I'm a big fan of all of the amazing independent designers out there. In an effort to get inside the mind of the indie designer and find out just what makes all of these creative types tick, I present to you an ongoing segment I call Indie Designer Interviews.

Today's interview is with Brooke Fuller who runs an online boutique stocked full of great original handmade goods from other independent designers.

Tell me a little about yourself and your shop. I am a busy woman! I run a shop at The Pear Project that focuses on artisan goods in everyday life along with a blog at thepearproject.blogspot.com under the same theme. At The Pear Project I carry handpicked goods from a variety of artists focusing on modern handmade items that can enhance everyday life. I have a love of sales, advertising and marketing that fits in well with running this shop.

I also am a trained photographer. I have a commercial portfolio, but most of my practical experience has been with portraits. I love Polaroids and spend a lot of time thinking of how I can transform my photography into more than prints on the wall. I have a popular series of sx-70 manipulations I did when that type of film was available along with a series of resin necklaces. I have also used my photography for inspiration in other mediums as well.

Felting is another passion of mine. I am currently working on a series of 4x4 wall pieces with theme of simplicity inspired by nature & a line of brightly colored felted bracelets that will include the actual bracelets along with a kit for those who would rather do it themselves. I enjoy dry needle felting and use it as a sculpting medium. The texture draws me in and I am always amazed at the finished product.

I also work with enamel, resin, paper & a few other mediums. Variety is the spice of life, and I don't think I will ever be able to specialize in just 1 thing!




Who are your favorite designers? This is an easy question because I carry many of my favorite designers in The Pear Project shop. To name a few off hand ... I adore the paper products from Papered Together. I can't even count the number of times I have given out the coasters we carry in the shop as an affordable, unique gift. They are just perfect! I also love to give salt shakers by Gamiworks too.

What are your top fashion & beauty must-haves? I love mineral make-up! It gives a great natural look while evening out my skin tone. I also have a bag and purse habit.

How did you get started running your shop? I started my journey into indie business early. When I was in my teenage years I wrote several zines and even ran a small distro for a few years. It was a valuable experience in networking and marketing that inspired me to eventually begin selling my resin necklaces online and wholesale as well as open The Pear Project shop. Looking back I remember designing my first ad and sending it out to every place I could think of and then how sweet it was when the responses started to pour in.

What inspires your work? My main inspiration is my daily life. I love to take mini road trips into the country and see new places, people and things. I am a details person so my inspiration can come from a ribbon on the side of the road that I save from the wind or a child playing in the front yard. I love quirky little shops filled with dust and old items too. I keep a sketch book from time to time, but always have my camera on hand.

Any advice you would give to aspiring fashion entrepreneurs? The advice I would give is to never give up. You can't create a successful business in a weekend. It takes time, and persistence. You will have weeks where you accomplish so much, and others that may be discouraging. There are always ways to grow and improve your business. Also ... don't forget that if you want to be successful you will be marketing your business more than you actually get to make what you love, so it helps to have a love of both art and marketing.

Where can people find your work? You can find my work along with a variety of other people's work at The Pear Project and our blog is another great resource at thepearproject.blogspot.com with interviews from the artists in the shop. You can also find my line of resin necklaces at brooooke.etsy.com.