Claudia’s Cartonnage Journey: Turning Creativity Into Community

Lyric Kinard (00:01.294) Hello friends, welcome to Creatives on Camera. I'm Lyric Kennard and I am here today with Claudia Squio, who I've known for a couple years online. One of these days we get to meet in person. But you do such a beautiful, unique thing and when you approached me about having this conversation, I was all in. What we're going to talk about today is a vital part of being a business person, of being able to love and help and serve our people. So Claudia, if you would introduce yourself, tell us what it is you do and then tell us a little bit about your business journey. Claudia Squio (00:53.499) Thank you so much, Lyric, for having me here today. I'm so excited to be talking with you and for so many more about, yes, I also think that this is a very important topic because we are like the business woman here trying to get everything done and grow our business, create our business. But on the other side, we are always also a woman, a spouse, a mom, and so many things going on around. So how can we find balance on everything and how we can understand what is needed for us, right? So I'm very glad to be here with you. well, now that we just started talking, I just remember, know, back in 2014, I was just standing in front of these five women and we just finished our first Cartonnage class. And I'll you in a minute what is this about, but we just finished my first class, local class in Indiana. And I'm looking at them, taking a picture. They are so happy smiling. And at that moment, I realized, Lyric, that I wasn't there teaching that because I want to create a business or because I want money or for anything like... You asked me how I started my journey. I didn't plan anything. I always say that my business actually kind of happened to me as we went because I started just because it was so fun. It was a hobby. We moved. I'm originally from Brazil and we moved here to US 2012. And in Brazil, I used to be a food engineer, a professor. So I had a completely different life right there. But I wasn't very happy, I was depressive, a lot of things were going on in my personal life there. So then when we moved here, then I didn't know what to do, didn't know who am now, that I'm just starting to learn English, I didn't know how to speak English. So how to learn English, how to learn a new language, everything together. And now I'm talking about standing in front of these people two years after moving here. So my English was extremely broken, I didn't know even how to... Claudia Squio (03:12.185) really like say all the words that I need to teach a class, but I was so moved by the feeling of, you know, sharing what was, I just discovered that was so fun to do. That was actually a technique that we use, chipboard, cardboard, and other types of paper, and we glue fabric, creating boxes and books and journals and so many wonderful things. And at that moment, as I said, I was just like having fun, having that first class, so happy and... But when I was looking at the eyes of they, they are smiling and the eyes were so shining and they were so excited. said, Claudia, I want more. Can you come to my house to teach me this? Because they were from far away. And what is next? What's gonna be next month? And I said, wow, okay. Yeah, we can do it, said. And then that's how I actually started teaching this technique. then, mom? Yeah. Absolutely. Lyric Kinard (04:17.898) Let's stop for one second because people, is, the thing you do is not a widespread craft and a hobby. So it's called Cartonnage and it is creating boxes or journal covers or things. You create hard forms and they're covered with paper or fabric, right? Claudia Squio (04:43.459) Yes, exactly. So the original technique, it was designed or developed in France many, many in 1880 something. But the way they make the Cartonnage projects and boxes there is slightly different than what we do because I learned it from Brazilian people and they changed slightly the process. So now we have these pieces of cardboard we cover them with fabric. Claudia Squio (05:09.691) And then we create specific boxes and other projects that at that time I was just saying, okay, we are making boxes. This is why I was saying that's the class to make fabric boxes was hard for me in the beginning to find people because Cartonnage, the name no one knows this is about. So I had to go to fun with fat quarters, make fabric boxes. And that's how I started getting people into what I was teaching. But then actually was Claudia Squio (05:38.776) in the second class that something started shifting for me because then in February class I had one new student and then at that point I had just two or three students every month but that student came to me in February and then she said, I love it I just started making my Christmas gifts and I look at her and said, wait a minute, February making Christmas gifts? And then she said... Claudia Squio (06:08.109) Yeah! And then she said, yes, I'll come every month and I will make one gift per month. So at the end of the year, I will have all my gifts done. Then I said, that's so amazing. That's so unique. And then Lyric passed forward all those years. Now I'm 11 years since I taught this first class. I have thousands of students all around the world. Like my membership has 20 different countries of people joining and doing all