Life and Work with Alicia Clark-Fulcher

Today we’d like to introduce you to Alicia Clark-Fulcher.

Alicia, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I am the creator and one-woman-business behind Spicyheart. I have been building my company for the past ten years and I finally feel in my own skin, with the best of my energy, to share what I enjoy creating: vintage and bohemian pieces that empower the warrior woman inside you. Since ancient times, women (or men) hold tokens to express who they are or to remind them of the path they are walking in this life or past lives. Each piece of SPICYHEART jewelry is unique and tries to connect with your personal story and set your own path.

I was born and raised in Peru. When I was almost 20, I was halfway through college studying Advertising and thriving. An opportunity to work and travel came up and, without a doubt, I jumped on that adventure. It was supposed to be three months and return to keep living my life in the city.

Oh boy! I did not know what life had planned for me. My parents split up, my mom moved to California and just like that, I was in a dilemma: Peru or California? Honestly, the idea of choosing one of my parents drove me crazy! But let me explain something you might not know, if you aren’t familiar with Peruvian culture, you DO NOT leave home until you are married and/or graduated from college. So, that was a thoughtful decision. My family was in shock when I decided to move to the beautiful mountains of Colorado by myself. It was a brave and crazy decision, but it made me who I am now so there are no regrets.

I was all by myself in a wonderful place, I was still searching for the real me, I was a little lost, I wasn’t sure which were my goals and I certainly was not planning on going back to school, yep my darkest secret.

It didn’t take too long, I met a guy from the East coast, we dated after almost two years, we married, and we are still living in this beautiful small mountain town called Breckenridge, our home away from home. Joey is my rock, we became partners in life. We are so different, but we complement each other. He is the one who balances me, the one who pushes me to be better and who I plan to grow old. The most important thing is that he got me to feel part of this country. I wasn’t so much of a foreigner anymore. I started to explore and come back to myself and art started to be back into my life. The darkness was dissipating, and I found myself playing with paint, yarn and finally settle with wire and beads. The process was fun, and I am so thankful for Joey’s patience, for keeping up with my mess while turning our tiny loft into a chaotic jewelry-making studio.

After thirteen years, I can say, I once dreamed of being where I am now, having my own personal studio and designing my own style of jewelry that people are starting to recognize. I am proud of all I have accomplished.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The road was a blast of ups and downs. In the beginning, I was stuck, I could not afford to take vacations, so I was just working my retail job like a maniac. Once I worked my way up and I was stable economically, it was on! Nothing could stop me, I felt super motivated to become the best I could be. I saw the light and I walked towards that, and let me tell you, even in the darkness there is always hope. Always stay positive, my friend!

To test the waters, I open my very own Etsy store, so I was official, at least I felt like that. I started making pop up shop events to connect with other women and sell my pieces. Of course, it was scary at first, but it had to be done. Now, looking back, I am grateful for taking the risks I take and stepping out of my bubble, always proud of my Peruvian accent, and laughing when people try to joke about it.

Spicyheart can be found in different stores, including art galleries, hair salons, and a local brewery. I am slowly making it around the country, and I am working on bringing it to Peru. My focus is to promote “slow fashion” and the importance of being a small business that offers unique and authentic artisanal pieces instead of a mass produce line of jewelry made overseas for cheap labor. If you are special, you should choose something that connects with that.

During college, I acquire skills that served me to start my business in general. Guys! Being a solopreneur, it took some research to learn the steps to meet the requirements in this country, you must do your homework and learn about accounting or licensing. If you are just starting or have a dream, the best advice will be to listen to people that try to guide you, stop being stubborn and take the time to listen. Sometimes, it’s ok to seek help in any way or form. If I could go back and talk to my younger self, I will say “give your best and believe in yourself, nobody else will do it for you, don’t worry if you are on the right path, just focus on one thing at a time. Align yourself to your positive mind and risk it, that’s the strategy to fulfill your vision and be the best version of yourself. Lastly, to stay motivated, wake up and show up for yourself”.

Please tell us about SPICYHEART.
While searching for myself and trying to figure out who I was in this new country and new society patterns, I needed to find a way to express myself. I have a strong influence on ancient cultures and my own Hispanic heritage. My mind, it’s nonstop, I needed to create something meaningful. I want to offer the best experience, that part that you can only find by walking into markets and having real human interaction.

SPICYHEART is the representation of my wild spirit full of love and spice. My mom always called me “Corazon” which is heart in Spanish and then, let’s add a little spice! I am a self-tough jewelry maker, I went to a few workshops and decided to explore and find my own style with metals. Making jewelry has always been my therapy and my escape for overworking myself. I make jewelry to tell a story and to connect with other people. We all have a path we are walking, and I love for you to find a representation of your journey in any of my pieces. Heck! If not a symbol, please takes some of the energy I put into it, I do have lots of that to share.

My jewelry comes in small batches and I am just creating what I enjoy doing when I disconnect from everyday life. I have a full-time job and I am raising my two kids. Spicyheart is my relax time, meditation and self-therapy. The idea of growing is very tempting, but I am here for the long ride and the fun of meeting all of the souls that adopt any of my pieces.

Were there people and/or experiences you had in your childhood that you feel laid the foundation for your success?
My childhood memories are always surrounded by a big happy family, in a big city, where the ocean was my absolute happy place. I never thought I will be so far from it from as long as I have been. I was raised with respect and equality as important values in life. My father was in the military and my mother has a master’s degree in law school, later she enrolled in the army. They taught me to speak up and advocate for others and to accept people for who they are without judging. They are amazing role models and I am so proud of them, even though adversities have a big bond and care for their four children.

I believe parenthood is tough and I feel one hundred percent motivated by my own children. My journey is just starting and there is so much more to explore, create and share. I will always find a way to create something new.
I have connected with so many people, I lost some on the way to becoming the person that I am now. I now understand why I needed to detach from everything I knew in order to find myself, maybe a little extreme being so far from home, but on the way, I understood how important my family is, they are a big piece of the puzzle and the essence of the person I am now.

Stay kind and be the light. If you ever stumble upon a piece of Spicyheart, now you know a little about the hands that create it.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.spicyheartshop.com
• Phone: 970-485-9729
• Email: 1spicyheart@gmail.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/spicyheart
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/spicyheartshop

Image Credit:
Joseph Clark Fulcher

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