1. Can you tell me a little about yourself and your studio/creative space?
I was born a dancer. You know how people say, oh I always knew I wanted to be an...artist, teacher etc.? Well, I wanted to dance, and specifically to choreograph. I always loved creating things, and also went through a phase of wanting to be an inventor, but I never thought that I could actually be an artist or an inventor. So I went to Barnard College, and I earned a degree in dance and a teaching certification as well. Thinking that’d I’d go on to be a dance teacher....I still might do that. I still might teach. I’ll still dance. But for right now I’ve decided to go ahead and start with my dream that I’ve always had the least faith in—and so far, I’m loving it.
[Below: Photos of me in some of my college dance performances- photos taken by Graeme Malcolm]
2. If there’s one thing that defines you, what is it?
Oooh that’s such a difficult question! As you could have probably guessed from my answer to the first question, I’d find it really difficult to pinpoint one thing that defines me. I’m sure others out there have a similar story to me, but what they don’t have are my quirks. Those, I think, are what truly define me. But they go beyond 2D description, so it’d be impossible to explain them here.
3. Do you have a family and if so what role does your family play in your art?
I have a wonderful, really supportive, family. They’ve always encouraged me to do whatever will make me happy. They’ve always believed in me, and that has definitely given me the courage to pursue Emmybo Originals. In addition, my boyfriend is also the most supportive person I could have ever imagined meeting. He encourages me to do what I love every day. And he is the company sales director/website creator, so I absolutely couldn’t imagine doing this without him.
4. Where do you live and what is it like?
My real base is Vermont. My parents live there, and it’s where I grew up and I love it there. I’m currently in England for 6 months though, as my boyfriend is from England (we met as camp counselors in America). We have a cozy flat in Birmingham- a city which often gets a bad rap, but I love it and it has more canals then Venice, so I can’t complain!
5. Where did you learn your medium?
I haven’t had any formal art training beyond high school. I often notice, however, similarities between working as a choreographer and as a collage artist. I believe that my dance degree and experience as a choreographer has given me the eye to understand and play with composition in an interesting way when working on my collages. I also learned from watching my mom over the years. She has a degree in interior design, and although it isn’t currently her job, she has always had several creative projects going at once.
6. What are your goals with your work?
To inspire and to provide something that encourages hand written correspondence. I absolutely love giving and getting letters, getting mail makes my day, so I like knowing that my cards are playing a part in that feeling for others.
7. How did you come to selling online?
I’ve been an etsy buyer for a while, and I also used to spend a lot of my time on craftster.org as a teenager. Since being in England, I had been making a lot of cards for my friends and family, and my boyfriend suggested that I think about selling them online. He then helped me to take it to the next level by also creating our own website to sell the cards on: http://www.emmybooriginals.co.uk
8. Where all do you sell?
At our online shop, and also on etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/emmybo . And we’re also starting to sell them in shops now.
9. What is the best piece of advice you can give other artists?
Just do it! Have a business plan, and think about what you really want from this, but don’t let your fears stop you from giving it a go.
10. Why do you think that buying and selling handmade products benefits society?
When you buy something handmade, you’re supporting an artist, and so you know where your item came from. You’ve gained the opportunity to make a connection with the maker of your good, which is lost with chain stores and mass-produced items. And when this lost connection is revived through handmade transaction, a greater appreciation for the product results.
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