Makers Monday: FourSquaredDesigns
Share with the creative community who you are.
FourSquared Designs is four awesome friends (and one Dad) who were tired of looking for simple, yet fun everyday jewelry, home decor and knitted items, so we decided to make our own.
What do you create?
We specialize in handcrafted jewelry, hair accessories, hand knit items, terrariums and other cool things. We love to make eclectic, and sometimes eccentric, little items that will have loving homes. Nature, animals, travel and nerdy stuff: that's FourSquared Designs in a nutshell, and we are always using those things to inspire what we do. We are constantly looking for new ideas and new things to create, as a result what we make is always evolving.
What materials do you use to create?
It really depends on the day. We are all over the place with what we create. But it’s fair to say that we could probably own our own craft store. We are constantly scouring the web for one of a kind beads and art supplies. We also import some items with us when we return from our adventures. One exciting find was wool brought home from Iceland.
Why do you create?
The simply answer is because it isn’t an option. Creating stuff is simply who we are. We all have day jobs, but art is life and our true passion. We create stuff to sell through FourSquared Designs, but it is only a small part of our artistic lives. We are also musicians, painters, writers and filmmakers among other things.
How has your art practice evolved since you first started?
Our first project as a group was making earrings that we were just making for ourselves. We were going to craft sales as consumers and the styles we were finding just weren’t ‘us’, so we decided to make our own. We’ve come a long way since then. We now make so much more. We have also added our ‘fifth Beatle’ who is the father of one of our founding members. He sells his awesome knitting through us as well.
How much time do you spend on your art practice? Is it enough?
The dream is to one day to have our creative endeavours actually pay our bills so we can focus on what we love to do full time. Until that day, it’s not enough. I think it would be hard to put a number on the hours we spend doing what we do, but something creative is done everyday.
What is the most rewarding part of creating?
There is more than one thing. First, I would say just having others get and appreciate what we do. We would always make art with or without outside approval, because we love to do it. However, when someone walks in to our booth or tent and we get a squeal of excitement, we always have to smile. Second would be community. We are all a bit introverted, but when we have a craft day with our team of four we are able to be who we truly are. It makes our friendship stronger. This is increased even more when we attend an event. We now feel a part of the craft and art community, and it’s so nice to know a lot of the other vendors and creatives by name. Third, I would say confidence. By putting ourselves “out there’ creatively, we’ve become more sure of ourselves and in the strength of what we create.
How is your art unique from others?
When we first started out, we worried there were so many other vendors selling jewelry, knitting etc. However, we soon realized that these other vendors were just like us; just trying to do what they love. Every creator puts their own passion and perspective in to what they create, so it is almost impossible to be the same as anyone else. The worry about ‘competition’ just faded away. No one is just like us and we are not like anyone else. Besides that, we really do spend a lot of time finding unique supplies for our art. The world is a big place. Finding the best supplies is a time-consuming art form in itself, but man, it’s worth it.
Do you have a philosophy?
Make what you love. If you love it, someone else will, too.
What does creative joy mean to you?
The adventure of learning something new, getting better at it and sharing it with others.