Inspired Temples

I've had a dream in the works for a few years now, the creation of a line of collectable temple sculptures. I felt pressed to get more serious and started making real progress earlier this year.

Part of the problem with this idea is my own lack of artistic skills. I can't sculpt and (I found) I have a hard time explaining the vision in my head. I found a sculptor, Logan Iverson, who was willing to collaborate with me. I decided it would be a good start to do the Manti Temple first and sell it at the Mormon Miracle Pageant to a ready customer pool of temple loving people.

After my application for a booth at the pageant was accepted I expanded my product line to included some of the photography work of my friend, Keli Blain, and some hand stamped jewelry I had designed and created.  This was a major multi-month en devour and it required the help of many extra hands (and many hours of neglected children) to pull it off.

It was a very spiritual time, where I was receiving promptings and directions almost daily.  I felt very passionately about this project and I had high expectations that the products would sell well and it would create the initial funding I needed to launch my new business, Inspired Temples.

Logan and I worked to perfect the piece, meeting multiple times. When it was finished it was lovely, but I still felt I hadn't quite captured the complete essence of what I was trying to create. I fasted and prayed, with concern, and felt strongly prompted to continue and invest a large portion of our tax return to have 300 sculptures cast in resin by a local vendor.

In the days leading up to the pageant, I was anxious and excited. I wanted this venture to be successful and I was filled with faith from the promptings I had received.  At the same time, I had invested a lot of time and money into this and I wanted to know it was all going to work.

On the morning of June 20th, Kate, Adam, and I set off for Manti. We checked into our little room in the Manti Hotel and went to the vendor area to set up the booth. Here is how the booth looked:

 I was really pleased with how it all turned out. (Thank you Emilie for your booth design expertise! And thank you Facebook for saving these pictures so everything wasn't lost in the SD card disaster.)

Here are some pics from my Etsy shop that show some items up close.

I wish I had a picture of the adorable square bubble cap pendant necklaces I made that had a copy of the Manti Temple print on them. 


Kate, Adam, and I had fun the next three evenings selling our wares (although they were more interested in getting snacks at the other booths - homemade root beer! - and running around with the kids from the Rhubarb Pie booth next door).  On Friday night we stayed out to watch the pageant. Saturday night we packed up after sunset and drove home.  It was fun to spend some time with Kate and Adam. They had a blast and especially loved watching movies in our motel, buying some new shoes, getting ice cream, and meeting new friends.

After two days at home I headed back down to Manti, this time alone. It was a nice working vacation to be able to sleep in each morning, exercise, watch cable (hello, Swamp People!), eat out, and work the booth.

Other vendors had commented that their sales that first weekend had not been as high as normal. I was feeling the same disappointment, but I was hopeful that things would improve. In order to break even on everything I needed to make about $600 in sales per night. At about $250 per night, I was falling behind.

I was getting a lot of positive feedback on the sculptures and the pictures, but not a lot of buyers. I tried dropping some prices, but the sales totals continued to be the same. On Friday morning I stopped in at the Ephraim Co-Op (a shop that sells crafts and such from a collaboration of artists) and they accepted five of my sculptures, some canvas wraps, magnets, and jewelry to be sold in their shop for a 30% commission.

Night after night of sub-par sales got a little discouraging. I had wanted to sell out of everything and come home a huge success! What was I doing wrong? I wondered if I had misinterpreted my promptings. I did take solice in the fact that I felt that I was where I was supposed to be, regardless of the financial outcome.

On Friday Shem's brother, Richard, and his fiance, Nikki, came to run the booth the last two nights so I could go to Green River with my sisters and my parents to do the River Rampage Triathlon. They were so kind to come and help me out!

I left for Green River that afternoon, grateful for the company of family and ready to think about something other than financial loss for a few days.  When I drove home on Sunday afternoon with my boxes of remaining inventory I was deflated. My dad, being the seasoned entrepreneur, gave me some sound advice and encouragement. However, when I got home those boxes sat in the front room, untouched, for weeks. It was hard to face what felt like a failure and I wasn't sure how to move forward and what to do with all of it.

A week and a half later Shem's little sister NaKy and her two boys came to live with us. We opened our hearts and our home to their need and everything "Inspired Temples" got packed into the basement.

I still feel confident that there is purpose in this experience. I've joked that it was the only way to get me to take 5 days of "vacation" (and I needed it in preparation for the next three months).  If that is the case, I would rather have spared myself all the work and used the money for a trip to Hawaii.

I still want to pursue the idea of a complete sculpture and accessory collection, but right now I don't have the strength or conviction (or money). I hope that Heavenly Father can wait for me or give me the strength to make this dream come true someday.