Meet Casey O’Shea | Artist + Mama

We had the good fortune of connecting with Casey O’Shea and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Casey, is there a quote or affirmation that’s meaningful to you?
“You can do hard things”

Everything is hard. Life is hard. Motherhood is hard. Getting out of bed some days is hard. Owning a business is hard. Learning and unlearning things that break cycles and then applying those things in your marriage, friendships and raising children; is hard. But we do it. We do hard things. “We can do hard things” is what I told myself when my son was born, its what I tell myself now that he is five and when everybody is tired and overstimulated and we’re all done with the day, its what I tell myself when I feel like I have no idea what I’m doing or I’m intimidated by people who have ran a business longer than I’ve been alive, and it’s what we tell our son every time he feels he can’t do something or when he feels too small. It applies to everything. Owning a business or just being a human being. At some point, we were doing something for the first time. And it was hard. But we can do hard things.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’ve always been an artist. I’ve always thought different, looked at things different, saw things in colors and shapes instead of black and white words on page. Acrylic painting is my first love. Before ‘Love Your Mother’ I dabbled in portraits of people and animals and landscapes. I was born to create. I went to school for many different things, many changed majors, many passed up opportunities academically, ultimately because none of them brought me joy. I even changed my major to graphic design at one point, plans on transferring to an renown art institute but the art professor I currently had told me I was no longer allowed to paint as I pleased. That I had no direction, my work was messy and it lacked what it took to be remembered. So I left that day. I quit art school. And I started bartending and I loved it. Not only did I love it, but I was good at it. I was good under pressure and I was even better with people. It was almost art to me.

Fast forward almost 10 years, I’m happily married and have had a kid. Another one of my best friend’s birthdays was coming up and she’s always been that thoughtful friend that always hand makes gifts so I was like “ok we’re making something for her this time”. I found little emerald gems in my jewelry box that matched her engagement ring, dried some flowers from our backyard and took some of my husband’s surfboard epoxy and made the first pair of earrings. I had no idea what I was doing… this was the first pair of earrings I had ever made and looking back now…. they were so god awful. But at the time I was like “hey these are cute I’m gonna make some for me too.” SO, I did and I wore them every day to my bartending job. One day at that job, a lady offered me a pretty good amount of money to buy them out of my ears. I was shocked. So I went home and made a few more pairs., just in case it happened again. And then it happened again. And again. And again. I remember telling my husband “this is going to be something, I feel it. Just trust me.” And then I found myself making more than a few pairs. I. found myself making custom earrings. Then I started an Etsy shop and I was shipping earrings everywhere. Then I got into my first local store. Within 6 weeks, I had gotten an LLC and I was a real business according to the state of Florida. I had no idea what I was doing but I found myself in several stores across the county and even the central part of the state. I can’t remember if it was my birthday or Mother’s Day one year, but regardless I felt more loved than I ever had because my husband and son planted an entire garden of the flowers I used most. So we, as a family, grew the flowers, pressed the flowers and preserved the flowers. I eventually made my own website, steering away from Etsy. And then decided to do my first pop up event. That was a turning point. It was so much fun and I met so many people who really appreciated what I was making. I had the freedom to make whatever I wanted and people actually bought it, despite my inner dialog asking why. Eventually, I got to a point where I felt complacent. It was hard to keep up with bartending, making the earrings and being a fully present wife and mother. Wearing so many hats, made it difficult to travel and to do the things our souls needed. I knew at that point, I had the potential to make this into a career and possibly into something more than that, but I was scared. Around the time my inner heart strings were being pulled, my husband received a job offer we couldn’t refuse in Colorado, our happiest of places, and to this day, making the decision to leave our family, friends and the job I loved and worked for 10 years of my life behind, is the hardest part of the story. But we did it. We took the leap, moved across the country, and that’s when all the doors started to open. I started wholesaling to stores across the country. Love Your Mother is currently in 16 stores across the United States and counting. I do farmers markets , artisan markets, street fairs, and pop ups 2-3 days a week and I’ve had the opportunity to not just make just earrings, but expand to literally anything and everything I possibly want to put flowers on. I went from making just earrings, to all jewelry, to hair clips, to sunglasses, to hats and purses and now vintage clothing. Love Your Mother and all of its odds and ends are proudly sustainably sourced, upcycled, and packaged with eco friendly materials. The majority of the flowers are ethically sourced throughout Colorado, most of which are homegrown. Each and every piece comes from the bottom of my little mama heart; and each and every piece comes from mother nature, herself. Love Your Mother is made with every color, shape, age and species of flower or plant I can get my hands on. They are meant to be worn by every color, shape, age and species of human that can get their hands on them. They are meant for a first pair of earrings, they are meant for birthdays, they are meant for weddings, or girls night, or music festivals, they are meant for dancing in the kitchen, coffee dates, work meetings, running errands, treating yourself, and any other big or small occasion where you want to feel like you.

I think often of the college art professor that told me I had no direction, and that my work was messy and it lacked what it took to be remembered. My flowers just keep growing and growing.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Hopefully that friend is visiting in the winter, if that’s the case we’re going snowboarding. We love being in the mountains on a powder day. For the most part we cook at home but if do go out, we love Georgia Boys BBQ (tastes like the dirty south) or Urban Field for pizza (bring back the giant mozzarella stick). If we can, we’re going to concerts at Red Rocks or Dillan Amp. We also love going to breweries. The ones we frequent the most are definitely Wibby, Prost and Weldwerks. Some of the best beer in the country accompanied by some of the prettiest views.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I was lucky enough to grow up with an extremely talented and supportive family when it came to art. My mom and my sister are incredibly musically inclined. As is my dad, who also gave me my creative spark and my funny way of looking at things. It didn’t really matter what it was, there was always something clever to say about something and make other people think.

I also want to dedicate this shoutout to my high school art teacher. I would not be where I am, if it had not been for her. I think about her impression on me often, and hope to make half the imprint on someone else one day, as she did for me. I never knew what I was truly capable of until she pulled it out of me.

My husband and my best friend have always encouraged me to pursue art as a career. I knew art was my passion and purpose… I just always had “but ok what if it doesn’t work out?” And “who would actually buy my art” living rent free in the back of my mind. They sounded like broken records to me, up until they didn’t. I owe both Taylor and Lindsey most of who I am. I owe everything else to my son. Everything I do is for him, everything he is, saved me. Looking at the world through his eyes, makes me fall in love with light and colors and shapes, all over again. He makes being an artist easy, as he is the greatest thing I’ve created yet.

Website: www.love-your mother.com

Instagram: @love__yourmother