Photo courtesy of Sandi Henderson of Portabellopixie

When I first stumbled across designer Sandi Henderson’s site, Portabellopixie, I instantly fell in love with the vibrant colors of her fabric collection and the fabulous music that played during my visit. Over time, I discovered that Sandi is not only a talented designer but she is also a friendly, down-to-Earth woman with a great sense of humor. When I recently caught up with Sandi, who had just unveiled Farmer’s Market, a striking, new fabric line, she shared her thoughts about music, starting a business and balancing work and family.

CN: You are the creative mastermind behind, Portabellopixie, a fun, colorful site that’s always filled with music. It’s clear you love music, if you had a theme song for your life what would it be?

Sandi: Oh, can we just do an entire post on this one topic?!  Yes I love music-it was my first creative endeavor.  I have played the piano for pretty much as long as I can remember.  Learning how to read music through playing the piano made it simple to learn other instruments in a day.  Once you have the fingering down-you already know everything else!  I can play 6 different instruments even though I have only studied one extensively.  Music is a huge part of our household and we play/listen to everything (which is probably evident by the broad spectrum of music I play on my blog.)  Except for the angry stuff-that doesn’t make the cut.    I find it incredibly hard to design or work without music playing.  I pretty much always have a song that is my favorite at the moment, right now (don’t laugh!) it’s “Lost Highway” by Bon Jovi.  It gets me up and moving.  Another thing I love, books on tape.  Listening to Harry Potter at the moment-I love them because they are so long that it’s hard to feel like you’re ever listening to the same thing over and over.

CN: What is your first memory of creating a piece of artwork you love?

Sandi: The first craft that I became addicted to was scrapbooking.  I remember how incredibly excited I was when I discovered it!  I scrapped one 12 by 12 page with about 20 pictures on it (trying to get the most bang for my buck-I was a sophomore in high school).  I was in love with paper crafting!  Now when I look at that page, I realize how rather pitiful it is, but I still love it.
 

CN: Tell us a little about your children. Do you involve them in your creative process? Do you try to foster creativity in your children’s lives? If so, how?

Sandi: My kids are amazing.  Hands down the funniest kids I’ve ever known.    My daughter is truly the reason I am where I am.  Before she was born, I was a phlebotomist.  I fully intended on returning to work after she was born, but the second I saw her I knew there was no chance of that happening.  I have always sewn, and when she was born I started making her little dresses and hair bows.  It is truly one of the happiest times that I can remember-having nothing else to do but hang with my kid all day and craft for her.  The first few months of her life during all the crafting heaven, I kept researching ways to add to our income from home.  My husband was in school, not bringing in money wasn’t an option.  I stumbled upon eBay and found that mothers like myself were selling their children’s clothing for big bucks (in my eyes at the time, now I truly see how underpaid these wonder women are!). The search for a brand name started. I wanted something that was a completely new word to avoid copycats.  I have always had a soft spot for Portobello Road which is where the root of my name came from.  I changed the spelling to make it my own and added “pixie” to add a fun element to it.  Portabellopixie was born.  That venture introduced me to designer fabrics and the rest, as they say, is history.  If I had a boy first, I am 100% positive that I wouldn’t be here now.
 
My son is every bit as inspiring as my daughter.  When I designed Ginger Blossom, I thought I had finished and realized that there was nothing that I could use for my son!  Tortoise Plaid was born.  He is also the inspiration for a collection of boy projects and patterns I am working on.  It has been a fun to switch gears and design for boys!  Stay tuned…

CN: Do you ever have those days where you just want to stay in bed with a good book or a pint of ice cream and a good movie? What motivates you to get up each day and get back to work?

Sandi: Yes.  And I take them!  A lot of people have the view that I must be going on 3 hours of sleep each night but I can assure you that is not the case.  I am not the kind of person that can do that-occasionally the late nighter will occur but generally I am a bear if I don’t get 8 hours of sleep each night.  So that’s pretty much the key to my getting up and keeping going-decent amounts of sleep.  But even still, those lay around days still happen and I relish in them and never feel guilty.

 Featured in this photo is the new line, Farmer’s Market. 

Photo courtesy of Sandi Henderson of Portabellopixie

CN: How do you know when you are finished with a design and it’s time to let it go?

Sandi: I just “know.”  I usually try arranging art for one print in dozens of different ways and when it finally works, I have an “ah ha!” moment and smile, save it and move on.  I am usually going on a “feeling” I am working for and tinker my art until I find I have found that “feeling.”
 