those things. And when I do my surveys, we do have like most of our grandmas and moms making gifts for their family. And so that is what really touched me. That's what I'm excited to do, to create something that can be a memorable gift that can, grandma can give to their kids and they can remember, they can be connected with the roots, have legacy, you know, this is what really moves me today. Claudia Squio (07:04.699) to keep going and doing all that I'm doing. So that's, I would say, kind of my why, right? After all this time. And I would say, when I started, I started really because I didn't have any other thing to do, because I really want just a little bit of money so I could buy more fabric, create more things, craft a little bit more. Yeah. Lyric Kinard (07:25.645) That's exactly part of the reason I started teaching. I had to support my fabric habit. Claudia Squio (07:32.668) Absolutely, you know, without my husband, why do buy again? More fabric? I said, okay, let me get some money so I can buy. And that's the first reason. And then after that, of course, we see what we are doing, how we are making the difference. And then my why, of course, changed. And now I'm so more excited than come over here and create a new project and just because I want to buy more fabric. we move right with this. Yeah, we grow and all those things. Lyric Kinard (07:58.626) We grow as the business grows. We evolve. Claudia Squio (08:03.189) Absolutely. So asking about my journey, this is exactly how I started. Out of, know, that way. So that first year I just make new projects, new instructions, and I had do it yourself kits. That's where I started kind of building this business that I still cannot say it was a business. It was more like a hobby, a little improvement, right? Yeah, but then 2015, Lyric Kinard (08:26.911) A little side gig. Claudia Squio (08:31.579) My husband got fired. Unfortunately, his job, his company was sold. And then we had to move. And then we moved to Michigan because before I was in Indiana, now in Michigan. My students were back in Indiana, so how can I connect with them? And I start, of course, however, finding new places to teach. But then I thought, I can create online stuff. I can start making videos. And because I also learn most what I know from people in Brazil online, so I know it's effective. I know I can teach them how to do it. And I'm always passionate as well of how can I do that? And I'm looking for the new solution, technology, how can I do that? So when I moved to here, I also created my online school. And that was back when Teachable was called Fedora, back in time. then... Lyric Kinard (09:27.157) Hmm. Claudia Squio (09:30.171) I had a few online courses, separate courses, and imagine my first video's lyric. I was like standing in front of the camera and saying, hi, I'm Claudia. I really liked that. I was so afraid. The first night before my first video, I almost had a panic attack. said, don't, I can't believe I'm gonna make a video. I don't know how to speak English now. That can be, right? Lyric Kinard (09:59.144) everybody's first hundred videos are going to be bad. You just got to get over it. And some of ours, mine, are really bad. But then it's so fantastic to be able to look back and go, that's where I came from. Look how far I've come. Claudia Squio (10:03.021) Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Claudia Squio (10:09.688) Yes, mine as well. Claudia Squio (10:16.217) Yeah, yeah, yeah, and that's why I can now say like freely here in happy because I asked for that, right? I did that. So yeah, so then how was in the beginning I created a blog because I didn't have a website, nothing, so I create a blog. Then I started selling on Etsy and then I got this situation until... Claudia Squio (10:41.691) I moved here and started selling a little bit more and that didn't serve me anymore so I moved to Wix and then I created a new website there where I had the blog, I had the shop, I had everything in one place that was Wix. It served me for a couple years as well until 2020, right before COVID. I had gone to Paducah in 2019 for... Claudia Squio (11:10.715) to be there, my first big show. And it was... Lyric Kinard (11:13.259) Yeah, the Paducah has a really one of the oldest, biggest national quilt shows around. Claudia Squio (11:19.661) Yes, it's so amazing. So I went completely alone. And it's important to say that by until this point, I was doing everything all alone, no help at all, not from my husband, not from my kids, nothing. I was doing everything. I was learning. was doing, doing, doing. Let me do it. Let me do it. I can do it. I can do it. So when I came back from Paducah, I got a kind of a crisis here. emotional crisis because I look at my house when I came back it was a great show but I was so tired when I came home I saw the mess that my home was my basement was like boxes and stuff and we couldn't walk I was taking like the whole basement for my mess and my husband was like wait a minute what's going on here and then I really had some bad time again, like almost the same depressive that I was in Brazil. And why did I start this? What do do now? Okay, how can I go with this? And then I found a therapist. It was like on Facebook, I was looking something, it was a Brazilian person, and she was looking about talking about mindfulness, whatever. And I don't know, I just felt connected. And I