With assorted bowls and tote bags as her canvases, twelfth-grader Maya Frankowski views art as an outlet for self-expression — and as a medium through which she interacts with the larger world. Frankowski shares and sells her art through her Etsy-based small business, Maya’s Makes Market.
Frankowski launched Maya’s Makes Market in middle school. After a temporary hiatus, she began listing new pieces on her Etsy account two years ago.
“I was looking for something to do at the time, and art has always been an outlet for me to spend time and have that inspiration,” Frankowski said.
Frankowski’s pieces range from ceramics and pottery to tote bags and assorted cutout letters; she said she hopes to “have something for everyone.” Her work is done by hand with acrylic paints, and a floral theme is consistent throughout many of her creations. She utilizes bright colors and intricate designs “because I think those are the most eye-catching,” she said.
Around the same time Frankowski revitalized her Etsy account, she launched an Instagram account, @mayasmakesmarket, to further spread her art. As of Oct. 28, the Instagram has garnered around one thousand followers.
Frankowski attributes some of the success she’s experienced thus far to her involvement with Sarasota’s Creative Liberties. She participated in a local art market through the Creative Liberties program earlier in the year, which allowed her to meet and connect with artists and community members who’ve since started following her journey.
“I never expected people to be so positive,” Frankowski said. “I didn’t tell anyone about it for a long time, but when people from school started finding out, everyone was really supportive. I never expected it to grow this much, and I hope it only grows from here.”
Two of Frankowski’s biggest supporters are twelfth-graders Kelly and Lisa Zalewski. The twins met Frankowski through Polish Saturday school in the sixth grade, and the trio’s friendship quickly blossomed from there.
“I’m grateful we went to the school because that’s how we met a lifelong best friend,” Lisa Zalewski said.
The Zalewskis have always known Frankowski to be artistic. Kelly Zalewski recalls a moment when she’d asked Frankowski where she’d bought a painting on her bedroom wall, only to be amazed when her friend revealed her signature on the piece to confirm she had crafted it herself.
However, the sisters were completely unaware of Frankowski’s small business until she revealed it to them last year.
“It’s so cool because I plan on doing business in the future, and she has inspired me,” Kelly Zalewski said. “She’s so talented, and she uses that to make a business out of it.”
“We’re so proud of her. She has big things in her future,” Lisa Zalewski said.
International reach is already a reality for Maya’s Makes Market. Etsy analytics reveal that some of Frankowski’s customers hail from England, Mexico, Germany, and the Netherlands, alongside Americans living all throughout the U.S.
Running the Etsy and Instagram accounts comes with challenges, but Frankowski recognizes the value of the process.
“Sometimes, things get slow. Some days you get a bunch of people looking at and buying stuff, and sometimes you can go a week without anything. That can be discouraging,” she said. “But when you read the reviews and see how some people used your product, saying it was a perfect gift — that’s what keeps me going, making things for other people. It makes me happy that they’ve enjoyed it.”
Frankowski hopes to continue creating artwork well into her future, with an ultimate dream of having her designs sold in local stores on items like vases, plates, curtains, and pillowcases.
Running her business has taught Frankowski invaluable lessons: “Do things that make you happy and are your passion, because you can use that to connect with other people. And never give up,” she said.