When did you start your business www.creativequeen.com? What's the best thing about working for yourself?
I started Creative Queen Enterprises about a year and a half ago. It was really precipitated by my move to the west coast and the incredible surge of creativity I experienced with the move. The best thing is the utter freedom to do my own thing, and the knowledge that I am directly affected by every move and decision I make. There is nothing like choosing to work from 1 p.m. to midnight rather than 8:30-5:30, and not having to ask permission.
I really do not react well to someone else's rules, and this way I set my own and adjust as needed! Also seeing ideas come to fruition is the most rewarding thing I have ever experienced. I get a charge when I see my words in print in a magazine or newspaper, my story on television, and now also when I spot someone wearing one of my T-shirts.
The T-shirts have a pink crown, slightly tilted on them? Explain the symbolism of the tilted crown.
There indeed is symbolism to the slightly tilted crown and I am so glad you have asked about it! First of all, I think every little girl and woman either secretly or not-so-secretly would love to be a Princess for a day. When I was starting out with this idea I wanted to have the title The Queen of All Things Creative, because I am involved in radio, television, writing, editing, and so-on. It was an all-encompassing sort of title, and then when I saw the crown that my designers came up with, I knew it had to be printed on to T-shirts so that ladies of all ages could indeed be a Princess or Queen for a day. I think all women should be treated like queens, regardless of size, shape or ability and I have adopted this as my personal symbol. But with me, no matter how prim or proper something is, or how perfect-looking it starts out, I am a bit if a goofball so within minutes the perfect cardigan might be a bit disheveled or maybe even have a small stain on it, and if I was to wear a crown it most definitely would not stay on straight.
Things always get a bit of a unique "Tamara touch" when I put them on! As a matter of fact I recently attended a theme party and wore a crown and was quite pleased to see that this was true - in every photo my crown is slightly tilted, even though I swear I put it on straight at the beginning of the night! My other T-shirts also feature empowering, energizing, pro-woman slogans. I offer these so that the girls and women wearing them will feel empowered and motivated and also to give them the opportunity to share those thoughts with the world. I don't think you can see a girl wearing a "fueled by 100% clean burning girl power" T-shirt, or a tiny baby wearing a onesie that says "one life" and not walk away with a smile on your face, thinking about what that message means to you.
Part of the proceeds of the sales of your T-shirt line goes to the Arthritis Society (Canada). Briefly explain the importance of supporting the Arthritis Society.
It is so very important to me that people with ability and luck on their side who become successful, share that with those who need it. It was definitely built in as a feature of my business when I first started out that a portion of proceeds would go to charities. It was also natural that because the Royal*T line, my first offering through Creative Queen Enterprises, featured my own personal symbol (the aforementioned slightly tilted crown), that some money from sales of the tees should support research into the disease that likely gave me my difficulties but resulting pluck and determination in the first place.
I do plan on offering other items and lines from the Creative Queen Enterprises Inc. company (www.creativequeen.com) and each will have an associated charity, but Royal*Ts will always give to arthritis-related charities.
