Happy Friday, everyone! This week's interview is with one of my favorite Craftland artists, Emmie Hsu of Fomato cards. OK, I really don't have favorites, I love you all equally, but I will confess to buying a lot of Fomato cards. They make me laugh out loud and are just so unique and for the right person, I know they'll bring hearty laughter. I hope you enjoy the interview and getting to know Emmie a bit better. Have a good weekend, everyone!

When did you start your business?
In 2004.  I was waitressing and daydreaming about starting “my own Sanrio” (I know, very original), and researching here and there.  Someone told me to exhibit at the National Stationery Show in NYC, so I designed 40 cards and went.  It was very exciting.  ‘04 was a decent economic time, and there were many gorgeous, intimidating, amazing stationery lines there.  My booth looked like someone had puked into a corner.  But I got some great orders from retail buyers, and that got the line up and running. 

Describe your studio space for us.
I have a ginormous table and a bunch of IKEA shelves.  On the table:  a laptop, monitor, Wacom tablet, speakers, office supplies, the day’s edible distractions, USB hub, external hard drive, cables, more cables, paperwork, relatives and friends of the other cables, a printer, shipping supplies, water (very far from my laptop, since this has ended in tragedy before), and music equipment.  On the shelves are cards, envelopes, binders and more shipping and packaging supplies. 

There are two spots in the store where I hear people crack up, one is when looking at last week's featured artist, Greg Stone's prints.  The other spot is in front of your cards. They are just hilarious!  Please give us a little insight into your process.  Potatoes, Nobel Prize, Samurai, Ramen, these are far from typical card themes.
Thanks for your nice compliment!  Process . . . hm . . . I have a few hundred files containing ideas/topics.  When it’s time to work, I open several files, look over what I’ve done previously, and revise.  I play with ideas and surf the web or skim books looking for interesting (and true . . . ish) facts.
It’s trial and error, and weeks of furrowing my brow and staring at my computer.  When all else fails, I down a bottle of Don Julio and start making stuff up. 

There's humor in every step of your business. Is it a challenge to stay true to your sense of humor and stay professional? How do you balance that so well?
You are giving me too much credit!!  But thanks.  It’s no challenge at all, since my clients are retailers - they’re good with people, used to dealing with all types, and are easy to work with.  The consumers I sell to directly are also laid-back and friendly.
When writing copy, there’s a line I’m aware of - I don’t want to be dull, but I also want to avoid snarkiness.  This is a big issue for me, so I revisit copy at different points in time, rewriting.  It’s impossible to please everybody, so in general I don’t worry about it too much.  Also, I have everyone’s credit card on file, so they have to be nice to me. 

How does living in LA influence your work and business?
I think living where there’s peace and plenty of food allows you the luxury of being light-hearted and frivolous with your work.  I wonder what sort of work I’d do if I lived in a war zone.
Regarding L.A. specifically, being here makes me hyperaware of how busy people are, and how limited their time seems to be (or is this the situation everywhere?).  Going out can involve 2-3 hours of driving/traffic, so people tend to say no more often, and filter out all but the most important people and pursuits in their lives.  You start noticing everyone’s top priorities and what gets booted out.  I do some work related to this, but I don’t publish much of it - it doesn’t translate super well to birthday cards (not for me, anyway).
Business-wise, L.A. has been great for meeting other design-business folk.  There are so many artists here and people enthusiastic about their careers; it’s rare that I meet someone who hates their job.
I also love that in any big city, you can instantly find whatever activities or enthusiasts you’re seeking.  If I felt like doing a card about [the most obscure thing you’ve ever heard of], I could drive a few miles (and it would take me 8 hours, but hey) and find experts in that field.

 

What do you do when you need some inspiration?
Besides crystal meth, very little.  I’ve never had a problem finding inspiration - it’s everywhere.  For me the issue is discipline.  I’m bad at making myself sit down and draw or write.  I work best after I’ve exercised, showered, eaten and then only have 45 minutes to work before I have to go somewhere.  One could take this to mean that I’m super lazy and anti-work (which . . . I might be . . .).  I like to interpret it this way:  I’m most inspired to work when it’s a privilege and not a chore.  And also when I only have to work 45 minutes a day.
Seriously, though - I love this job, but after all the business stuff is taken care of, there’s little time or energy left for creative work.  I’m working on this issue and definitely want to fix it as soon as possible. 