CN: When you need to recharge your creative batteries, what do you do?

Sandi: Luckily I haven’t really experienced a creative block yet.  There is so much more to an art based business than just designing.  After I turn in the artwork, there is months of business work to do to promote the fabric so by the time I am ready to get started on a new collection, enough time has passed and my fingers are literally itching to get going again!  That’s where I am right now and my head is overflowing with ideas for the next line.  This probably seems funny because Farmer’s Market has just debuted, but I turned in the work on it about 7 months ago.
 

CN: When you get to the end of your life, what are the three creative goals you hope to have accomplished?

Sandi: Oh I’m pretty lucky.  I’d say I’ve accomplished 2 of them already.  Signing on with a fabric manufacturer, debuting a line of sewing patterns-both of which I have done!  The last goal would be difficult but wonderful to accomplish.  I would love to have my brand continue to benefit my family after I die.  If I were to die today, so would the business.  Look at Marimekko-when founder Armi Ratia died in 1979 the company didn’t flounder.  It is still going strong and very popular.  I’d love to see Portabellopixie or Sandi Henderson have longevity like that.
 

CN: Do you remember the moment you decided to pursue your dream to become a designer? Since that time, have you ever doubted yourself? If so, how do you fight those feelings?

Sandi: Yes, I remember.  Again it was an “ah ha!” moment.  I felt that I had found the way to turn my craft into a real source of income for my family and never looked back.  There are certainly times of doubt-starting a business is not easy and to be successful is based on much more that just your art.  Writing big checks is hard when you don’t have a lot to fall back on in the beginning.  Dustin and I have been very careful to only progress on what we could pay cash for though so if something doesn’t pan out the way we expect, we don’t have to worry about paying for a loan that we don’t have the income for.  Luckily, we’ve been very blessed so far and haven’t lost money.  I wouldn’t say that we’ve made much yet either though LOL, but that also comes with starting a business.  In a few more months, I think we’ll actually be able to keep some of the money coming in.
 
CN: Who has been the biggest creative influence in your life?

Sandi:  Oh boy…there are so many creative people that I admire.  But I would have to say that the one I am most impressed by is Amy Butler.  I read in her Midwest Modern book that her studio takes the stance that every person is worth the time to answer a question, email or call.  I know this to be true and not just words for a book.  When I was selling on eBay, I emailed with questions for her and always, always had a return answer.  I was a teeny person in regards to her, my fabric purchases made her personally about 50 cents, but they always saw that my questions were answered.  It is something that I have tried to apply to my business.  I always try to answer all questions that come my way.  Moreover on Amy, when I finally met her and her husband David in person, they remembered who I was which was huge to me.  So while I think my style is much different from hers, I have watched her trail with much admiration.  I hope that in 5 years people will look at me with a fraction of the respect I have earned for her, which is based absolutely not at all on her success but how she treats the people around her. 

CN: As a kid, I would draw on the walls; sometimes I still do, don’t tell anyone. Where is the craziest place you have ever sketched a design?

Sandi: Fun!  I draw on the walls too.    My bedroom has a big mural type thing that I started when we moved into this house and still haven’t finished.  The weirdest place is probably on myself.  When inspiration hits, I’ve got to get the idea down before it flees my short lived memory!  I’ve been known to have flowers or shapes sketched on my skin.
 

CN: If you were asked to create an original, specialty dish at your favorite restaurant, what would you create and what would you name it?

Sandi: Hmmm…I would probably do a sampler plate of my favorite foods.  If would definitely have Fresh Mozzarella, Fresh Basil and Fresh Tomatoes, Carmelized onions, Spicy Tuna Sushi, really good Chocolate, mango and really good bread.  Dried Apricots with a little sea salt on it (sounds very strange, but it’s so good!)  That’s my favorite kind of food!  Yum.  

CN: Nacho readers are a diverse, creative and inspiring group. Many are balancing full-time jobs, creative projects and/or families. For all those who are reading who may want to create their own fabric line, what advice would you give on how to balance running a business with raising a family?

Sandi: To make sure that your family is really on board.  It takes support from your loved ones to make it work!  Set priorities, realize you can’t do everything.  When you can afford it, hire help!  Don’t go into debt; only take on what you can realistically accomplish.  Over deliver when you can.  Find a niche that isn’t already being filled.  If it’s what you are truly passionate about, don’t ever give up!

Thanks for spending time with the Nachos, Sandi!