reached out to her, we had the first session and She is one of my best friends till today. We speak to each other almost every day. But that helped me so much in my journey because then I said I could like get out of the sadness and the stressful and the situation that I was there. And I started kind of meditating every day and having. So in the beginning of 2020, I had this idea. No one told me to do that. It was a feeling that I should create a community. Because at that point, my students were like, was selling kids and going to shows, having local classes, but no one was talking to each other. I didn't have how to get feedback. It was just that. And I said, no, I want to hear from them. I want to inspire and be inspired more. that, how can I do? And then I had this idea, let's create a community where we can talk and I can make many courses and they have Claudia Squio (13:41.2) They pay a low fee and they have access to everything instead of selling course by course. And that's what I did. I was so excited and so sure that that was what I would be doing. And I started. Then I made my math. If I could have 400 people, that would be amazing. Then when I started, my list at that point was like 3000 people. said, that's, you know, my mind. When I started actually less than 40 people joining. So I said, Claudia Squio (14:11.083) I have a big gap here. So how can I go from 40 to 400? And then I started learning, learning more. I joined the mentorships and lots of things here. And then I implement things that I was learning there. And then I was starting to get more people. And that was COVID time. COVID hit. And then also, all of this is uncertain time, but I was able, with all the confidence that I was in these mentorship groups. I was able to not stop and just keep going because on COVID everyone was home doing something and I had something to offer like, let's have fun, let's keep the joy, the positive thing. So that what happened there. Lyric Kinard (14:51.958) This is perfect timing for that, right? One of the things I want to point out or reiterate is that for a while, your business was owning you. so many of us have been there, right? And it's exhausting. And we love, love teaching. We love being in person, but it's not scalable. Lyric Kinard (15:20.452) There's only so many hours we have to give and it's a lot of work. And you pointed out exactly what it was that you needed. You needed the community. You needed people to connect with each other. And one of the ways that you were able to make that community grow and be successful, is being in community with other business owners. Like you talked about the mentorships or the programs. I've found the exact same things. Being in a community, like I'm in a training program this year with other online business owners. Lyric Kinard (16:08.778) Very few of them are artists and do the kind of thing that I do, but we all kind of have the same structure and we're all learning the same thing together and going through the same up and down and struggles, right? As we learn together, that connection, whether it's you with your students and your students with each other, and then you in colleague situations where you're learning new things together, I think is one of the most Claudia Squio (16:34.107) Thank you. Lyric Kinard (16:38.732) vital parts and one of most beautiful parts of running online businesses. If we are able to create those connections, people so often think that talking to people through Zoom or through a video or something like that is disconnected. Claudia Squio (16:45.403) Yeah, and so... Claudia Squio (17:00.827) Mm-hmm. Lyric Kinard (17:01.696) But it doesn't have to be. It can expand our connections so much greater than what we have right now, than what you can do in person. And I love that you honed in on that part of it that helped you help your students and helped you help your business. Claudia Squio (17:21.963) absolutely. It's so, so important because it can be very like, how can I say, lonely thing because I'm here in my studio just myself. And then when I start having these meetings, then they start knowing each other, some people in the same city. And then it's so great. Like every month we have our Zoom meetings and then we have social intel. We have all those things. So it's so fun. Lyric Kinard (17:32.659) Exactly. Claudia Squio (17:48.1) And now I had my second, this year I had my second local retreat for club members. And it's so amazing when you see, so great to see you in person because I feel I know you so much by so long like years talking every month. So get together is so special and help everybody is just what we really need like to be close to the people. but being in a Zoom meeting. Lyric Kinard (17:58.361) that's fantastic. Claudia Squio (18:15.291) can also be close because you can relate to the feelings. You can show things. So when one of my students, which is a grandma, is showing a box she made for her grandson that is graduating and show everything, everybody starts crying because it's so related. It's so emotional. It's so great. So everybody can feel that. So I'm very glad for this situation. And as you said, you mentioned in the beginning about doing everything alone. By this time when I created the club, I was still doing everything alone. I couldn't accept help from anyone. It was just at the end of 2020, beginning of 2022, that my husband was the one