But First, My Story

Hi! My name is Erika Schmidt. I am the proprietress/artist/dreamer of Mountain Mantra... I'm very pleased to make your acquaintance! Mountain Mantra is the culmination of pretty much a whole life in the arts/crafts/retail world. I grew up with my mom and dad making stuff and selling it at craft shows, which evolved into retail stores. I was always encouraged to make my own things to sell to earn extra money. So as a little girl I dabbled in everything from embroidery to painting to beading to decoupage... arts and crafts were my world and I loved everything creative.

My first business was called Freak Chic Studios. I developed it around the time I graduated college. I focused heavily on mixed media and jewelry. Freak Chic was my side gig as I worked as a technical writer in the corporate world. What a strange dichotomy I lived for 12 long years: total left-brain technical stress at my day job, while I spent as much spare time on nights/weekends as I could to do creative things. After a particularly stressful 2-year contract that damaged my health and pushed me into depression I made the decision to pursue my business as a full-time job. With the support of my amazing husband, I am now nearing the second anniversary of this big endeavor! I have never worked so hard in my life, but I'm loving every minute of it.

So how did Freak Chic Studios become Mountain Mantra? As I've evolved on my personal journey, my creations have morphed with me. I've always loved crystals and nature, but I've become more and more interested in mindfulness, the metaphysical benefits of minerals, and the mystery of spirit. Nature is my biggest inspiration -- I'm an avid hiker (and blessed to live in gorgeous Colorado since I was 6 years old) and an aspiring naturalist. The mountains are my happy place! Rebranding to reflect my path, both personally and artistically, just made sense. Mountain Mantra has grown so much and every day I get great new ideas that I'm so excited to share.

Thank you so much for joining me. I'm looking forward to getting to know you! There is so much fun and beauty in this world, and it's so exciting to explore with others as our journeys intersect.