for March is RELEASE. At the end of each month, a graphic goes out to inform you what the next theme will be, as an encouragement to stick around!
**Patrons at all levels get to offer ideas about what topics they’d be interested in hearing me discuss or create videos around.
TIER 2: Outfit Repeaters ($10/month) have access to the same feed as the first tier. What makes this group special is their ability to shape and witness the Live New Moon Chats. Every New Moon, I share about the energy I’m feeling and the insights I’ve gathered each month. I then answer any questions you may have which shapes the conversation. When the moon is full, all is revealed. The new moon chats become accessible to lower tiers when the moon is full again.
**Special Offer for March: The Pisces New Moon chat on March 13th is available for all patrons this month! Sign up at any tier to join!
TIER 3: My Lovelies ($25/month) have access to me via personal messages on Patreon. Here, you can ask me whatever you’d like about personal style, body image, and mental health, and get specifically tailored advice for your journey. You also have access to the main feed and the live chats, of course.
TIER 4: Style Students ($100/month) is where I offer Body Typing Analysis and Style Consultations. I conduct an in-depth analysis and report about your Kibbe Body Type and how to honor your body’s inherent beauty, rather than correcting or hiding it. Our consultation will support you in your personal style journey by exploring which mental narratives prevent you from expressing yourself the way you want. At this tier, you also have access to the benefits of tiers 1-3.
How to access and support my work for FREE:
That’s all I wanted to share with you at this point. Interacting with me on social media the best way to get to know my personality and familiarize yourself with some of my methods and beliefs.