by QUÈLLYRUE(Opens in a new tab) The owner, Racquèl Dwomoh, offers unique handmade Afro-chic items, ranging from homewares to paintings and accessories. The mixed media apparel line is a personal and ancestral offering of love intended for anyone interested in original, vibrant designs that bring a piece of the artist right into their homes.
Mashable caught up with Racquèl to discuss running a business while being a busy mother of three, creativity, and how Epson’s EcoTank ET-4850(Opens in a new tab) The printer helps her stay on top of balancing the demands of her growing family and business. The multi-faceted, quality-first artist gives her stamp of approval for the zero-waste cartridge and family-friendly tech tool.
Credit: Racquèl Dwomoh
Self-taught monastic and artist
Inspired by her upbringing in Ghana, Racquèl’s handmade pieces combine different mediums, ranging from fabric, shells and beads to acrylic paint. Her love of texture includes sewing and stitching to express the edges of herself, making her 3D art technique reflect unique designs bursting with color. The artist is inspired by her mother’s attitude to make each object unique and special for her clients.
Racquèl taught herself to crochet and with the encouragement of her friends and family, started QUÈLLYRUE as a small shop on Etsy. From there, she began working with the Curly Girl Collective to promote her brand at CURLFEST®. You may have previously purchased her collection at the Brooklyn Museum, MoCADA, and the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem. These opportunities, she described, were great for artists like herself to gain more exposure, build even stronger relationships with clients and sell her products.
Credit: Racquèl Dwomoh
Turning a hobby into a business
Racquèl has been a fiery entrepreneur for over a decade now, driven by her passion and the love that radiates from it. Through her handmade pieces, she enjoys the opportunity to share her art with those around her, inspiring them to do what they love for a living. QUÈLLYRUE also serves as an empowering example for Racquèl’s children, encouraging them to explore new realms fostered by the self-determination that comes from believing in yourself first and foremost.
“It’s important for me to have time with my children,” said Racquèl. “And to see me doing something, creating and being productive, while teaching them how to use their imaginations and creative aspirations. We do a lot of projects together and we also use the machine for school projects.”
As a mother of three children, all under the age of six, setting a schedule and planning are key ingredients to running a successful business. Racquèl uses the early hours of the day to work and plan her day before her children wake up.
Credit: Racquèl Dwomoh
She runs a business with ease from the comfort of her home
Creating an environmentally conscious workplace is essential for Racquèl. Epson EcoTank refillable ink bottles are extremely high yielding and contain no plastic containers, allowing Racquèl to avoid the need for frequent ink replacement. After all, the last thing a creator wants to do when they run out of ink is to stop to replace a finicky ink tank.
“The overall quality and speed of the printer is excellent,” he shares. “The prints and vibrant colors from the ink enable me to print the range of documents I need, from colorful promotional brochures showcasing my artwork to business documents and prints needed for my children’s school projects. With this printer, I can check the quality of my work before offering my customers high-quality prints. This is also key for me as many of my mixed media canvas paintings have a range of textures and dimensions that I want to translate into paper prints.”
Credit: Racquèl Dwomoh
Racquèl creates prints in the form of stationary, postcards, bookmarks and stickers. Epson’s variety of paper options helps it demonstrate the quality of its work and play around with the design before giving it its stamp of approval.
The EcoTank is also quiet, which is an essential aspect of Racquèl’s schedule, as it allows her to print at the dawn of her quiet work hour without waking the family. And as an added bonus, the EcoTank is compact, leaving more desk space to lay out the design for quality or color comparison.
Setting boundaries is the name of the game
For young mothers who want to start their home business, Racquèl advises setting schedules and boundaries to give time and space to hustle and also nurture children’s creativity. But most importantly, don’t be afraid to reprioritize when necessary. No matter where you may be in your own entrepreneurial journey, Racquèl has these words of wisdom to offer:
Be patient, go easy on yourself, stay positive and have fun on the journey.
Check out QUÈLLYRUE(Opens in a new tab) to add a splash of vibrant artwork to your walls, and while you’re at it, make sure you have the right tech tools to never run out of ink while drawing your own business ideas.
