Amber

We are continuing our interview series with the team, so meet Amber!You are such an artistic girl! Whether it’s changing up the store displays or hand drawing a new sale sign, you always think creatively. When did you discover your love for art?

• I’ve always been a curious observer, drawing and making things from an early age. I guess every person has that creative urge within them, and in my particular case I was a pretty solitary child, raised on a farm with a lot of free time and space to roam. I had an incredibly (over)active imagination that found an outlet in the visual arts. I found that I got a lot of joy from working with my hands, exhausting my high school art department, and basically living in the ceramics and sculpture studios in college. I drew a lot of inspiration from nature, and used natural and recycled materials whenever possible. I’ll always be in love with the handmade object, but in recent years I’ve had a greater interest in interior design and the created environment. So it wasn’t surprising that I was drawn to Five Pound Apparel’s earthy, upcycled, DIY feel.

• My first two years at Amycakes were spent baking cakes and getting them ready for Amy to decorate. The baking process is pretty Zen, actually- measure ingredients, crack eggs, and stir, stir, stir. You get into a physical rhythm and there’s time for your mind to wander- which if you’ve spent any amount of time alone with me, you know happens often and has no real logical pattern. Now that I’m the bakery’s fondant artist, I’m more fully engaged creatively, and focus my artistic energy into sculpted cakes and 2D and 3D fondant designs. So while baking Amy’s delicious cakes has its virtues, I would have to say I’m really enjoying the latter.

• Again, if you’ve been around me for any length of time you know that my style changes daily. I usually incorporate at least one vintage item, but I fully indulge in everything from 50’s retro to tattered-converse tomboy punk. My only personal style guideline is, before making a purchase I ask myself, “Is this something I’ll want to keep forever?” Unless we’re talking nail polish or $3 thrift store shoes. In that case, the sky’s the limit.

What are some of your favorite lines that we carry?

• I love all of our eco brands, like Sprout, Proof, and Further. I’m particularly fond of the brand United by Blue, who removes trash from oceans and waterways. Being hands-on, I’m very big on practical intervention and love seeing the immediate impact of my efforts. In my earlier, post-graduate and more idealistic youth, I had this romantic notion that I could travel the nation’s lakes and rivers, digging out tires and other trash, living simply, and be perfectly fulfilled in my work. Well, this is probably as close to that dream as I will get. Did I mention their designs are killer?

 What is your favorite part of working here?

• Occasionally I’ll greet a first-time customer and they’ll be blown away by the store’s design, selection, and concept. (That’s right people, Springfield really is a cool place!) Explaining the origins of the store is always a fun part of this job. And more than anything, I like knowing that the products I’m selling are helping out people and the planet.

Do you have any long term goals?

• Yikes, this question! Learn to do my own taxes? Well, right now I’m trying to expand my cake artistry skills and my clientele, and hopefully find more creative ways to express the weird ideas that are floating around in my brain. Right now I’m proud of the things that I’m a part of, loving the friendships I’ve made, and enjoying growing as an artist and a person. There may be more higher education in my future, but that would require nailing down a more conventional career path…and I’ve never been a big fan of conventional.