that told me, you have to have help. Let me help you if you cannot trust other people. Let me help you. And so that he helped me in the beginning. So I started trusting someone to do what I was doing. You know, and then, but that was only 2021-ish that I really hired my first employee. And because I had more and more people joining the club, now I'm about 400, 500 people and I don't have anyone to help. Like, I mean, that's crazy, insane. So then I could do that. But also I have to mention that It got so overwhelmed here in my house, so many things, so many things. Now an employee come into my house. Now I don't have my space to think because I cannot function in the middle of so many stuff. So I had to find a place. So I found a retail, a place here in town where we move the business, like all the production part for there. And we also have a shop and a space for classes, everything there. But still I was myself, employee, and then I had to hire one for shipping. And we did so much, just the three of us. And I could not hire more people. I can just explain to you that was so hard. I couldn't do that. It was just something was really off with me and I couldn't see. I was just wake up and let's do, do, do, do, do, do, do, without taking care of myself, I stopped. Claudia Squio (20:37.901) sleeping, I start like worrying so much and my kids now teenagers and I don't know how to manage this and my husband is okay, this is a craziness, can we have some time? And I was not seeing. It's like if I was blind just looking and seeing, okay, I have to do more. So that was in about two years ago when I really realized that I need help actually to fix my business. I thought, okay, I need to fix this because how can I, because I am still growing and how can I do that? So of course I went to a mentorship, which was looking to the business system. And then when I started that, I actually realized so many things in my life, in my family, and so many things that started making more sense. And I, here's something that I think is really important. I kind of was able to separate myself. from the business and see that I'm Claudia and they have the business. So now I start looking instead of asking people and say, can you help me? That's not the right thing to do. I look at Colorway Arts and said, what Colorway Arts need? Okay, we need someone to take care of the shop, someone to ship, someone to help with the marketing, someone to help with instructions and separate all those things. And then I was able to hire part-time people for all of this. Lyric Kinard (21:36.075) Great. Claudia Squio (22:04.075) Now I was able to... okay, now I think I can have amazing help, okay? We are now with our almost 700 members in the club, everything is working great, I'm doing all my big workshops, free online workshops to get more people to know what is the technique, everything working so fine. And then last year in April when I was in the last day of this big event, I received a call. that I was diagnosed with breast cancer. And then I took a deep breath and I said, okay, what is right about this that I cannot see yet? That's why I asked myself so many times. And so that started a long journey in, okay, to understand what was going on, what was the root causes together with the doctors, you know, to remove because I would say... The doctors removed what I had in my body, but I had to kind of understand and kind of help to heal my soul, so to speak, you know, to see what I was wrong and then start taking care of myself. Okay, now I start walking, I start exercising a little bit. I always took care very well of what I eat. Like I said, I'm a food engineer, so I kind of have a good understanding of that. But look again what I'm eating, how I'm spending my time, what is really important. Why should I say no? Why should I say yes? And how can I move and do the things like this way? So well, this whole part here of my healing is my new book that I'm finishing writing because I wrote out during the process. So I'm finishing editing. So probably in a couple of months, we're going to have this book with this healing journey. You know, that will be. Yeah. Lyric Kinard (23:57.4) interesting, interesting. So your business started growing, your business succeeded, but it was all you. And once again, life got insane, right? So you moved out of the basement into a retail and then also just... Lyric Kinard (24:21.019) you can't do everything yourself. And even with hiring all of those people, it was a lot and it was still consuming. It was still very, very difficult to balance. And it sounds like you got a wake up call that an unwelcome wake up call. Lyric Kinard (24:46.251) Kind of that's heavy, heavy news, but it forced you to stop and look. So I'm interested in hearing this healing journey, but where did your business go at the same time as that? Did you ever have to put your business on hold? Were your employees able to keep it going? How did those match together? then, well, also, this book sounds fascinating, hearing and what you're doing now, what that experience called you to become and to do. So. Where is your business during this process of diagnosis and treatment and the beginnings of recovery? Claudia Squio (25:38.426) Yeah, that was a hard time because I mean, at the moment I received that, that new, right? I also received kind of a message. I wanted like a book that I had bought like