Rising Stars: Meet Darcy Barnett

Today we’d like to introduce you to Darcy Barnett.

Hi Darcy, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers?
I got started with macrame at a very chaotic time in my life. In June of 2018, My partner was away in Texas dealing with a family emergency and I found myself alone for about three weeks. One day, at about midnight, I found that my cats had devoured another one of my plants. In desperation, I cut down the laundry line I used to dry my clothes and googled “DIY macrame plant hanger.” At about 3 am, I had finished my first plant hanger. It wasn’t pretty, but it was functional.

I thought I just made a cute little one-off solution to a problem, but it turned out I had just found my next passion. I started consuming any video I could on how to learn macrame. I scoured local stores for books on it, watched short Instagram tutorials, and began following fiber artists of all kinds. I had no money for “real” supplies, so I bought all of my supplies from hardware stores. Eventually, I got better. The hangers started to look really nice, so I started sharing them with friends and family on social media.

The response was so incredibly kind and supportive. My friends and family actually wanted to pay. For something I made! Through their support, I was able to buy better supplies and make even better products; pieces that I was extremely proud of.

With the confidence gained in the quality of work I was doing, I started doing craft shows and markets. As stressful as they can sometimes be, sharing my art with people outside of my family and immediate friend group felt so incredible. Strangers were buying my work and decorating their homes with it, and I couldn’t believe it.

I still can’t. I feel so honored that the art I spend so much time crafting can be enjoyed by others. I’m so thankful that I chose to stay up late and teach myself something new three years ago!

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
A huge struggle in this process has been financing. From 2018 to 2020, I was straight-up living in poverty, in a slum lord apartment that wasn’t awesome to live in. My partner and I had next to nothing, so buying supplies was difficult. I would often pick up extra shifts between my two jobs to buy a new macrame cord. We’re in a better place now, but that was difficult for a while.

Another roadblock I’ve encountered is dealing with imposter syndrome— basically, my brain telling me I’m a fake, that I’m not as good as people think I am and that they’ll eventually find out. I’ve learned that many others, very talented individuals, experience this as well.

For me, it is helpful to remind myself that it doesn’t matter if other people enjoy my work; what matters is if I enjoy it and I am proud of it. To me, that is a success.

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?
I do macrame and fiber art, particularly specializing in plant hangers and wall hangings. I’m known for using a lot of colors, not something that is traditionally seen in macrame. Most people just work in natural white or beige tones.

I’m really proud that I’m self-taught and that I take chances with color; it doesn’t always sell as well as the traditional style of macrame but it really inspires me and brings me a lot of joy.

How can people work with you, collaborate with you, or support you?
People can support me, work with me or collaborate with me by contacting me on social media: @knottedyouth on Instagram, Knotted Youth Studio on Facebook, or by emailing me at [email protected]!

Pricing:

• Plant Hangers – $20-35
• Wall Hangings – $40+
• Coasters – $8
• Keychains – $10

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.Etsy.com/shop/knottedyouthstudio
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/knottedyouth

Image Credits
Nikki White