For information on how Sandi designs fabric or to view more of her work, visit http://portabellopixie.typepad.com/portabellopixie/.

My husband likes to call me, Bo, after one of the characters in M. Night Shyamalan’s movie, Signs. He has bestowed this nickname upon me as a result of the numerous, unfinished glasses of water I leave all over the house just as Bo did in the film.

Once upon a time, I worked for a newspaper where my co-workers were entertained by the unfinished Pepsi cans I would leave behind me.  They would laugh as they followed can after can, with maybe a sip left, knowing that I would be at the end of that trail.

In the past, I was strictly a novel reading woman but lately, I’ve taken to reading essays and short stories. In fact, I’m currently in the middle of reading about three different books of essays. In doing so, I’ve broken my cardinal rule of reading one book all the way through to the end before beginning another one. What is all this?

I’ve come to the conclusion that I have a fear of finishing things due to my fear of failure which is equally as big as my fear of success. Time to call the Dr., this Mama’s got a big, ole bag o’ issues.

Don’t get me wrong there are things that I was happy to see come to an end like labor, root canal surgery and the last episode of Seinfeld. Despite my reluctance to see the things I enjoy come to an end, I do understand that most experiences have an expiration date so that new opportunities for growth can happen. I even get my fear of failure and believe most of you can relate. However, my fear of success has been quite puzzling.

For while, I believed that I did not deserve to be successful; that has changed.  Now, I think the fear is born from a worry that when I get to the end of a project, it won’t turn out the way I wanted. Or, to take it to the next level, it will turn out exactly the way I wanted and I will realize that it was not what I wanted at all. Does this make sense to you? Do you ever feel this way?

Regardless of my feelings about success or failure, I know I absolutely have to continue moving forward with all the things I am working on. There have been times when I’ve let fear stop me from accomplishing my goals. I would freeze and my indecision would lead to the decision not to follow through on what I had started.

So, I am going to start to change my behavior. Today, I will finish what I am drinking before I pour a new glass or open a new bottle, especially if it’s alcohol. Hahahaha…I love entertaining myself!

In addition, I will color another section and write another line and keep going. Hopefully I’ll know the end when it approaches and when it does, I’ll cross the finish line.

I’m not sure when I first spotted them but when I did, I couldn’t think of anything else. This wasn’t like my desire for the red clogs. No, this was different. These clogs, the leopard print ones, were the embodiment of adventure, excitement and confidence. I pictured myself wearing them down the street, a self-assured woman who did not want to simply seek out adventure but who wanted to create it. Yet, I could not buy them. 

First of all, what would they go with?  “They’re so cool you could wear them with jeans and a T-shirt and you would look terrific,” said a little voice inside me. 

Ok, but they are too expensive? “Look again, they are on sale.” 

I’m a practical woman and those shoes are completely impractical in my life.  That little voice had nothing to say, so I reluctantly erased the thought of them from my mind. I couldn’t risk feeling like a fool for wasting money on something I would never wear because these shoes were wildy outside of my creative fashion norm.

A month or two went by and it seemed that ‘leopard’ was everywhere. My husband turned on a Discovery Channel show that featured “big cats” including the leopard. A woman on line in front of me at the grocery store dropped her giant, leopard print bag and I helped her to refill it. A friend randomly confided that she’d always wanted a leopard tattoo on her shoulder. It reached a point that I could not ignore the signs; I began to wrestle with it again. 

The practical side of me still had a strong hold. I couldn’t find my way around it until I thought - what if they were a gift? Surely, I would wear them. Of course, I would wear them. I would never want to insult the gift giver. If they were a gift I would have no choice but to create new outfits that would go with those shoes. And so, I asked Santa for leopard print clogs and he delivered. Well, my brother delivered and I love them. The moment I placed them on my feet, I felt it. That wild, electric energy; I’m a woman who is creating an inspired adventure for herself. I wear them everywhere, even with outfits that are all wrong. It’s fabulous. 

Taking risks, especially creative risks, can be scary. The logical part of the brain will often create a million reasons why you should stick with what you know and not embrace certain possibilities. However, risks are essential to creative growth. You don’t have to do it on your own. You can always ask someone you trust for help. 

What is that one thing you want but you keep denying yourself? If you enlisted one person to help you, do you think you would be able to acquire it or do it?    