several months before came to my mind and I start reading. And that's where start my healing journey. And I understood that I couldn't ask for help before. I always was like, the people pleaser, they want to make everyone happy. Okay, let me be this, let me save the world by myself. I know how to do it. I'm strong, strong girl. I can do everything. And so where this come from? So I actually went back without this process of looking at the system and the family. What happened with me actually going back to when I was a baby? Claudia Squio (26:33.807) something happened very traumatic when I was two years old. that, looking at that with compassion, with acceptance, with a lot of love, because there was a big tragedy in my mom's story, okay? And going back to that, was kind of just the beginning. And then I was able to go more back. I got so many, I mean, I got appointments with doctors from Brazil. I work. I was in workshops with a German doctor, a lot of things about systemic work, so we won't have time to talk now, but it's like it will be super well described in my book. And, but this is like if I had a big hole inside me, okay? And I was able to feel with love, with understanding, with a lot of things. So that was what... Claudia Squio (27:29.093) calm me down, so to speak, and I can see, okay, now I can look with different eyes. Now I can't just do a little different. Now I can do my way. I can start asking help here and there and see how that goes. so during that time, the bees, I really, didn't say to anyone because I was so certain that that was a message for me, that something good will come out of that. that I didn't want to talk to involve anyone else other than my close family. So I just talked to my workers a little bit before the surgery, I told them, and I said, everything is good. And it was catching a very small stage. So that was very good. So I would say, mammogram is so important, right? So please do it. Lyric Kinard (28:15.914) Good good Lyric Kinard (28:20.362) Take care of yourself, people. Claudia Squio (28:22.093) Yeah, need to be quick with this prevention. so important. Technology is evolving on that side as well. So they can catch early, they can remove early. I only need to do five radiation sessions. No chemo, no. So everything was also good on that part. But I received the news today and I only knew how was the situation four days after. So I stayed four days with that. OK, I have cancer. What that means, you know, and all those other stuff. But then I had some like, how can I say, because I have the workers, my marketing could still send emails, know, post stuff. So no one really noticed that I wasn't really there. But I was just at home taking care of myself. So after I finished the surgery and I received the notice that that was good, that I was like... Claudia Squio (29:17.593) good and free, so then I send a message saying that happened, I'm so glad, thank you so much. And then I receive so many messages from people saying, that happened to me as well, to my sister, to my daughter, to my... It was overwhelming the amount of emails I receive, you know, with that thing. So it's really like, I said, wow. Now, and then when we also have like this list of people that follow us, so many people, it's so important to kind of... hey, please pay attention to yourself, you know, to take care of you because the business is kind of a reflection of you. It's a mirror of you. Like I can see exactly when I was a mess, my business was a mess, was growing, but then start like not growing anymore because I wasn't. And now I can breathe again and everything gets back to normal. Lyric Kinard (30:12.766) Right, and it's interesting, and that's what teachers do, right? We have walked a path, we've learned a thing, we've developed a skill, we've practiced enough, and then just enough to turn around and be willing to help the people behind us along the path. And... Lyric Kinard (30:31.868) it's that helping part. And again, coming back to the community and you came to when you shared your reality instead of just the facade, instead of just the here's all the good stuff on the surface. You know, and you did it in a way that was right for you. You protected what you needed to while you were going through it. And then when you shared, it was another point of connection and Lyric Kinard (31:01.772) going forward from that, you know, when you find out your people have experienced some of the same things, because you're a teacher again, because you're a teacher, you're like, I've learned this thing, and now I'm going to turn around and help the people that I can along this. It's one of the beautiful things about teachers, your souls, the... Lyric Kinard (31:31.422) the spirit that you have that is outward facing, that shines a light into people who don't know where to put their foot next, right? Claudia Squio (31:40.974) Absolutely, absolutely. And it gets a lot of responsibility for us as well, right? Because when I say like, I grow so much that it's a big transformation. I say that I'm not the same person that got the disease last year. I'm completely new person. I'm taking care of myself first of all. And the more I do that, the interesting thing is that the more I do that, better the business go, right? And then. I can take care more and that goes like a cycle. It's like sometimes it's like something was protecting, okay? Like I say, well, I'm