Introducing the fabulous Mr Lentz

October 12, 2011

photos courtesy of Mr Lentz
For the last few months I've been wanting to start a series of interviews with creatives that really inspire me (and hopefully you). All to often I find that so many questions about who the person is behind the incredible work goes unanswered. Such as, how do they do it? Do they have in-depth conversations with themselves once they have worked alone for more than a month? Do they have a porcelain doll collection? You know, all the important stuff.

So without further adu let me kick off the first of the interviews with Mr Lentz, an incredibly talented jewelry designer, photographer and woodworker. Once you see his work you too will want to purchase it all even if it means you can't afford to eat for a week... or 7.

So here goes!


1. Tell us a little about your background - what led you in to the creative field?  When I was a wee lad I doodled, in middle school I was given lessons by a master pastel artist in portraiture, in highschool I designed and built my own remote control gliders, in college I partied. Now that I am done with partying - I decided that the most fulfilling thing for me is creating. Developing an idea from my head and putting my hands to work to create it. Something that others can enjoy, whether it's a piece of jewelry, or a blog post on building my own wind powered turbine. Right now I am living to inspire others.

2. Do you ever get overwhelmed/confused with so much going on? You seem to have a 101 projects on the go at once.
I know right! What I have learned is that you should always follow your passions, do what feels right in that moment because creative sparks come and go. If you only follow one idea all of the time you may not make enough mistakes to really discover the true creativity and value of what your mind is really after. I usually am pursuing a few photography projects at once, about three separate woodworking builds, and I usually have something else - maybe electronic - that is being planned out. I just skip from one to the other depending on what feels right. The important thing to remember is that there is no hurry and ultimately you will complete the projects you care about most.

3. Do you think that confidence is strongly linked to being successful in the creative industry?  Yes. Being creative is one thing. Marketing yourself is quite different. If you can stand behind your work  because it feels right to you, then you will eventually succeed and find the audience that will appreciate it. If you ever met me, the last thing you would believe is that I make moss inspired wooden jewelry. Haha! But, it feels right. I love it and I do what I can to market the hell out of it. Don't let your work sit in the dark.

4. How do you manage to stop your style becoming stagnant when you work alone? Is there ever a fear you'll turn into a reclusive with working alone?
Yes. In fact I was quite reclusive before I started up woodworking earlier this year. I am also a freelance motion graphic artist and I had been working from home for the previous 4 years. In May I moved into an office downtown and my entire life changed. I am now able to come home, relax, have time and space to dream up new projects, and to create. Another important part of keeping from stagnating is to keep exploring. Seriously - go on long hikes, road trips, hang out with friends, find out what inspires you and milk it.

5. What do you think is the biggest business challenge you've faced?  For me it has not been that hard because my work is so diversified. I didn't just hop into my woodworking with my eyes closed. I have also been working on the side in photography and motion graphics. It would be a hard life to just switch right into art for a living.

6. Did you always know what your "style" was or did you have an a-ha moment where it seemed to suddenly make sense?
This definitely took years. I think I noticed that over time as a designer I started to pay more and more attention to why I liked certain types of artwork, or photographs, or architecture, etc... It is when you actually stop to take a look at things and realize why you appreciate them, that you start to learn more about your own style. I love clean lines, very simple textures, high contrasts, and unbalanced weights.

7. Have you ever had to deal with creative burnout? Any tips? Not yet. I think by having so many interests at the same time, if one is failing me one week, I just switch over to another.

8. Do you have a dream creative project?  I think I am living it right now. I guess my dream would be to design more things and at a faster pace. I would love for my work to be featured in renowned design blogs and magazines. I would certainly love to be known for the type of work I am doing.

9. What are your top 5 places/people you go to for inspiration?  Well I loooove the redwood forests of the Pacific Northwest. I also looove the Deserts of Utah and the chaotic world of South America. 

10. What are your favorite medias to work with?  Wood, hands down. Photography of beautiful women. Plants too - I think it will be a continuing theme in my work.

11. What can we expect to see from you and your blog/work in the future?  Well, in a few weeks I will be opening up my own online shop so people can order direct instead of third party sites. I am also planning on building a lot of custom furniture for my house. Part of that fun will be learning how to work leather and combine it with wood. 

Now go to his website now and gawk at his collections of brilliance. Thats an order!



2 comments:

  1. Ooohh Ooh! I have an interview series like this too! It's called Never Worked a Day and I interview people who have amazing jobs. Thanks for introducing Mr Lentz! I loved his answers.

    Belly B :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Love hearing input and inspiration from other creatives. What a fun series:) Thanks!

    ReplyDelete

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