Late one night, I sat in front of the television eating Mallowmars and surfing infomercials when a commercial caught my eye. The words “Open Call” flashed across the screen while a voiceover beckoned women of all shapes and sizes who were interested in becoming a model to attend a two-day model search. Reputable modeling agency names were listed under an address in Crystal City, Virginia. Becoming a model had never even been a thought but I was an unemployed woman in my early twenties, who had just relocated from New York to D.C.; I was open to possibility.

There were hundreds of women in the hotel ballroom when I arrived. Some where putting on their makeup, others were adjusting the straps on their heels and smoothing their skin tight skirts. We were led up the stairs of a makeshift stage and onto a long runway; I felt nothing like a model. Models always seem to have that strong, inner wolf thing going on. All I could summon was an inner Chihuahua. At the end of the runway stood a guy who sounded like he’d swallowed a bullhorn; he was responsible for breaking us into groups, the “Yes” group and the “No”. When it was my turn, I stood before him smiling a closed-mouth smile.

He said, “Smile wide.” I did so making the muscles in my face ache.

 “Let’s see some teeth,” he sighed. Unable to hide the space between my front teeth any longer, I gave a wide-mouthed grin.

 “No, you belong on TV. Next.”

So, I wasn’t one of those tall, skinny people born with a flawless rack of teeth. That was ok with me. But who was this person with a sudden, fleeting interest in modeling. What was this about? Did I secretly want to be “seen” and if so, by who? The ex-boyfriend that I hoped would see me and think – “Man, she’s gorgeous. I really lost out on that one.” The friend who had stepped out of my life who I hoped would miss me terribly. The family members, who had treated me as though I was invisible, that I hoped would think – “Wow, she’s really kind of amazing.” Sure, that was all a part of it. However, when I dug deeper I found it was a need, a deep desire to express myself. Perhaps I thought being seen would allow me to meet the right people who would want to know more about me, see my work, my writing, my art and give me a contract to create something. This was a huge realization that I would use as motivation to create. However, I did have regret. I wished I had walked down that runway with more confidence.

Flash forward to the present. I am watching a morning talk show fashion segment and a woman reporting from behind the scenes at New York’s Fashion Week is suddenly excited by signs.

There, on the walls, were signs posted for the models to view before they took to the runway that read: “Who are you? You are Strong, You are Confident. You are Bold.” My jaw hit the floor. I never thought that these women in need of a burger might also be in need of a confidence boost. Had those signs been present when I walked down that runway, I would have remembered to be confident.

How fabulous would it be to have signs all over the place encouraging you to take the world by storm? Picture it, you walk into a meeting knowing you have to have that much needed but uncomfortable conversation and there on the door before you walk in is a sign. “You are fabulous. You are confident. You can do this.”

As you try to say no to that chocolate cake after dinner, the waiter is wearing a sign on his/her chest that reads: “You don’t need that. You are delicious just as you are.”

Naked, you stand before the mirror obsessing about all those problem areas and suddenly signs drop from the ceiling that read: “You look gorgeous. Everyone wants your body.”

Although I didn’t go for the modeling/television commercial career, I did decide to put a sign on my bathroom door so that each day I feel great, fierce and ready to take on the world. What would your sign read?  

One Saturday morning, a couple of months after my daughter was born I woke with excitement. I was going to get her ready for an adventure; we were going to a birthday luncheon for a friend. Although I was excited about the celebration, the main reason for my enthusiasm was that up until this point I had always had my husband or a family member present to help me but on this particular day I was on my own. Being the sole person responsible for getting us ready and out of the apartment was a huge feat for a new Mom; I was about to graduate to Super Mom.

When I was fully clad, I dressed her in weather appropriate clothes. Then I raced against the clock trying to soothe her while simultaneously wrapping a present and assembling diapers, wipes, bottles, bibs, and all other essential pieces of baby equipment. As I strapped her to my sweaty body, she whimpered slightly. I wondered if she needed a diaper change although I had already given her one or a bottle, even though she had just eaten. It never occurred to me that she might have simply needed a calm Mama; one whose heart was not pounding loud enough to keep her awake. After checking to make sure the oven was off for the fourth and final time, we were ready. With a great sense of accomplishment, I stepped out into the hallway of my building and just as the door closed behind me, one thought came to mind. “I’m not wearing any shoes.”

Slow down. No matter what profession you are in, regardless of whether you are a parent or not, we have all had moments like this – like giant, flashing stop signs - that indicate that we need to pace ourselves. Although we live in a society where patience is not valued half as much as immediate satisfaction, we must slow down. It is essential to our survival. Before becoming a panic stricken mess, try these steps that will allow you to manage your time and, in the end, enjoy whatever professional or personal endeavor you are looking to undertake, no matter how big or small.

