After junior Riley Ball was asked to paint a banner for an engagement party, she decided to take it further and turn it into a business.
“I’ve found this business a wonderful way to use my artistic abilities that I didn’t get to use for a really long time,” Ball said.
This was not the start of her artistic journey. She has always been creating art.
“Honestly, I’ve been making art and doing all kinds of creative things my entire life. When I was a little girl, I always said I wanted to be an artist when I grew up,” Ball said. “So when I saw people doing this, I automatically got the idea to do it myself, and I enjoy it so much.”
She keeps her ordering process simple and easy. The customer reaches out through her business Facebook or Instagram page, then they discuss pricing and designs, and finally she sketches, paints and delivers.
“Most of the time, I discuss what the customer’s idea for the banner is first and they will show me a picture of exactly what they want,” she said. “If that’s not the case, I ask them what the theme is of the event they are planning and I base my ideas off of that.”
Painting is not the only thing she does. As a member of the A Cappella and Chamber choirs, Ball keeps her schedule filled.
“One of the most challenging parts of having a business while still in high school is simply carving out the time to do it,” Ball said. “I’m busy almost every weekday after school with extracurricular activities so I have to plan out specific times where I can do the banners, seeing as they take one to two hours for each, depending on the difficulty.”
Her business has taught her many life skills, like meeting deadlines and customer service, that will help after high school as well.
“I handle creative pressure by looking for ideas online to support the vision I’ve created in my head,” she said. “I handle tight deadlines by sometimes working into the night to finish before a deadline or working over multiple days in a row to get a banner to a customer.”
Even though she is only in high school, she has had many moments that she is proud of.
“A moment that always makes me feel proud of my business is seeing the customers’ faces when I deliver their banners,” she said. “It always makes me happy to see their responses and reactions to what I make.”
If any students have an upcoming event, Ball can help decorate.
“I make all different kinds of banners,” Ball said. “I most frequently make ones for birthdays, but I’ve done ones for school events, fundraisers, baby showers and engagement parties.”
Ball plans to keep the business going after high school and to keep being creative in any way she can.
“I plan to continue what I’m doing as long as I possibly can, either until the demand runs out or I can’t find the time in my schedule to allow it anymore,” she said. “I love painting my banners and I am so excited to see what the future holds.”
