Creating a shop full of magic - Interview with Kerri of The Wee Witch Shop | A Creative Life
A Creative Life is an interview series looking at the road less travelled. You’ll hear from artists, writers and other creative practitioners. And you’ll learn about their paths to discovering a new sense of freedom through a creative project or business.
How to create a community (and business) from your passion projects
What started with an Instagram page, some handmade jewellery, and Wee Witch Boxes has turned into a dream business and thriving community for Kerri, owner of The Wee Witch Shop & Snug.
Located in Wishaw, Scotland, the shop supplies crystals, books, tarot cards, homeware, spell jars, candles, incense, and much more.
At only 23-years-old, Kerri has created a welcoming space in the heart of her hometown, carefully curated an abundance of spiritual products and knowledge, gained almost 30,000 followers on Instagram, and created a job that combines and supports her passions.
From her flat in Glasgow, accompanied by her adorable dog Leo, Kerri sits down with me over a video call to talk about her journey with spirituality, community, and carving her own path.
Before The Wee Witch Shop & Snug
Kerri explains that she left home at 17, moved to America, and went travelling. “I was working in bars, food places, and I had different odd jobs. And then I came back home to Scotland just before COVID hit.”
Kerri was planning to go travelling around Brazil when lockdown was lifted. “But then I met my partner and I ended up staying in Scotland. I was working in an office and I absolutely hated it. I've only ever lasted a few months in jobs. And when I was 21, I just made a promise to myself that I wasn't gonna work for other people. It just didn’t work for me.”
“If I'm gonna spend my time and my energy on something, I want it to be something that I truly love.”
Kerri went on a mission to find her passion, and since she didn’t enjoy the traditional jobs she’d had in the past, she wanted to create a job that would work for her.
“I was actually sitting on a train, coming home from work, and I had my wee journal and I made notes and I wrote down all of the things I enjoy.” Kerri scribbled down a long list which included everything from burlesque and social media, to tarot and spells, to magic and the metaphysical. She set herself the challenge of choosing one of these and creating something from it.
The aim of this exercise wasn’t necessarily to brainstorm business ideas. But from there, Kerri created what would become The Wee Witch Shop Instagram page, simply to share her knowledge and talk about the things she enjoyed. Her page gained huge popularity and it snowballed from there.
“I think a lot of it was just luck. Luck, manifestation, whatever you want to call it. I think I got lucky that people took an interest in what I was sharing and it created a space for me to be able to build something. I do feel so, so grateful. I wouldn’t have been able to build a business without it.”
Turning a passion for witchcraft into a successful business
While Kerri was still working in traditional jobs, she started making jewellery to sell online which led to creating Wee Witch Boxes, beginner kits filled with everything you’d need to start exploring witchcraft and spirituality.
After selling her products on Etsy, Kerri created a website. “I had the website for a couple of months and then, randomly, the shop came about.” A space opened up in Kerri’s hometown, Wishaw. It was affordable and accessible, and it was Kerri’s dad who finally convinced her to go for it. Kerri says she’s never been a planner, never been set on a specific roadmap for the business. She prefers to put what she wants out there, see how it manifests into reality, and go with the flow with whatever it morphs into - and so the shop was born.
I ask Kerri how it felt the day she got the keys. “It was quite surreal. It was a really nice moment of, ‘Oh my God, I'm gonna start building something. This is really special.’ And I'd been doing a lot of inner spiritual work as well, leading up to those moments. I had been really focusing on creating a community. And I think when I got the keys to the shop, it felt like a moment of everything falling into place.”
Kerri admits that she was so nervous when the first customer walked through the shop doors that her hands were shaking as she served them. But her face beams every time she mentions the shop, and it’s clear that the space feels like a second home to Kerri.
How to create a supportive community with a fresh approach to social media
When it comes to the day-to-day running of the business, Kerri says the most challenging part for her is the admin side.
“Accounting, taxes, bills, keeping on top of all the things, the parts that aren’t so glamorous. Those are the things that are hardest for me because I don’t particularly want to do them, but they’re necessary for me to keep the business going.”
While social media can sometimes be an overwhelming place for business owners, with the expectation of being constantly active and available, Kerri explains that she loves using social media to share and connect with people.
She purposefully curates a positive feed on her accounts by only following people she knows personally, who live in the local area, or who post about topics that she’s interested in. “I think it [social media] can take a turn if you’re using it for comparison as opposed to connection.”
From a business perspective, social media has been incredible for the shop and it has allowed people from across the country and beyond to connect with Kerri. Through building community online, Kerri and her customers already feel like they know each other when they meet in-person for the first time. She says the connections made, both online and in the shop, are really special.
Branching out
When the building next door to The Wee Witch Shop became available, Kerri knew immediately that she wanted to expand, and focus on creating a welcoming space for the local community.
The new space will be The Wee Witch Snug, a place for healing circles, free spiritual development classes, gatherings, meditations, and activities for children during the summer, too.
“It’s more for me personally as opposed to an actual business thing. I just wanted to have a space where people could come to. I’m sure we will have classes and invite healers and other practitioners. But the most important thing for me is that the space is there and open for people to just sit for a while, or use the cards, or read the books.”
Kerri explains that she often offers free impromptu readings in the shop which typically lead to deeper conversations that can be cut short if more customers arrive. With the addition of The Snug, there will be a more private and comfortable place for those conversations.
“We make such beautiful connections [in the shop] and The Snug will be a wee cosy room where you can go and reflect if they don’t want to go home yet.” The Snug will be a place where people can go and make friends, get some advice, or learn more about how to get started on their spirituality journey.
With the shop becoming so popular, Kerri explains there have been opportunities to move the store to Glasgow. While she knows that the shop would probably do even better in the busy city centre, it’s important for Kerri that the space stays in Wishaw because, in small communities, there aren't as many accessible places for people to visit to learn more about spirituality.
How to find what you love
As I do with everyone I talk to for A Creative Life, I ask Kerri what advice she would give to someone who wants to pursue a creative project or start their own business.
“I think that everyone has the power to create a life that they love and it looks different for everyone. It's so cheesy but I think if you do truly believe in yourself and you do genuinely and authentically love what you're doing, eventually, it will turn into a job, whatever that comes to be.”
“I think I just got quite lucky that it happened quickly for me. But I like to think that if the shop never came about, or if it hadn’t happened so quickly, even if I still worked in an office, I would still be sharing my wee spells and tips, and talking to people in the community.”
Where to find The Wee Witch Shop & Snug
Fancy following along on Kerri’s journey? Or visiting The Wee Witch Shop for yourself? Here’s where you can find out more.
Website: www.theweewitchshop.co.uk
Instagram: @weewitchshop
If you’d like to be featured in A Creative Life, get in touch at hello@sophiecampbellwriter.com
