WORK IT WEDNESDAY: 360° TOUR OF JENNA LYONS' OFFICE

If you're a fan of J Crew, then you're probably aware of their super chic president and creative director, Jenna Lyons. While this is a job most of us could only dream of, now you can take a 360° tour of her New York City office, complete with chevron floors and amaaazing views. Check it out here!

What do you think of her workspace?

IF I WORKED IN AN OFFICE...

I would want to wear every single thing from the Loft Work spring collection! I love how affordable their clothes are (without looking cheap). A few of my faves:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4

CREATIVE CAREERS: CERAMICIST, BRIT MCDANIEL

Today's interview is with my friend, Brit, who I met during my short time living in Austin, Texas. She recently opened her shop, Paper & Clay, and you might remember that I worked on her identity design and printed her business cards. Brit is a talented lady with such a beautiful, modern aesthetic. Here is what she had to say about her creative career.

Have you always known you wanted to be a ceramicist?

No, in fact, when I was a kid I wanted to grow up to be a Veterinarian! (That's what all ten-year-old girls say right?) But you know around 9th grade I realized that I was terrible at math and science, so I sort of let that one go.

I suppose I've always been a creative thinker, and my mom is an artist so I always had exposure to the visual arts, but it wasn't until my late teens or early twenties that I started seriously considering a creative career. I started out in photography, which I really enjoyed, but the first time I sat down at a pottery wheel I knew I'd found my niche.

Tell me a little bit about your education and how it prepared you for this career (or didn't).
I attended the Ceramics program at the University of Memphis (where I will finish my BFA in the Spring). There has been a lot of recent discussion about the value of a college degree to our generation-- particularly one in the Fine or Liberal Arts. Some people argue that if you don’t come out of your educational experience with a specific applicable skill, you likely just washed all of that money down the drain. In many ways I agree with that sentiment. I do think there are many people who can have a successful creative career without the experience of a University program—but they have to work ten times harder to teach themselves, make connections, and to keep up with their contemporaries. It would require a great amount of discipline and an amazing work ethic. While I would definitely love to change some of the decisions I’ve made about my education, I feel that my time in school has been remarkably important, primarily for the relationships and connections that I’ve formed with many of my professors, who are very often successful artists themselves.
Oh goodness, did I get off topic?

Do you do this full time? If not, tell me about your day job (good and bad). If so, when did you know it was time to make the leap into full time?
I’m not selling my work full time yet—but I’m hopeful that it will happen soon! Until recently I was working as a nanny for a fabulous family who was very supportive of my work, and very encouraging as I did all of the legwork for Paper & Clay. I’m really thankful for their support and their confidence in my ability to make it happen. It is so important to have people like that in your life. Right now I’m doing some freelance work in Social Media, but the majority of my time is spent in the ceramics studio.

What are your favorite and least favorite parts of your job? 
I love being in my studio, creating work (I particularly love the chemistry), marketing through social media, meeting other artists, doing research— it is so much work having your own business, but I’d rather work 80 hours a week doing what I love than half that time working for the weekend. My one hated responsibility: pricing. Ugh.

When will you feel like you've "made it"? or what is your ultimate long term dream?
I have some short-term goals that I am working hard to achieve right now, and some long-term goals that are always in the back of my mind. The biggest one is to see the Paper & Clay brand in some of my favorite shops. Anthropology, Canoe, Alder & Co. It’s tricky to say “I’ve made it when . . .”, but I think when I’ve reached the point that I’m able to transition to working for myself full time, that will be the big moment for me.

What has been your greatest success?
Ha! Well Paper & Clay is just a baby, so my accomplishments so far seem quite insignificant when compared with my lofty goals!

What is one thing you did wrong?

My biggest mistake was getting up to my eyeballs in student loan debt. It's a burden I'm going to have to face for at least the next decade. My advice: find a way to go to school for free. I'm serious. Don't pay for it. Find a way. Student debt is the WORST.

Your favorite inspirational quote / mantra:
"Don't think. Thinking is the enemy of all creativity. It's self-conscious, and anything self-conscious is lousy. You can't try to do things. You simply must do things."

-- Ray Bradbury

Photography by AnnaBella Charles

You can learn more about Brit's business, Paper & Clay, by visiting the following links:

Etsy
Tumblr
Facebook

Click here to read the other creative careers interviews.

CUSTOM WORK: PAPER & CLAY

Today I wanted to share a custom project I did for a new Etsy shop called paper & clay that features handmade books and ceramics.

The owner of the shop, Brit Kroner, is a friend of mine who I met during my short time living in Austin, Texas. She wanted an identity design for her new shop that was clean, simple, and modern (like her work). For the logo, I was inspired by the circular movement of a potter's wheel, and the hand drawn element ties the paper part into the design.

After designing her logo, I also printed her business cards on my letterpress with hand mixed gray ink on soft, off white paper.