doing all right. Why can I have not more members? Now I see if I had more members, imagine where I would go. I mean, so if I like to look back always and see that things are preparing us for the next step. in everything in life, right? So where I am today, I'm incredibly thankful for all the opportunities that I had, incredibly thankful for all the members and all the community and customers, because they really inspire me. They push me to grow because from not knowing how to speak English and here just one of the lessons I'd like to say here, right? If you already know how to speak the language of your customer, you are ahead of me a lot. Like, because I first had to learn how to speak the same language and then go and I'm not afraid. Like I say, for me, everything is learnable. We can learn a new technology. We can learn stuff. my gosh. After weeks, I went to Shopify. I'm still in Teachable, but my equipment here are so... so easy to do. I have switchers and I do this and this and this and I change my camera with a click. I edit it so easy but I was learning because I don't know how to do it, I want to do better and then I go and search, you know, I'm always curious to see what it is and then I follow what I... okay sometimes I learn and I don't like so that's okay, not for me, but sometimes I learn and I really like, that's really good, then I want to learn more. Lyric Kinard (33:53.973) Very, very good. And that's part of the evolution and the growth process. We do it together with our students. when fear gets in the way, when you're at the beginning of your filming, right? Like, I'm afraid that I don't know how to speak well enough. And when one of the things... Lyric Kinard (34:19.978) that helps you let that go is curiosity, is a willingness to learn even when you're doing badly in public, right? You know, that's one of the things we do is we have to learn as people are watching us. But it's again, turning it back to the community. We learn from them, but it's not about us. Lyric Kinard (34:47.882) And because it's not about us, it makes it easier to be adventurous. Lyric Kinard (34:55.498) to take those chances to say, okay, yeah, technology can be crazy and sometimes it doesn't work and this thing might be difficult for me, but I can do this. I tell my students, you can do that, right? I should set the example and I can do this. So I love that you are doing this. looking forward, you have a book. Lyric Kinard (35:23.25) coming out documenting your growth and your health journey. What looks different now in real terms of your everyday life? Claudia, your business, your family compared to the before. Claudia Squio (35:47.418) Well, as I said, everything is completely different because now I learn to be present to my day and present to my moment. So I'm very catching up my feelings. So, I'm afraid of this. What is going on here? Let's go back to here. So I meditate a lot. I go walk almost every day. I started doing pilates again, something that I had stopped for long time ago. And now I'm really... more engaged and more than ever, I mean, listening to my feelings. So for example, I was planning one event for November and something wasn't good. I was just like, no, until two days ago I said, no, I cannot do this. I need to postpone because the message is not ready yet. So we just postponed for next year and now I feel so much better. And like just yesterday I sent an email and got so... so wonderful like feedbacks and purchases again as it was everything like I was like so nervous and business was not growing so I'm learning as well a lot of practice that I also do that are not I should say I don't do business very like traditional way I don't look at data and stuff like that and what is the trend I don't dance on TikTok I don't do anything like this I don't trust, I don't think for me, consistency is not what have made me grow. What have made me grow was connecting my energy with my customers, aligning our inspiration, aligning our message, and that bring customers to me. And they tell others, and others tell others, and that's how we grow. So I don't do like stories on social media, stuff like that. No, I grow my business from my email list. When I send an email list, I sell. When I send an email, I sell, I connect. I have ideas, inspiration. So now my marketing worker, my strategist on marketing, she is doing the social media stuff. I rarely do that. I really send my emails and connect with the people in my community and classes and stuff like that. So... Claudia Squio (38:13.261) I envision like in the future I envision also I'd love to kind of explore more of this part of what have I been doing in this kind of energetic alignment of business that have allowed me to grow this way even though I didn't even know how to speak English. So I think that's something there that I really still want to share and I think that's gonna be what's gonna come next year for me as well. Claudia Squio (38:42.467) Along with my business. My craft business, of course. Lyric Kinard (38:44.649) Excellent. Well, it's beautiful to hear that you have learned something that is settling you into a place of health and peace that... doesn't ignore your business, it allows your business to support you instead of your business to overwhelm you. And I think that's a really good goal that all of us need to have, right? We need to allow our business to, you know, when