On Art & Business & Magic…
This Spring is the 5th anniversary of opening Paisley Studios! Here is a little story about our logo…
“Once upon a time, there was. . . .
“A King!” my little readers will say at once.
No children, you’re wrong. Once upon a time, there was a block of wood.”
—Opening Lines to Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi
After several years of percolating my ideas about the importance of art making, communication, community, and mental/physical workspace, I built this small “business spirit”. Much like Pinocchio, this creature was going to anthropomorphize all my dreams about what Paisley Studios could be. Made from a stone, my grandmother’s hair curler, light bulbs, found butterfly wings, and a magnet with iron filaments for her head—this spirit, in theory, would be able to talk to me.
How does she talk to me? Through the Tarot! While it probably won’t be covered in any regular business school class…magic is a perfectly useful business tool.
Early concept sketches by artist Shiela Laufer
As I began to think about making the business more visible in the community, I knew I needed a symbol to represent my vision. One that could easily be used on a website, a business card, etc. Logo design is more complex than many people realize. I wanted to work with an artist that I admired and one who could translate the feel of the business into a simple, elegant, and recognizable logo. After talking with local artist Shiela Laufer a few times and showing her my little spirit, we arrived at a logo that I love.
Final logo with added color
I often ask the studio business spirit this question:
“What are we building together?”
The answers vary from time to time and evolve as the business grows, but the underlying themes have to do with exchanging creative energy through communication, teaching, & learning. Trusting oneself, finding purpose and connection to others in my work, and letting our deep knowledge guide us.
