COMMUNITY STORIES: JONALIE ZAMORA
The story behind my shop name is fun, and represents three things about me! “Little Artsy Aloe.”
I LOVE tiny things. There’s something about reaaaaaally small things that just add to how cute they are. Along with that, I’m a total shortie!
I’ve dabbled in many art forms prior to crochet, including: writing (stories, plays, songs, and poems), dancing, acting, drawing, animating, singing, sewing, origami, and playing the ukulele and piano! You’d be surprised how much these art forms have in common.
Aloe isn’t my name, so why do I use it? It’s a nickname I got from a friend whose phone kept autocorrecting to “Jon Aloe.” I’ve always adored plants and flowers and naturey things, so it stuck with me after all this time!
My aunt tried to teach me to make granny squares. It wasn’t until my senior year of high school where I finally got a hang of crochet!
I remember making a simple black vest for my first project (inspired by my favorite video game, Omori). After that, I tried making a jumbo bee plushie, and that’s where my crochet career began!
My classmates and teachers kept asking me to make things for them, and after that, I’ve never stopped.
It went viral on TikTok around late September 2023. The Surprise Bouquet Blanket is my brainchild, so to speak. In March of 2023, I started dreaming of this blanket that rolled up into a bouquet that would decorate my couch! I released the pattern on my birthday, and I'm so happy to see how my work was able to inspire others to make their own cool blankets!
My professors had been pushing for me to visit the 707 Hub on campus, and it wasn’t until I heard about Student Made Marquette that I finally had the courage to check it out!
I remember being so excited to meet the other artists on the Marquette campus, and I was really inspired by the energy and creativity each creator carried.
The Student Made community has been one of my biggest supporters in growing my business, and I’m so thankful to have the opportunity to work with them! Everyone has been so friendly, and it’s clear that Student Made truly places an emphasis on helping student creators navigate the online marketplace.
And it’s so nice to know that I’m not alone while trying to figure things out!
The Student Made community continues to inspire me, and the people I’ve met along the way help me feel like my dream is within reach!
I hope going forward, I can continue to learn more from other artists within this community, near and far, and I’m excited to see just how much we can all achieve together!
Submit the form in your Resource Portal to let us know your interest in sharing your journey with our Student-Made community— whether you’re a Creator or Manager! We’ll be in touch with you soon about helping you craft your inspiring story.
