Meet Sam Miller | Enamelist & Metalsmith

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sam Miller and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sam, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Honestly, I stumbled into it. At the start of 2020, my husband and I found ourselves relocating for his job. I was previously a pediatric Occupational Therapy Assistant so I began the process of getting the licenses needed to pursue my career in our new state. This was at the height of COVID, where no one was in office and everything was on pause. It wound up taking me 6 months to get all of my paperwork together to begin looking for work. During that time, I discovered metalsmithing and enameling and poured myself into this new path. I found a passion particularly for enameling and would spend all day every day learning and practicing new techniques. My friends and family were incredibly supportive and expressed an interest in buying my creations. This gave me the confidence to branch out and sell my jewelry locally in Richmond, VA. The grassroots arts scene is thriving there! I found a great community and did well vending at artisan events, which led me to create my business, Sam Made Goodies.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Sam Made Goodies takes the ancient art of vitreous enameling and puts a whimsical and modern take on it. My art doesn’t take itself too seriously. It is colorful and often humorous– the animals talk, the mountains are pink, and the pieces are meant to spark conversations.

I started out in my one bedroom apartment with a baby butane torch. I watched countless youtube videos and joined enameling forums. I practiced my hand sawing skills and torch enameling through monthly jewelry collections. I branched out to sell pieces in local stores, at events, and online. Slowly, I was able to upgrade to a real torch and eventually a kiln! Despite being an introvert, I found that putting myself out there to network helped me with establishing my brand locally and on social media. I received more opportunities for future events, teaching opportunities, and sales by introducing myself and staying connected.

Moving to Mesa, Arizona has been one of the biggest challenges to my business. While the Phoenix area has an incredible art scene, customers tend to be less drawn to whimsy and the events tend to be expensive. I found that leaning into my online platforms and relying less on in person sales is my path forward for the time being.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
The artist community in Richmond, Virginia is incredible. I wouldn’t have been able to get started without their support. I had veteran artisans take me under their wings and invite me to events, introduce me to other artists, and help me establish myself in the art scene.

Website: www.SamMadeGoodies.com

Instagram: @SamMadeGoodies

Facebook: @SamMadeGoodies

Other: Tiktok: @SamMadeGoodies