we're aligned, Lyric Kinard (39:25.745) with our values, when we're aligned with what is really going on in our soul, then it allows our business to align with that, right? And otherwise there's friction and you felt that with trust your gut, right? Trust your feelings when something you're pushing for, it just doesn't feel right. When you let it go, just everything opens up, doesn't it? Claudia Squio (39:51.929) Yes, when we are aligned with what we are supposed to do, it's like going, as you said, with the flow, right? And not going again. as a friend, yesterday I was talking with a friend, actually the same therapist, is now my friend, I was talking, I had to cancel my event and I'm kind of like nervous because I don't know. And she said, well, Claudia, you know. Claudia Squio (40:18.147) It's not because we can do something, I know you can do that, that we should. I mean, we have to take a look and see what is really right now. And I have learned with all those years that I really trust my God. Like I really trust my vibes, I really trust the divine inspiration in me. I trust God, I know there's a path, there's a reason. But I need to be quiet and be present and listen, and listen to this. inspiration and this guy that just, you know, align me and help me with the flow. Lyric Kinard (40:53.245) Right. You know, and even sometimes when there's something you really want to achieve or do, but the feeling is no, instead of being disappointed that you're letting it go, often the answer is just not right now. Like with your retreat and that relief. I've had so many experiences where like, this thing, this new thing, I really want to do it. And then... Lyric Kinard (41:22.245) It's just not working and often letting it go is a huge relief and then kind of... these beautiful things, these beautiful gifts that the universe gives us when the time is right, then it happens and then it flows and then it's easier. Claudia, I appreciate so much the time that you have gifted us with and your wisdom and sharing. It's a vulnerable journey that you've shared. So thank you for being so real with us. One of the things I love to ask all my guests because we're all creative, Lyric Kinard (42:04.174) and makers and it doesn't have to be a thing with your hands but what is just for fun what is the last thing you made Claudia Squio (42:16.079) The last thing I made was a book because my last project was making a course teaching how to do fabric book covers using the technique that we use. So I made several of them last week and I also made a different book with cross stitch on the side binding and we also have a box that can fit the book and stuff like that. So that was the last thing that I made. Lyric Kinard (42:42.792) so many fun layers. sounds like so much fun. If you have a picture, you can send it and we can stick it on the blog in the show notes. Where can people find you, Claudia? Claudia Squio (42:53.339) Right. perfect, thank you. Well, our website is colorwayarts.com. And on the website, you're going to find everything from page with videos where you can see basic videos about the technique. You're going to find my story. You're going to find a blog. Also our shop, we found the DIY kits and fabrics. And you're going to find information about my club, this membership that I said that we have different plans. And we also have teachers lyric. also grow to have, we have maybe 20 teachers that are certified and they're teaching local classes around the US. have several, yeah, I have several shops that are now selling wholesale. And next year as my kids now are going to college, one is already there and the other one is going next year. So then I'm gonna start going to big shows. I want to go to Houston and start selling like. Lyric Kinard (43:35.737) that's fantastic. Claudia Squio (43:53.072) go bigger than now I can. I have space, I'm like more myself, like more in my place so that that's time for that as well. Lyric Kinard (44:03.558) That's fantastic. And people, sign up for our newsletter. That's always the place to really closely connect with somebody. Well, thank you, Claudia. We will have all of these links in the show notes. And friends, if you have a moment, it is such a gift to us. If you're watching on YouTube, like and subscribe, you know that thing. Sign up for our newsletter at the Academy for Virtual Teaching. Claudia Squio (44:07.821) yeah. Lyric Kinard (44:31.768) or leave a review where if you're listening to the podcast, it really helps people find us and helps us spread this. this beautiful community of creatives who have the soul of a teacher and who are willing to spread your joy and the beauty farther and farther into the world through our online offerings. Thank you so much, Claudia. Claudia Squio (45:01.979) Thank you, Lyric, and I also want to thank you because you support me so many times also with your program. So help me to spread the word about this technique that is new. I also, I was always figuring out so, so ways of sharing and you helped me also with this. So now I'm here again. Thank you so much from the bottom of my heart. Lyric Kinard (45:23.688) You know, it's, we do this for each other. It's a beautiful community. Creatives are wonderful people and you all make the world a better place. So don't stop. Keep creating my friends. We'll see you next time. Claudia Squio (45:31.973) Yes, absolutely. Thank you. Thank you. Bye.