Check Out Bridgette DePolo’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Bridgette DePolo.

Hi Bridgette, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I’m Bridgette DePolo of Woven in Creative. Woven in Creative began as a branch off of my nonprofit organization Woven in Refuge! Refuge exists to empower influencers in the entertainment industry to live a thriving life through mentorship, life coaching and ongoing encouragement and support. As the lockdown of 2020 began I needed a creative outlet as I was unable to continue meeting in person. I also wanted another way to support those artists as they had been dramatically impacted by COVID 19. I started doing macramé and with my love of fiber arts from a young age it came to me very naturally!

Because of COVID my husband and I moved from LA back to Colorado! Although Colorado isn’t my official “home” (where my immediate family is) it has always been home in my heart! Our friends who are like family are here which made the start of Woven in Creative amazing because I had so much support from our community!

I started making family and friends macramé gifts and soon they encouraged me to try and sell them! In March of 2021 I decided to take the risk and start Woven in Creative and began selling my pieces on Instagram! The first day I posted I had 2 purchases, which was incredibly encouraging so I continued on!

I am very passionate about creating less waste, buying ethically made things and sustainability all around. When it comes to my macramé I use up-cycled and ethically sourced materials. I love how I can help and positively impact someone through my art!

Another fun addition to Woven in Creative is my Macramé & Margaritas Workshops! I come to the party supplying the materials, margaritas and chips and salsa! These are fun parties where you and a small group of friends can enjoy a fun time together creating something new! Prior to these classes I had never taught any form of art, it has been really fun learning how to help people in something I definitely never thought I would do!

I am happy to give a portion of all proceeds to support musicians and entertainers impacted by COVID 19!

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Woven in Creative has been a ton of fun! I am generally a glass half full gal, and have had that outlook on my fiber art! It has been something I do as a creative outlet and something I enjoy! It has definitely not been a smooth road, quite literally in a way, when we were uprooted from LA we were moving, staying with friends and family and haven’t had a place of our own in over a year. We are hoping to settle in Colorado and find our own space in the coming months! That has meant getting creative with where I work on my projects, where I store my materials and how I go about it all together! There is always a learning curve when you are trying something new! I’m still learning how to price my pieces, what to charge for my events and how to do pop up events in a way that is bringing in money versus overspending!

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I create Macramé, Weavings & Macraweaves (a combination of the two)! I love creating wall hangings, plant hangers and custom pieces! I am very proud of the quality of materials I use. They are so beautiful and I believe you can really see the difference from other macramé art. I love that you can purchase proudly and know that the person who made the cord and rope is paid a living wage and is able to support their own family with their craft and career! I love how the items I up-cycle could have ended up in the landfill, but they are getting a second life and hopefully bringing joy to their new found home! One of my favorite up-cycled items are my Colorado flag weavings! These are a variety of sizes and shades of colors! These make great wall hangings and even can be super fun ornaments!

Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
I feel so grateful for the AMAZING support I have had from my husband, my friends, family and Colorado community. My husband is a master encourager and he has been so supportive and encouraging for me to keep on creating, doing pop up events and my workshops! My friends and family have been so kind in their support on social media, commissioning me to do custom pieces and even letting me host Macramé & Margaritas with their communities! My community here in Colorado has been amazing, helping me to host events, showing me different pop ups, being my photographer, borrowing cars to shuttle everything to events, coming out to events and beyond! That has been my luck, I wouldn’t be able to do Woven in Creative without the support of these amazing people in my life!

Pricing:

• Macramé & Margaritas Workshop $65 a person with 5-7 people

Contact Info:

• Email: bridgettedepolo@gmail.com
• Instagram: WoveninCreative

Image Credits
Cheyenne Thomas