1. Take a visual tour – Allow yourself some time before the commencement of your project to see it through from start to finish. Depending upon the size of the job, you may want to do this the night before or a week or more before you begin.

2. Prioritize – Write down the steps you need to take in order to complete your project. Then create a list prioritizing the steps from most important or largest to tackle to least.

3. The Big Picture – Assign a number to the steps in the order in which you would like to handle each one. Estimate how much time you think each step will take. Then create an overall project timeline.

4. Expect the unexpected - No matter what, we never leave ourselves enough time when we start a new project. So, for each task you need to accomplish, add additional time. For example, for tasks that you think will take a half an hour, tack on an additional fifteen minutes.

5. Have fun – A majority of the stress associated with project completion is a result of time mismanagement. There is never enough time to complete a task or get to that important meeting; rarely is there a surplus of time. When we develop a personal plan, with the understanding that life is messy, and allow ourselves more time, we can actually have fun on this creative journey.

Although allotting more time is something we all say we need to do, it is a lot easier said than done. Keep trying! Remember, allowing ourselves more time will help us decrease our stress levels which will keep us healthier and thereby able to enjoy more time in the long run.

Finally, don’t strive to be “Super”. You already are super for undertaking any project at all; most people only ever think about doing things. Enjoy your creative time; don’t rush or you’re bound to forget an essential piece – you.   

Business entrepreneur and creative dynamo, Lorrie Veasey, started selling her unique ceramics pieces as a way to supplement her teacher’s salary in her early twenties. Since that time, she has created Our Name is Mud, a unique company that designs products that always feel as though they were created just for you. In this interview, this witty, self-proclaimed craftsperson talks about her beginning, her incredibly moving Tiles for America project, and how she balances running her own company while raising two, fabulously creative children.

CN: What was it like when you started out at the street fairs in NYC? What was the best part of that experience? What was the worst?

Lorrie: When I started on the streets in ‘87, street fairs were very different from what they are today.  It was a carnival atmosphere-full of artists–had someone told us that in 2008 booths would mostly be taken by people selling cheap sheets and nail clippers-we would not have believed it.  Back then, it was primarily people selling things they had made themselves: jewelry makers, potters, bakers, candle & soap makers, card makers, and clothing designers.  You would set up and break down with the same people; when you had to pee you knew who would watch your stuff.  We would show up hung-over, breakfast on grilled corn or fried dough, and break down at twilight together.  We were gypsies in fanny packs. 
 The best part about working on the street was also the worst thing: immediate feedback about what I’d made.  There is something so gratifying about selling a table full of wares, knowing each pot is going off to a life of it’s own; sitting unwashed in someone’s sink or given as a gift.  Then there were moments like this:
WOMAN: O honey, look–some of that pottery stuff.
MAN: We don’t need any more mugs.
WOMAN: O but look honey, isn’t this cute?  This one says “Everything tastes better with cat hair in it”
MAN: That’s not cute, it’s disgusting. We’re dog people.
WOMAN: Yes and it’s not blue.  I would buy it if it were blue.  And five dollars cheaper.  Can you tell the person who made this that it would look SO much nicer in periwinkle?  And cheaper?

CN:  Today, you are the creative force behind your business, Our Name is Mud. What is the hardest part of running the business?

Lorrie: Not “running the business” but letting it “run you.”

CN: Why do you do what you do?

Lorrie: Oh-I could write the answer about making my first pot on my mother’s knee at age 3–but really; I do what I do… because I can.  Anybody can do what I do–which is “craft” and not art– all it requires is that you cut your fingernails and roll your sleeves up.  My favorite quote is: Many were more talented than she, but few were more committed to being talented.

CN: What is your most favorite piece?

Lorrie: The one I am going to make tomorrow.  It always is.

CN: What inspires you to create?

Lorrie: Some strange compulsion–some addiction to joy–I’m sure if I went into therapy I would know for sure.  I only know that I must.  Every damn day.  And if I were attacked by a great white shark and all my limbs were bitten off, I know for certain I would hold a brush between my teeth. I would probably be printing “HELP ME” anywhere I could, but still….

CN: You have two children. How old are they? Tell us a little about them.