What advice would you offer to someone who is interested in taking their crafting from hobby to business?
Read business and marketing books.  There are tons out there, but a few popular authors are Dan S. Kennedy, Seth Godin, and Jay Conrad Levinson.
Recognize that creatives start businesses because we’re enthusiastic about what we do - and we’d do it even with no money involved.  This separates us from hard-nosed business people who are 100% focused on making money.  Notice the choices you make, and ask yourself if a regular business person would make the same choices.  Sometimes it helps to think of yourself as two people - the business boss dude, and the artist you’ve hired.  

How did you first become involved with Craftland?
I did Felt Club (a great craft show orchestrated by Jenny Ryan) in 2007, and went shopping during a break.  I bought a fantastic creature from Teresa Levy’s Sewing Stars booth, and we chatted a bit (after she cleaned out my wallet.  just kidding).  She e-mailed me later, suggesting that I apply to the Craftland holiday show.  I did, and I’m so glad!  I'm a huge fan of Craftland and the stellar Craftland crew.

Guilty Pleasure?
Spreadsheets!  I’m in love with spreadsheets and analyzing numerical data.  I just discovered how to use them 6 months ago (I really shouldn’t be admitting that to anyone).  I'm calling it a guilty pleasure because I love to work on them instead of doing actual work.

Happy birthdiversary to Craftland! Please join us on Thursday, September 23rd from 5-9pm for a fete-celebre, bashabration, party time USA to celebrate one full year of Craftland being a year-round store! We have a long list of excitement for that evening which we'll share with you later, but in the meantime we encourage you to enter that date and time into your digital or analog calendars.

Craftland, the annual holiday show, began in 2002. And we're about to host our 9th annual extravaganza of crafts in a couple months. But we also want to celebrate this other incredible milestone of operating as a real live brick & mortar shop. So we like to think about it this way: Craftland was dating for 8 years, but we finally tied the knot last year.

We don't mind if you call it our anniversary, or our birthday, or a civil union observed. But what we really want is for you to come party with us!

I first heard about Rhode Island artist Greg Stones by someone telling me at a craft show, "Did you see that guy down there? The one with the zombie paintings?" After hearing that multiple times, I finally went down to Greg's booth and his paintings were just as great as everyone was saying. I was so excited when Greg applied to Craftland for last year's big holiday show and we were able to start selling his work here, where he's now a part of our year round store. I couldn't wait to interview Greg and learn a little bit more about him and what inspires his work. Happy Friday, everyone! 

When did you start your handmade business?
I started selling my paintings in 1996 right after I graduated from college.  I officially debuted my work to the world at the Scituate Art Festival on Columbus Day Weekend of that year, and though I bombed spectacularly, I somehow convinced myself to continue on, and three years later I was finally doing well enough to buy a car, move out of my parents' barn, and rent an apartment. 

Describe your studio space for us.
My studio is a cramped little room full of hundreds of paintings in progress, mat board, and box upon box of my books "Goodbye, Penguins" and "Zombies Hate Stuff."  Some people might classify it as a disaster area.  And I might agree. 

Your artwork is so hilarious. I always know when people are looking at your pieces because I just hear them giggling to themselves. What is it about zombies and penguins that inspired you to make a whole series of art about them?
I really enjoy using penguins in my work because they are intrinsically funny and innocent, which makes it all the more amusing to pit them against zombies and evil sock monkeys.  Though I accidentally stumbled upon the idea of penguins in 2002 in an attempt to save a winter-themed watercolor that was going nowhere, those goofy birds have completely taken over my work during the course of the past eight years, and people now regularly refer to me as the penguin guy.  I have resigned myself to my fate.
As for the zombies, I saw "Night of the Living Dead" for the first time in 2004, and it occurred to me that zombies needed to start attacking my penguins.  It just made sense somehow. 

How do you balance the creative and business sides of running your own business?
Balancing the creative and business aspects of my work has actually worked itself out nicely.  When I first started out in 1996, I painted what I thought people wanted me to paint, which was essentially photo-realistic landscapes.  This did not make me happy, and it did not make me successful.  In 1998, however, I started adding humor to my watercolors, and not only was I having a lot more fun, but people actually started buying healthy numbers of paintings.  Now it seems that the crazier my work becomes, the more people remember and like what I do.  It is all very gratifying. 

