Life & Work with Elizabeth Hudy

Today we’d like to introduce you to Elizabeth Hudy.

Hi Elizabeth, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
I started my business right after I graduated from college while I was studying for my CPA exams. Donald Trump had just been inaugurated and I knew that Planned Parenthood would be in need of extra support but I had the disposable income of, well, a recent college grad.

I decided to use my artistic abilities to make outspoken designs that I would sell to raise money for the cause. I never thought it would grow to be my full-time job, but five years and a bunch of hustling later, I have raised over $20,000 for various charities, gotten my products in over 250 stores across the country, and successfully avoided a lifetime of zoom meetings and horrible bosses.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I have made a LOT of mistakes. And I continue to. Throughout all of the trial and error, I try to be kind to myself and focus on it as a learning moment. There is no guidebook or step-by-step guide to being an artrepreneur. You don’t have coworkers to bounce ideas off of or ask for advice on how to handle a sticky situation. When I would search online for guidance on how much to charge for commissions or what manufacturers to avoid, I came up with a hot plate of nothing. I am extremely privileged to be able to make mistakes and learn along the way, but many are not.

So most recently I have shifted my attention to creating the resources I wish I’d had for others on this journey. I’m always happy to share the stories of my ding-dong moments as cautionary tales while also being transparent about costs, profits, taxes, etc. Having those moments be used for good makes them a little less painful when they happen, too.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
When the world shut down and I lost my job as a tax accountant, I finally had all of the time in the world to dedicate to my art and what is now my “main hustle”. The pandemic really radicalized me, as it did for many, and I quickly realized that my propensity for using clever visuals to explain complex topics was actually pretty effective at both demystifying these causes, and more importantly, raising a decent amount of money for bail funds and mutual aide orgs. Toni Cade Bambara once said “The role of the artist is to make the revolution irresistible” and I felt that was what I could contribute to these causes I cared so much about. I am tremendously privileged to be only a spectator to many of our nation’s injustices, but that is exactly why I feel so passionate about utilizing this privilege to at least do SOMETHING.

As I have expanded to other topics like self-care, reproductive justice, and income inequality, my goal has always been to make activism and expressing your beliefs accessible and fun. I know there is very little “fun” about actually being in the trenches organizing efforts to combat police brutality or the 100 companies responsible for over 70% of global emissions, but if having a sticker on your water bottle sparks a conversation with a family member about why being anti-fascist is actually a good thing, maybe we can make the job of those community organizers a little easier. And if I can get those stickers in over 160 stores across 39 states, maybe the idea that you should care about what happens to other people isn’t as radical as politicians and the media want you to believe.

I am a huge advocate of resource sharing and putting community building ahead of any competitive edge, so I am really excited to finally have more of the successes and related knowledge to share with other small business owners and artists so that they can hopefully avoid some of the challenges I have faced and join me in making the change (and the art) we want to see in the world.

Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
Success requires hard work AND luck – never discount the value of either of those. The quicker you can be your most authentic self, the quicker people will fall in love with not just your work, but the artist behind it as well. Be persistent. Ask questions. Never let a corporation use your work for free.

You’re better off looking at your peers as motivation rather than a basis for any sort of comparison. Gatekeeping hurts us all. Use exclamation points as much as you want in professional emails. Document EVERYTHING. And please for the love of g*d double check that graphic before you send it off to print!!!!!!

Contact Info:

• Website: thepeachfuzz.co
• Instagram: instagram.com/thepeachfuzz.co