Lorrie: Jesse is 6–he is complicated and difficult and the sides of his palms are always covered in marker.  I have a hard time trying to figure out where the boundaries of his creativity should lie: when he removes the legs of an action figure to create new ones out of modeling clay-I applaud.  When he experiments with different drawings with Sharpies on the top of Mommy’s coffee table…well, not so much. Annie is 4 and she is all girlie girl and Mother Earth and seriousness; ”I shall draw pink flowers.  And I shall only draw pink flowers for the next four months until I have adequately explored the boundaries of pink flower drawing.  Then, perhaps, I shall draw a pink kitten.”
Both of my children have grown up steeped in creativity.  We have great pictures of them both in diapers, sitting in the middle of a huge white sheet of paper rolled out on the kitchen floor, covered head to toe in paint.  I am sure they will grow up to be accountants.

CN: What is the toughest part of being a CEO – Creative Everything Officer? How do you balance being a Mom and being the creative force behind Our Name is Mud?

Lorrie: I balance everything by using a series of carefully crafted rationalizations; “No honey, I cannot play ‘go fish’ with you today because I have to go to work because if I didn’t we would all have to ‘go fish” in the East River as there would be NOTHING FOR DINNER, ok?”

CN: What do you do when it feels like it’s all gotten to be too much?

Lorrie: I count my blessings.  Practicing gratitude is the greatest remedy I know for feeling overwhelmed. A bottle of wine and the ability to laugh at things…ain’t life grand?

CN: What keeps you motivated day after day? Lorrie: Lipton tea.  About 12 cups a day.  With milk.  Seriously.CN: You are the original creator behind Tiles for America – an amazingly beautiful project. What made you start it? How do you celebrate it each year? Is it still growing?Lorrie: Tiles for America started because my hands could not do what everybody wanted to do on 9/11–which was dig.  Because if I could have dug, I would have dug.  But since I could not dig–I worked with clay.  I fashioned almost 500 angels on 9/12–inscribed them with messages of hope and good will.  By 9/15 almost 400 of them were gone, and so I asked for help from other ceramic studios across the country.  And people responded in such a generous way.People ask all the time if I resent when people take things from the memorial.  The answer is No.  The greatest gift a craftsperson can have is the ability to make something that is needed.  When people took items from the fence, I always thought they needed them, and I was grateful for the ability to provide something for them.Tiles for America came out of the worst day of my life.  I didn’t personally know anyone who died on that day.  I only knew the death of my own innocence and the birth of pervasive fear.  The only weapon against terror is love.Tiles for America became that–an outpouring of love and sympathy and creativity and anger-and a voice. A voice that I think still is clear; a song of hope that you can hear if you listen to the chime of ceramic banging against the metal fence in the wind.Tiles for America is probably one of the best things I have done in my life–it has touched families and strangers, it has brought me new friends and publicity-and only really wonderful things.  I struggle with the fact that I have so many blessings as a result of so much tragedy.  I think about it often.  This irony is a responsibility.

Tiles for America soldiers on-tiles break, they are replaced–they break again.  For me the whole memorial is a metaphor for loss.  I love how people “stumble upon” the memorial on their way to a fun shopping spree in the Village-how it steals up on them and overtakes them-because I know this is how grief is.  I love how we endure-we shatter, we crack, we break-we are created anew. 

(The New York Memorial is located at 11th Street and Seventh Avenue.)

CN: Do you ever worry that you just used your last creative idea? Do you worry that you will never have another idea again?

Lorrie: Having ideas is SO EASY.  Having Good Ideas….that’s hard. 
I always tell people that creativity is just a muscle like any other.  Use it daily, build it, flex it, and it will only grow.  And when you do that you can trust it…  Like crazy glue on the top of a hard hat when you are hanging from a beam.

CN: What is your ultimate creative dream?

Lorrie: I’m not really sure, but I know it probably involves George Clooney.

CN: If you walked around with a bumper sticker on your back everyday, what would it read?

Lorrie: Caution: wide turns.

CN: If you had a theme song that played as you lived each day what would it be?

Lorrie: “And you wonder where we’re going where’s the Rhyme, where’s the Reason: and if you could just accept it is here we must begin to seek the wisdom of the children and the gentle way of flowers in the wind”Of course, John Denver was probably Rocky Mountain High when he wrote it.

CN: What advice would you give to people who are looking to launch a creative business while balancing a job to pay the bills and/or raising a family?

Lorrie: Life is too damn short — do something that makes you happy.  If you are willing to roll your sleeves up and do the necessary work, success is sure to follow.  Don’t use money as an excuse to hide a fear of failure.                                      For more information visit: http://www.ournameismud.com/