{"id":33494,"date":"2014-11-14T15:37:40","date_gmt":"2014-11-14T20:37:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.uncommongoods.pro\/?p=33494"},"modified":"2016-07-05T18:23:03","modified_gmt":"2016-07-05T22:23:03","slug":"artists-studio-ronda-smith","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.pro\/blog\/2014\/artists-studio-ronda-smith\/","title":{"rendered":"Inside the Artist\u2019s Studio with Ronda J Smith"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Ronda<\/a><\/p>\n

Studio tours\u00a0are one of my favorite things about being a part of the blog team here at\u00a0UncommonGoods; it’s impossible for me to leave a creative space and not feel\u00a0fascinated, energized, and\u00a0most of all –\u00a0inspired.\u00a0(Okay, and maybe a <\/em>wee bit jealous.)\u00a0There’s always\u00a0new designer\u00a0lingo,\u00a0unusual tools, or interesting processes I discover\u00a0when stepping\u00a0inside a vendor’s creative haven, and my social media-obsessed alter ego immediately\u00a0wants to Instagram and tweet everything I see.<\/em><\/p>\n

Ronda J Smith’s In The Seam<\/a>\u00a0studio is absolutely no exception. From her super-duper mega printers to real life Pinterest-like\u00a0wall\u00a0quotes and images\u00a0to her beloved chair that’s showered\u00a0with eye cut-outs, my curiosity ran wild – and then ran some more. Yet, as much as I adored\u00a0her studio, it wasn’t exactly\u00a0In The Seam’s home\u00a0that got me pumped up for life\u00a0and wanting to run out the door to simply\u00a0make\u00a0something,<\/em> anything. It was Ronda. She led me to not only feel like I took two shots of espresso, but was ready to conquer the world. I was on a high. Ronda’s energy and enthusiasm towards\u00a0her craft, projects, and space was overwhelmingly contagious and uplifting. It taught me that whatever I’m doing in life – I should always have <\/em>that\u00a0much passion for it, nothing less.<\/em><\/p>\n

Meet spunky Ronda J Smith, maker of our Indulgent Foods<\/a>, Elements of NYC<\/a>, and Custom Pet Pillows<\/a>. Step inside her studio and be prepared to feel your creative juices flow.<\/em><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Ronda<\/p>\n

\"Ronda<\/a><\/p>\n

How did you come up with the concept of your product?<\/strong>
\nThe idea came while I was relaxing with my cat, Keywan, one afternoon and decided to take his picture. Inspired by my love of photography and sewing, I decided to print the image on fabric, cut it out and sew a pillow. That\u2019s how In The Seam got started.<\/p>\n

What was the toughest lesson you learned as a young designer starting a business?<\/strong>
\nThe toughest lesson is learning to run the business.\u00a0 I went to school for photography, not business\u00a0or\u00a0marketing.\u00a0 I’ve learned so much and have enjoyed the challenge. I must thank Google and my family and friends – I’ve asked them all a lot of questions along the way!<\/p>\n

\"Ronda<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Ronda<\/p>\n

What are some new skills you are trying to acquire to perfect your craft?<\/strong>
\nI\u2019m working on extending my product line and brand! I want to use my photographs on other objects so I can\u00a0produce more items in addition to pillows.<\/p>\n

What quote keeps you motivated? What does that quote mean to you?<\/strong>
\n“Whether you think you can, or think you can\u2019t, you\u2019re right.” -Henry Ford. This quote means anything and everything you want it to mean.\u00a0 Your thoughts and mindset are more powerful than you could ever imagine.<\/p>\n

\"Ronda<\/p>\n

\"Ronda<\/a><\/p>\n

How and when do you decide to celebrate a victory?<\/strong>
\nI celebrate everything, every step, even the small stuff with a jump and high-five!<\/p>\n

How do you set goals for yourself?<\/strong>
\nI write them down in sharpie on my calendar. \u00a0Once I write it there, it\u2019s pretty much set in stone and I must follow through.<\/p>\n

\"Ronda<\/p>\n

\"Ronda<\/p>\n

\"Ronda<\/p>\n

What are your most essential tools?<\/strong>
\nMy most essential tool is my camera, which is obvious. Besides that, I couldn’t live without my strong sturdy silver spoon, I use the tip of the handle to inside-out the tiny corners and crevasses of each pillow.<\/p>\n

Where do you find inspiration within this space?<\/strong>
\nTucked in my tiny office surrounded by all my boxes and \u201cstuff”.\u00a0 I feel safe and secure.\u00a0 It gives me the ability to concentrate and create.<\/p>\n

Where does down time fit into a day in the studio?<\/strong>
\nIt doesn’t. I\u2019m not even sure what down time\u00a0means!<\/p>\n

\"Ronda<\/p>\n

\"Ronda<\/p>\n

\"Ronda<\/p>\n

Where does collaboration come into play with your craft?<\/strong>
\nI collaborate with someone each and every time a custom pillow is created.\u00a0 Customers send me the image they envision me to cut and shape into a\u00a0pillow.\u00a0 I print, cut, and sew that pillow for them.\u00a0 Custom Pet Pillows are a large part of my business, it keeps me on my toes. And with the cast of characters that come out of my printer, it keeps me smiling too!<\/p>\n

What advice would you offer the you of 5 years ago?<\/strong>
\nLearn to negotiate and don\u2019t undersell your products.\u00a0 You can\u2019t let people take advantage of you, especially when you are crafting a handmade product.\u00a0 Which is tough advice sometimes, because I always want to make everyone happy.<\/p>\n

\"Ronda<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Ronda<\/p>\n

How do you recharge your creativity?<\/strong>
\nI recharge by either taking a long walk around the city, or a long weekend away from the city. I always have my camera at hand, so the work is never far, but it gives me a chance to step away from my studio and get some fresh air.\u00a0 If I\u2019m close to a body of water and can take a swim that helps too.<\/p>\n

\"Ronda<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Meet spunky Ronda J Smith, maker of our Indulgent Food, Elements of NYC, and Custom Pet Pillows. Read how she created her business, how she recharges her creativity, and how a single spoon is one of her most essential tools in the studio! <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":73,"featured_media":33712,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[743],"tags":[1191,910],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.pro\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33494"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.pro\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.pro\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.pro\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/73"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.pro\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=33494"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.pro\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33494\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":48803,"href":"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.pro\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33494\/revisions\/48803"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.pro\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/33712"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.pro\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33494"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.pro\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=33494"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uncommongoods.pro\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=33494"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}