Ever since she was a little kid, Willow Larson loved to draw. But she didn’t enjoy babysitting or any of the other usual ways to earn extra money as a 12-year-old. When her mom started sharing her drawings on social media, Willow was surprised by the reaction. “People kept saying they would buy my artwork,” she says. That’s when she got the idea to turn her artwork into income.
But selling original art was a lot of work. Each of her watercolor paintings took hours to make. Instead, Willow says, “I thought, why don’t I make something that everybody would want?” Inspired by the popularity of historical photos in her hometown, Willow designed a mug that features different landmarks and items related to her town’s history. Word spread to other nearby small towns, and then the requests started pouring in. The demand was so high, she made an online store to take orders.
Willow Larson loves to draw. She has since she was a little kid. When she was 12, her mom started sharing her drawings on social media. Willow was surprised by the reaction. “People kept saying they would buy my artwork,” she says.
Willow did want to make some money. She didn’t enjoy babysitting or other jobs kids her age often do. At first, she thought about selling original watercolor paintings. But each of those took her hours to make. Instead, she decided to design something she could sell many copies of.