On today’s episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we’re talking about creating a best-selling art and illustration company with my guest, Mary Engelbreit.

Over 40 years ago, Mary Engelbreit launched her own company with a strong desire for creative freedom and a line of 12 greeting cards. The head of a highly successful business bearing her name, Mary is one of the country’s premier designers and artists. She is known throughout the world for her distinctive illustration style and design sensibility, modestly referred to as “eclectic traditional”.

Mary’s signature art, imbued with spirited wit and warmth, appears on thousands of products, including greeting cards, books (design, gift, children’s, cooking, home, and art), calendars, stationery, fabric, crafts, kitchen accessories, dinnerware, and other home décor items.

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We begin with a conversation with Mary talking about her childhood growing up in St. Louis. She describes having a lot of freedom to explore and spend time outside. Mary recalls first realizing that artists had studios and asking her mother if she could have one, too. They converted a linen closet into a studio for her.

Mary says she wasn’t a great student unless she loved the topic the class was studying and decided to enter the workforce after high school rather than continue to be in school. She talks about her first jobs and what she learned from each of them. She also shares the story of traveling to New York City to pitch her portfolio in the hopes of illustrating a children’s book and being steered instead into designing greeting cards.

We discuss the beginnings of Mary Engelbreit the company including the decision to name her business after her own name (a decision Mary still feels was a good move). Mary talks about her husband’s supportive help in launching the business. Mary talks about getting a licensing agent while exhibiting for the first time at the National Stationery Show in New York.

We also delve into many of the different areas that Mary Englebreit has explored, including the magazine Mary Engelbreit’s Home Companion, starting in 1996, as well as the line of stores inside malls.

I ask Mary about her decision to become politically outspoken with her artwork, beginning with a piece called “No One Teach” in 2014 when Michael Brown was murdered by police. Mary felt a tremendous amount of empathy with Brown’s mother due to the tragic death of her own son and wanted to speak out against gun violence.

And, of course, I ask Mary to recommend great stuff she’s enjoying right now. Mary recommends:

• Benzie Design felt
• Making Miniatures with her granddaughters with Play-doh
• three Instagram accounts: House Lars Built, Studio Rosie & Katie Daisy
• Redecorated Bedroom with Ownkoti bedding

Keep up with Mary Engelbreit on her website and on Instagram.