You should definitely check out her shop if you get the chance - she's got some really great, modern pieces (these aqua cream and sugar bowls are my favorite)! And the screenprinted tote bag (above) is also available for purchase.

CREATIVE CAREERS: PHOTOGRAPHER, JESSICA CHRISTIE

This is the second interview in my Creative Careers series. Today's interview is with my friend and college sorority sister, Jessica Christie, who is a photographer living in Denver, Colorado. Here's what she had to say about her creative career!

Have you always known you wanted to be a photographer? If not, when did you first realize it?

I didn't always know I wanted to be a photographer. I actually wanted to be a ballerina growing up. I however have always loved capturing memories and documented my high school and college years fairly well. When I started college, I started as a psychology major, but quickly realized that I needed to keep creativity a part of my life. I had always loved drawing, painting, music, etc. So even though I wasn't sure what it was, I switched my major to graphic design. While studying this, I had to take a basic digital photography class, and I soon found myself begging friends and family to let me photograph them. Then a friend who was an acting major asked me how much I would charge to do her headshots. A two hour shoot and fifty dollars later, I decided I wanted to make photography my career.

Tell me a little bit about your education and how it prepared you for this career (or didn't).

I got my BFA in graphic design from Marietta College in Marietta, Ohio. When I switched my major, I really didn't understand everything that graphic design entailed. Had I fully understood it, I may have actually chosen to go to a different college for that degree - a college specifically for art degrees. My program was incredibly small with one professor and about nine students, and quite frankly I don't think I got enough under my belt to really pursue design as a career. But that is definitely okay with me! While I think I am good at design, and can pull it off, photography is my true passion. I wouldn't trade it for the world! What my degree did give me though was the knowledge of how to use the programs I need to do my photography as well as design my website and my brand all on my own. I feel fortunate that I don't have to hire someone when I need to design a business card. 

 Do you do this full time? If not, tell me about your day job (good and the bad). If so, when did you know it was time to make the leap into going full time?

I don't do this full-time yet, although I am so anxious to! I am currently working as an Expert for Apple as well. I've been working in retail since I was 18, so it has made sense to stick with it while my business grows. Apple has provided me with a lot of experience on how to present myself and product well and how to have the best possible customer service. I have been able to learn how to quickly relate to my clients and not just be their photographer, but also their friend. Apple of course has also provided me with a means of getting and learning software and my iMac more thoroughly so I know what I'm doing and not just winging it. It is a great company to work for and I am thankful that I have such a great job to keep me tied over. The downside though is time of course. Making time for my photography business can be tough, but I remind myself every day that it is worth it and that my business and my clients are the most important things. 

What are your favorite and least favorite parts of your job?

The best and my most favorite part of my job is meeting and getting to know my clients! I really have a passion for people and a huge heart, so learning about, helping, and just talking to my clients is the absolute best part of this job!  Connecting with people, getting to know them and then reflecting their personality through my lens is such an amazing feeling. Most of the time, I find myself becoming friends with my clients as time goes on. This is why I didn't become a landscape or architectural photographer. I get so much more out of interacting with someone else, and I allow my client to inspire me while I'm photographing them. It's just more fun that way. 

The least favorite part about my job would have to be the administrative aspect - keeping track of bills, contracts, money. If I could do free shoots all day long and still pay my bills, I would!

When will you feel like you've "made it"? or what is your ultimate long term dream?

I think I will feel like I've made it when everything becomes steady and I can leave Apple. The ultimate goal for my business is so big and would take forever to write. I'm sure there are even aspects I have yet to think about too! But I can foresee having a team, doing workshops, traveling, giving back to my community, and even being known nationally. I also want to start thinking about what I can do to keep my business rolling when life comes around. I plan on having a family one day, and I'll need to find ways to keep going even if I can't do a shoot. My biggest inspiration is Kelly Moore Clark. She started out as a photographer and now as her own camera bag line, Kelly Moore Bags. I haven't decided what I want to do yet in that aspect, but I'm sure it will come to me!

What has been your greatest success?

My greatest success has been figuring out how I can use my talent to give back. From a young age, I have always felt compelled to help women find their value, but never knew how I was going to fulfill this dream. Last year, I had a good friend of mine ask me to photograph her as a way for her to mend from a physically abusive relationship and find her confidence again. Before and during the shoot, she shared her story with me, and all I could think to myself was how her story could help others. I asked if I could post her story on my old blog, and it all began. Since then I have photographed several other women and each shoot left me with a sense of awe and amazement. They had found powerful inner strength and a happiness that think I have yet to even understand. I have called these sessions "Overcoming Sessions." They are dedicated to women who have overcome great struggles in their life, cancer, domestic violence, etc, and are a way for women to help women. A community where we can find the potential and value we have. All proceeds of these sessions go to women's charities. You can read more about the sessions here: http://jessicanchristie.com/?page_id=638.

What is one thing you did wrong?

