They say diamonds are a girls best friend, but in modern times I think it's fair to say that jewelry is a girls best friend. When it comes to Lauren Elan, there is no better friend. I'm speaking in terms of her gorgeous jewelry line as well as her charming personality. We've become pen pals over the last few months and I am so thrilled to offer you this giveaway today! I thought I'd do a little interview with the one and only Lauren Elan so you can get a better idea of who she is, how she started her own company based off a hobby, and why she loves jewelry so much!
Back in 2009 and 2010 I made a few necklaces for friends as gifts or for myself to fancy up an outfit without buying a new dress. They usually involved a variety of mediums that I could find around the house (ie- left over ribbon, broken earrings, a favourite chain, chunks of fabric, etc) and were put together by mimicking the structure of other items I had around. I would even take my creations apart later on and make them into a totally new piece. I had moments of thinking that in my wildest dreams I could make a career doing something creative like this, but those were dreams that unicorns and rainbows frequented. Nothing too realistic...or so I thought. In the summer of 2010 I had a major knee injury as a result of some daring wakeboard moves (that I obviously hadn’t mastered) and found myself on long-term disability from my (active) full time job for 8 months. I had a collection of necklaces that several friends and family members had asked me to replicate for them and after a week or two of rest (and all 7 seasons of Entourage) I finally finished the items, as well as design several new ones. I figured that since I had the time, I may as well create a website that I could send friends to so that they might look at the collection of pieces I had made and place orders with me. I guess you could say things took off from there as I poured my heart & soul into the website (with the help of my design savy sister and brother) and creating a brand for the jewelry line I now call Lauren Elan (my name).
Where do you draw your inspiration from? Each piece is more brilliant than the next, I can only imagine you're creating 24/7.
It sounds crazy, but I usually find my moments of inspiration late at night or just prior to a deadline. Other times it can be after I see a great movie, or spot someone on the street wearing an awesome colour combination. It’s pretty random. Sometimes I don’t feel inspired at all and I guess that’s the challenge of working in a creative field- you have to figure out ways to draw on your creative side when you need to. Other times you just have to quit when you see it’s not working, and get some emails done :)
Who has been your biggest source of support and motivation?
My husband is the best. He didn’t think I was crazy (or at least he didn't say it) when I started filling our guest room with 1000 non-stackable gift boxes, or using our guest room tub as a place to store spools of chain; he just went along with it and gave me lots of encouragement. It really helps to have someone believe in you. Sometimes when I'm really crunched for time, he will help me pack boxes and label them- it sometimes feels like I’m back in elementary school and have a parent helping me with my science project. We laugh a lot and it’s very stress relieving.
How has it been to own and run your own business? Are there any challenges?
I’m learning quickly that owning and running your own business is no small feat. It’s an all-consuming activity that will quickly creep into everything you are doing. I’m a perfectionist and I want to do everything myself; this unfortunately doesn’t always work. The biggest challenge is learning to put the beads down and give myself a break. Sometimes I just want to go-go-go, but I also don’t want to burn out. It's important to find balance.
Playing! I liken the feeling to those days in kindergarten when you got to smear finger-paint all over yourself and every free surface. It’s a lot less messy, but it's so fun to tap into my creative side and come up with designs that involve textures, materials, and colours that I love. The design process is the best. I also love seeing people wear my designs and tell me how the piece brightened their day. That makes my day!
To Enter:
1). Must be a follower of M Loves M
2). Visit Lauren Elan Collections and leave a comment with your favorite piece
For extra entries
3). Blog/tweet for extra entries!
4). Become a Facebook fan of M Loves M or follow me on Bloglovin'
I'll be picking the winner next Wednesday August 17th! Good luck!
xox
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