How a hobby became a business

When the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the world, it opened a creative door for one N.C. Central University student.

What began as a quiet hobby during quarantine evolved into a flourishing business with more than 25,900 Instagram followers and a growing presence in the handmade art scene.

Riley Williams, a mass communication senior, didn’t set out to become an entrepreneur.

“I was inspired by all the content that was coming out during the pandemic, but I was scared to be on camera,” she said. “I only showed my hands in videos.”

Despite her initial hesitation, Williams quickly fell in love with content creation—particularly video editing and filming her artwork. Overtime, her confidence and passion grew, leading her to officially launch Riley Rose Studio in October 2023.

“I told myself, ‘Okay, I need to actually put my face in front of the camera and take this seriously,’” she said.

Williams described herself as a “self-employed artist.” Her work ranges from animal paintings and stars to handmade bookmarks, stickers and sculpted charms that she turns into magnets or jewelry.

“I like to make silly paintings of wiggly cats,” she said with a laugh. “I just make whatever I’m feeling at the moment.”

Balancing a business with being a full-time college student is no small task. Riley credited her success to strong time-management and a lot of black coffee.

“I’ve sacrificed a lot of social time,” Williams said. “I don’t really party or go out. I’ve spent the last two years at home in my art studio making art, filming myself, or editing videos. Last semester, I had an internship at Duke while taking classes full-time and selling at art markets.

“That was truly the most hectic and busiest time of my entire life.”

Still, she wouldn’t trade the experience. Her journey as a creator and entrepreneur has been deeply shaped by what she’s learned in the classroom.

“I came to NCCU specifically for the Mass Communication program,” she said.

She wanted something that blended social media, marketing, business and writing. Two courses made a lasting impact.

“Technical Writing with Professor Michael Healey reshaped how I think about writing,” she said. “Introduction to Mass Communication with Professor Brett Chambers made me start thinking about personal branding and taking myself more seriously.”

With a large and growing following online, Williams said she’s still surprised by how far her content has reached.

“Honestly, I have no idea what the key to my social media growth and engagement is,” she said. “I’m still shocked people want to watch me sculpt clay or paint little pictures.”

One thing she does know is that authenticity matters. That mindset, focused on showing up, creating freely and embracing imperfection—has helped Riley Rose Studio flourish in a competitive digital landscape.

And she’s just getting started.

“I’d love to do this full-time one day,” she said. “That would be fantastic. I don’t know how realistic it is with the way the economy is right now, but I would love to do that.”