Other than sending a client the wrong invoice once, I am fortunate to not have encountered many obstacles with my photography career yet. And I quickly fixed the invoice issue and found an amazing invoicing system that does it for me! :) 

If you could go back in time and give yourself a piece of advice, what would it be?

Don't wait. I think I got so nervous after I realized this is what I wanted to do, that I just didn't do anything - what if I'm not good enough, my equipment isn't the best, I have no formal training. I doubted myself. Finally though, I shoved myself out of the nest last year, and it has payed off remarkably. I can only imagine where I would be now had I taken those leaps of faith a little sooner. At least now I know, and as time goes on, I can just keep taking those leaps of faith.

9. Have you ever faced pressure to get a "real" job (aka steady pay, benefits, etc.) and if so, how did you deal with it?

I'm doing it right now! haha! I can't lie...it's nice to know that I can expect a paycheck and that my medical bills will be covered, but at the same time, I know it's not what I want to be doing the rest of my life. Also I believe fully that since photography is what I am supposed to be doing, it will be plenty of real" job. :)

Your favorite inspirational quote / mantra:

Make sure to check out Jessica's website and Facebook page to see more of her photos and learn more about her business!

More Creative Careers interviews:

- Fashion Designer, Sarah Mallory

CREATIVE CAREERS: FASHION DESIGNER, SARAH MALLORY

Today is the first interview in a Creative Careers series I am starting here on the blog. In starting my own paper goods business, I have found that a lot of creative professionals have similar feelings and struggles when it comes to their careers. This series will be a place for people to come for encouragement and to read about others with similar experiences. Also, people who are considering a creative career might find these stories helpful. I will probably do about one interview per month. 

First up is my friend, Sarah Mallory!

Sarah is a fashion designer living and working in Nashville. She has worked with Dolly Parton, Jack White, and other big names around Music City. Here is what she had to say about her fashion career:

Have you always known you wanted to be a fashion designer?

I've always known that I would be in fashion! I've been re-dressing Barbies over and over again since I can remember and I started sewing when I was four on my grandmother's floor. Probably not the safest thing looking back for a four year old, but hey it worked!

Tell me a little bit about your education and how it prepared you for this career.

That's what brought me to Nashville. I looked at a lot of schools and after graduating from a HUGE high school I decided that a small college (O'More College of Design) would be best for me and it was. The education was great, but it was the people that I met along the way that have meant the most and allowed me to grow and be the most successful!

Do you do this full time? If not, tell me about your day job (the good and the bad).

I don't yet at least! I have a few times taken the leap but I've decided what my real dream is and that's going to take a lot of capital and time so I'm one of the managers at the Paper Source in Green Hills. It keeps my creative juices flowing and allows me to use my graphic design skills quite frequently!

What are your favorite and least favorite parts of fashion design?

I LOVE to create! I love to make women feel and look their best, feel always comes first! But over the years I've learned that sewing takes such a huge toll on your joints and I'm sad to say that my wrists aren't what they used to be but I have dreamed of opening a store since I was in school and my training in lingerie led me to that dream! My business plan won me the senior design award at O'More and that's where my heart is now. There is nothing better to make a woman feel great about herself than well fitting lingerie!

When will you feel like you've "made it", or what is your ultimate long term dream?

Well the store opening would certainly be part one but I think being able to sit back and know that the store is off the ground and I can just enjoy it all will be my moment of "making it" and having a family and great friends to celebrate it all with!

One of Sarah's fabulous creations on the one and only, Dolly Parton!

What has been your greatest success?

So far, winning the senior design award has been one of my greatest blessings! But I have also been blessed to work with some amazing people in the music industry as well! That all turned my way when I started working for Dolly Parton 3 years ago. That led me down a path of many other calls and lots of great experiences!

What is one thing you did wrong?

Oh geez! Do we have all day?! You have to make 5 mistakes to do anything right. And you can't be afraid to make them either! That's how we learn and know we're on the right path, by failing and picking ourselves back up again! I've gone in the wrong direction many of times, but I just keep changing my sail and moving with the wind. I think I've dipped my foot into a lot of different aspects of my industry and realized what I do and DO NOT want to do with the rest of my life.

If you could go back in time and give yourself a piece of advice, what would it be?

To calm down a bit. Everything that's supposed to happen will. I mean you have to be proactive but you don't have to stress about it. Just let life happen and enjoy the ride, you only get to do it once after all! (And by the way, I still have to remind myself of this a lot!).

Have you ever faced pressure to get a "real" job (AKA steady pay, benefits, etc.) and if so, how did you deal with it?

Not really, I mean I've for the most part always done something on the side but I've always tried to make it something that is still a part of my industry, something that I can still use my creativity with. Don't get me wrong, I have certainly thought about dropping it all at times and starting over but that never lasts more than 5 minutes! I would miss it too much!

What is your favorite inspirational quote or mantra?