What advice would you offer to someone trying to take their art from hobby to business?
My best advice for someone trying to make a living as an artist is to get your work out there as much as you can, and participate in events such as art festivals where you can actually witness how people respond to what you do.  My interaction with the public has sculpted me into the painter that I am today.  It is also important to be yourself. 

How did you first become involved with Craftland?
I heard about Craftland from the woman who eventually became my wife.  She brought me there on our third date and I helped her pick out a belt buckle made from an orange slice. 

Guilty pleasure?
The first four Friday the 13th films.  Just awesome.

Happy Friday, everyone! This week's featured artist is Laura Berger, from Chicago, whose awesome cards can be found in our stationery racks. I've always been fond of Laura's unique illustrations and chose her for this week's feature because I really wanted to know more about the artist behind the collection. I hope you enjoy reading my interview with her!  

When did you start your handmade business?
When I graduated from college, I was freelancing as a scenic artist & had done work painting backdrops for theatres & doing murals for small businesses.  I opened a shop on Etsy in 2007 which was my first foray into selling my personal work.  Pretty soon after, I took about 9 months away though -- I took off traveling out of the country after my father passed away.  I came back to Chicago & started fresh in 2008 and I'd say that's when I really started working at creating a career with my illustration.

Describe your studio space for us.
My studio space is currently in my apartment, which is on the top floor of a vintage walk-up building in Chicago.  In the summer, it's really hard for me to stay indoors, so I take my work out onto my back patio whenever possible and work in the sun with all of my plants.  My actual studio is in a separate room in my apartment.  It has old french doors and windows.  I work on a big table with more plants that looks out onto a very nice tree, which makes flowers in the summer and bright yellow leaves in the fall.  Pretty decent view for city-living. 

Chicago seems like it's full of creative awesomeness, does living there have an impact on your work?
It really is wonderful.  I love living here.  I find inspiration in daily life, with all of the amazing food & culture & music & art going on.  I meet so many people with insane talents in the most random places.  Cities are great for staying inspired & motivated, though it can get stressful & I do like the outdoors a good bit too, so it's all about finding balance for me. Luckily I live within walking distance from the lake, so I can get a little nature fix when needed.

Tell us a little bit about the process behind your line of cards with your little creatures giving us just right message, like "Everything will be all right" and "You're doing everything right."
To be perfectly honest, I was going through a rough patch and was needing to hear those things myself, and so I was doodling them as a little affirmation.  I figured all of us still need to hear those things, and we don't necessarily have anyone to boost us up when we become adults, so I made them into full-color illustrations & did some prints.  I think a lot about the idea of spreading energy around, so it feels good when I can create something that might make people feel happy or supported or give them a laugh.  

Where do you go to find inspiration to help get you over a creative hump?
Away!  I love traveling.  All varieties of traveling.  A change of scenery is always helpful for breaking through a creative roadblock.  I'm also a big fan of the roadtrip, and I've been known to take ridiculously long ones...sometimes by myself.  So many things become clear for me when I'm away from my daily distractions & just driving.  You can really work a lot out in your head, and then images usually start coming to me once I'm feeling clear. 

What advice would you offer someone who is interested in taking their crafting from hobby to business?
I think the internet is an invaluable tool for up & coming artists.  Definitely be persistent, don't. give. up., and put yourself out there as much as you can. Keep doing the work & don't let your self-doubt get in the way of your progress!  Signing up with a website like flickr is a great way to network with other artists and get feedback on your work.  I also think doing indie craft shows is a really wonderful way to start learning what people respond to & learning how to manage the business end of things.

How did you first become involved with Craftland?
I applied to & participated in the Craftland holiday show last December, and had a really nice experience.  From there, I was invited to sell my wares in the permanent shop, which has been wonderful! 

Guilty Pleasure?
Ok, I've been sitting here thinking through all of my pleasures & realizing I don't feel overly guilty about any of them!  Ha!  um... I guess maybe taking over-advantage of the restaurant scene here?  Too many dinners out, for sure!  I really enjoy it & I probably shouldn't do it so much..oops! but life is short! :)