Today we’d like to introduce you to Emily Greenfield.
Emily, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I’ve always had a knack for creating characters out of paper – when I was little I would make handmade paper dolls for my sisters to play with. Just before going to Art Center to train as an animation illustrator and background painter, I discovered paper sculpting and went through a major phase cutting and crafting little paper cuties.
Then I took a break to focus on the painting and drawing work at school. Cut to four years later as I’m applying for jobs in the animation industry, and I’ve somehow gone full circle back to paper art. My graduation art show looks nothing like my peers – instead of character drawings, storyboards, or painted scenes of movie backgrounds, my display is all paper art and nothing like what I spent four years practicing.
I’m lucky enough to have found a job in my industry doing the illustration I trained for, but I’m just getting started again with my first love, paper sculpting. Now that I realize it’s not just a phase, I’m excited to start producing and sharing more work in this special medium. And who knows, maybe there’s a space in the animation industry for art like this to influence or be a part of motion pictures and animation design!
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Not at all! I’ve struggled with intense anxiety since I was 19, and it conveniently flares up when I’m being creative. Doing art has been an up-and-down struggle as the anxiety and pressure in my head competes with the childlike desire to create. At one point, I even put down the pencil and said: “If I never do art again, so be it.”
That phase lasted for almost three years, and when art became a part of my life again through the gentle influence of creatives around me, I was shocked. I genuinely thought I’d never been able to enjoy myself with it again. That was all before art school, and holding onto my reclaimed passion and joy during the intense four years of school that followed was another impossible feat.
I went through several shorter periods of burnout and depression during art school but managed to make it through without losing that spark completely. Every year that passes, my rehabilitation into a calm, joyful artist continues. I don’t know that anxiety is something one can ever ‘grow out of’ or ‘get over,’ but I know I’m certainly learning to identify and not listen to its voice in my head.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Emily’s Cake Toppers story. Tell us more about the business.
I’ve been making handmade paper cake toppers for friends and family for quite some time. I just recently started offering them to a larger audience and charging a more competitive price. In the world of custom cake toppers, there’s a lot of Sculpey, some wood, and some wire. Paper is a strange and unusual medium to put onto a cake.
I honestly stumbled onto the idea by accident – I’d promised a friend to make her a cake topper and was working with Sculpey at the time. But sculpting in 3D took me forever, and I panicked as I ran out of time and the wedding got closer. I asked myself, “What else am I good at? What can I put on top of this thing?” Paper.
Most other paper artists work in shadow boxes or on flat surfaces, using only a moderate amount of 3D relief. Making a cake topper would require paper art pieces that stood completely on their own and were visible—no, attractive—from all sides. I dug my teeth into the challenge and have never looked back.
It’s hard for people to picture paper on top of a cake, but they can’t seem to get enough of the delicate charm when they see the actual pieces. And with innovations in materials and construction, I’ve managed to create surprisingly durable art pieces that can be protected from frosting and transitioned into lifelong keepsakes after the wedding.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I’m just lucky to have access to art education, time to play with paper, and the money to buy the supplies. I’m grateful for what I was given in life since a lot came to me that I didn’t earn.
I’m teaching in some upcoming paper sculpture workshops this year to try to provide that kind of access to education and materials to others who might not have the exposure that I did.
Contact Info:
- Website: Www.emilyjgreenfield.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: Www.instagram.com/emilyjgreenfield
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