Jade On "Creating More than You Consume" (13 years old)

Since I was small, my mom would always say this to me, “Create more than you consume.” So if I had nothing to do on a day with no school, she would say, “Instead of buying lemonade from the store, sell lemonade at a stand!” With this advice, in the beginning of Quarantine my need for online shopping was starting to cave in. My mom again said, “Create more than you consume, Jade!” “What does that even mean?”, I thought to myself. Create a clothing brand? Use a sewing machine to make a shirt? I knew I wasn’t capable of doing that yet, so I decided to start a Depop account instead where I sold beaded jewelry.

Depop is a way for small businesses or people who just want to sell their old clothes, to have an outlet. I swiftly beaded my bracelets, bought extra supplies (you have to spend a little to make a little), and took cute photos of the jewelry in order to appeal to the eye. Similar to other businesses, it’s important to get your name out there. So with my small but mighty goal of selling at least one piece of jewelry, I texted all of my friends asking if they wanted to buy a ring, necklace, or bracelet. Many were so kind, and bought a bracelet which I mailed off and marked as sold on my Depop account.

Earlier in the year my dad had taught me all about supply and demand, so I was ready to make extra jewelry just in case the demand was large. Everyday, I usually wear a beaded choker necklace that I make at home. They are colorful, super stylish, and brighten an outfit hugely. Because I was already wearing these necklaces, I had actually been advertising them for a YEAR without knowing. (yay!) The necklaces were quickly demanded by customers, and my supply was ready and I was able to mail the necklaces off in a short period of time. I advertised my Depop account as well on my instagram, and followed other Depop accounts so they could see me. Now, all my jewelry has been successfully sold, and I feel immensely proud of myself! Overall, I’m glad my mom from a young age made sure the saying, “Create more than you consume” was etched into my brain. I now know how to be creative with my time, instead of online shopping and slowly withering away money and more importantly valuable time. Whether or not I continue this fun Depop account, it was and still is a super cool experience to see ideas be brought to life, while others can enjoy them.

xx

Jade