Today we’d like to introduce you to Cassie Templeman.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
My grandfather is the person who first inspired me to create. A business executive who spent most of his life working a desk, he found a passion for crafting in his retirement. He spent most of his time painting and doing woodwork and, even though just a novice at these hobbies, he absolutely loved the process of making. I think because he came to appreciate creative thought and work later in life, he wanted my siblings and I to grow up with that appreciation.
Little did either of us know that his inspiration and passion for his projects sparked my own creative drive. And, I can remember coming home from school most days and making a b-line to his garage workshop – where I knew I would find him tinkering away on some project. He’d invite me to help him or set me up with my own little project, and we’d just make stuff. As I grew up, my own passion for working with my hands and expressing myself through design led me to pursue a degree in Graphic Design.
Like many creative professionals, getting to our creative “happy place” is a journey. And, mine is one where that happy place has changed over the years. I worked as a marketing coordinator for the early part of my career (hey, everyone puts in their time in an office, right?). The job required me to be a one-woman marketing department, so I definitely put my design skills to good use. But, it made me realize that I wanted to create but on my own terms! I spent the next 7+ years creating custom wedding stationery and multimedia design elements for couples under my own business, Peanut Press Creative. But, my current happy place (and maybe my happiest) is with my newest venture – Sourced Co.
Please tell us about your art.
My first love was print design – I was drawn to the textural and tactile part of it. Custom stationery design only felt like a natural progression because of how much I had fallen in love with working with my hands as a kid. I love how physical and textural elements can turn something that most people think of as flat design, into an experience. My design aesthetic is pretty eclectic, and I am a bit of a self-taught jack of all trades (thanks Grandpa!) because I like to play in different mediums and find out of the box solutions for solving design problems.
And, I think you can guess that the production process gets me jazzed! Everything about the process is about trying to evoke a certain feeling (which is important when you are working with a couple on their wedding invitations). So, when I am drawing a custom illustration or painting a unique watercolor wash or utilizing/working in laser-cutting to bring dimension and other materials to the design, it’s all to create a cohesive piece of art that uses both the power of words, type, and color. Everything that comes out of my studio is a labor of love.
But, like I mentioned before, my journey and art, have taken an exciting new form! I am still doing my thing with custom stationery design but not for couples directly anymore. Rather, as a part of the Sourced Co. team and for our collections of styled stock photography that wedding and creative professionals can use to build their brands and market their businesses. (Basically, we create all the things we all wish we had when we were just starting out but are refined enough to use even as established pros.)
What do you think about conditions for artists today? Has life become easier or harder for artists in recent years? What can cities like ours do to encourage and help art and artists thrive?
Being an artist/creative nowadays is interesting, to say the least. I think it is great to be able to easily connect with people, to share your work, find inspiration, and learn the skills you need to grow in your craft in the age of the internet. But, the challenges artists and creative face are nothing new. Pricing your work and services is always a struggle to get right – the time and production costs that go into your craft can be high, and it isn’t easy to turn your passion into a thriving business. But, San Diego does have a thriving art community and having opportunities to connect with each other, having outlets like SD Voyager to learn about new artists, and be connected to a broader audience is one of the best ways to support! Also, shopping small, locally, and buying from local artists and companies is always a great idea too!
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
Most of my portfolio lives in the homes of the couples I have worked with over the years, but you can see some of my favorites on my website or Instagram account @peanut_press! You can see all of my current work with Sourced Co. on that Instagram account @sourced_co.
Like any new business (we just launched Sourced Co. on May 31st) the best support is simply checking us out and helping to spread the word!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.peanutpresscreative.com
- Email: cassie@peanutpresscreative.com
- Instagram: @peanut_press / @sourced_co
- Other: www.sourcedco.com
Image Credit:
All Images credited to Sourced Co.
Getting in touch: SDVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
