About Us, History, Social Media, Spread the word, Store news - August 05, 2016

Why I started Clever Element

Why we need your help

Thank you for visiting Clever Element and signing up for our newsletter.

It's been an exciting few months since we opened (Almost 9 months already, WOW!) but now we could use a hand in getting the word out. The feedback we get from our visitors is priceless to our artists as we all grow together and if we can spread the word that we're here, we can continue to support independent artists everywhere! We continue to spread our message of the opportunity to self-sustain, but adding your voice to our cause could be life-changing.

Below you'll learn a bit more about our journey thus far, but in the meantime if you loved our shop as much as we loved sharing all our artists stories with you, please leave us a review on Yelp, Facebook, Tripadvisor or Google+. Share our message with your friends on Instagram or Twitter.

How we started

In September we first got the keys to a pretty beat up space. Friends and family came together to renovate. We were pulling 10-15 hour days trying to build our dream and have it be ready to open by November 1st, the Bi-Annual Carlsbad Street Fair.

You can watch a video of the transformation on our YouTube channel here.

We've come a long way in a short time but there's still more to do!

All because we want to help artists! And bring unique items with a soul to our local community and the world. We've grateful for all the amazing locals and visitors we've had the privilege of meeting. Our artists range from intuitive to classically trained, bohemian to sophisticated and everything in between.

We're not done yet!

Every week we are constantly hunting for new art, collections, artists, fair trade artisans, and innovative items that add value. It was important to me to have a kid's section for example, a place to bring high quality toys, puzzles and games for kids and families. We're always looking for US-Made or Fair Trade STEM-related options to encourage growth and creativity in our next generation. For jewelry, we like to bring in a variety of styles and mediums - salvaged materials, Tagua nut, Sterling Silver, Stainless Steel and more. Even something as simple as a greeting card can be done with sustainability and value in mind - our Quilling Cards practically require you to frame them and our Grow-a-Note cards are 100% Biodegradable and will grow wildflowers when planted.

Our philosophy: Shop Meaningfully

Or why I got into this...

I wanted to start this shop because I strongly believe in the power of Opportunity. Opportunity for Artists, both locally and around the world, to self-sustain through their craft, to get the opportunity to grow and perfect their craft and to share their passion with the world.

Clever Element provides opportunity by welcoming in artists from here in Southern California to artisan co-ops from India, Guatemala, Romania, Nepal and more. For all our Artist Partners, we provide a monthly report with all your feedback to help them grow and perfect their craft. We focus on the business side of things so artists can focus on their creativity.

Items we buy have been reduced to just being "things" in our life that clutter and confuse. But at Clever Element, I wanted everything to be meaningful; a meaningful part of your life but also a meaningful in the sense of a shared journey of creation. From an artist's inspiration to your closet or living room or as a gift for a loved one, you are sharing in that item's journey by sharing in the artist's story. That's why we have Artist biographies throughout our space.

Honoring our Artists

It was important to me that we honor our artists and their craft. So we designed the space to be more like a modern museum rather than a retail shop. Our team is trained to be more of a guide than a pushy salesperson. Everyone that works here is excited to share interesting bits of information about each of our artists and their items.

We also love to have our artists on-site to interact with our visitors directly. Every 4th Thursday, Carlsbad Village hosts an Art Walk which is a great opportunity to meet our artists in person and learn more about their art. Jen from With Love Wrap Bracelets demonstrates how she makes her beautiful bohemian wrap bracelets, while Barbara of Barbara Bear Jewelry likes to host short tutorials on how to best care for your jewelry with average household items!

Spread the word!

Thank you again for being a part of our journey. Please help us grow and reach more people that share your philosophy and love of handmade, sustainable, fair trade, creative works.

So if you loved us as much as we loved having you visit, please don't hesitate to leave us a review on Yelp, Facebook, Tripadvisor or Google+. or share our message with your friends and followers on Instagram or Twitter.