We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Marissa Dunyak. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Marissa below.
Alright, Marissa thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Have you ever had an amazing boss, mentor or leader leading you? Can you us a story or anecdote that helps illustrate why this person was such a great leader and the impact they had on you or their team?
I am very fortunate that I’ve had two best bosses so far. I can’t choose one over the other because they’ve been the best in similar ways and in the same industry. The first was my pharmacy manager when I was working at Target throughout pharmacy school. Amy was a no-nonsense, get your shit done, be kind but not a push-over kind of pharmacist. She had incredible relationships with her patients but pharmacy wasn’t her life. Once all the work was done (back in those days we actually had down-time) she would talk about her next trip to Mexico, artists she found on her travels, planning her daughter’s halloween costume in July, and how she likely would have been a groupie if Jerry Garcia hadn’t died. Amy was also vehemently supportive of me and all her interns. At that time I didn’t create much of anything but I had a strong passion for global health and she encouraged every wild travel plan I had. Backpacking the JMT in Califorina? Check. Spring break medical mission trip to Nicaragua? Check. Month long study abroad in Zimbabwe? Check. Hosting exchange students? Check. Traveling to Australia after graduation instead of getting a job? Check. She showed me how to be the pharmacist and boss I am today and I will forever be grateful for the four years I was able to learn from her.
The second is my current boss, Jason. I don’t see him on a regular basis but I know he values me as complete person and doesn’t just see me as a pharmacist on the payroll. Initially in my interview, he asked what interests/hobbies I had outside work because he wanted people with a life beyond pharmacy. Then after I was hesitant to accept a promotion because the increased hours would mean less time for art, he remembered that and later worked to get my hours cut back–I still owe him the hand thrown coffee mug I promised for making that happen. Another time I covered a sick coworker’s shift instead of going to dinner with my fiancé and he got us a gift certificate to the restaurant we were planning to try. And there’s more. He doesn’t just encourage work-life balance but also fights for us at work. I have seen multiple suggestions (complaints?) from me and my coworkers come to life thanks to Jason. In a field where corporations like CVS are squeezing every ounce of life from their pharmacy employees, he and the rest of Discount Drug Mart are doing the opposite.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
At the moment I create completely handmade leather goods. Everything is hand-cut, hand-carved, and hand-sewn. In terms of types of projects, I try to find a void in my personal life and create a functional piece of art to fill it. I started with wallets and smaller home goods like coasters, plant hangers, and cast iron skillet handles but over the last 6 months I’ve been working bigger. Now I’ve designed a notebook cover, artist pencil roll, cross body bag, and small tote. When creating new pieces, I envision them functioning just as well in the city as they do when hitting a trail and look like they belong in both settings too. And so far it’s working!–I’ve taken the exact same crossbody on a hike with my dog and then later removed the strap and used it as a clutch for a black tie wedding.
As for materials, I mostly use oil-tanned leather (sometimes called boot leather) these days because it can be both gritty and elegant and the more creases and scratches it develops from use, the prettier it becomes in my eyes. It’s not the most luxurious leather on the market but allows my goods to be more affordable and sturdy as hell. You wont have any trouble packing one or three of my bags for your next adventure, no matter where it is.
In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?
Simple answer: society needs to forget the “starving artist” sketch because creatives need and deserve money. And society needs their art. We’ve all heard it thousands of times by now but shop local and shop small when you can. Thanks to social media and sites like Etsy, artists and creatives are so much more visible and accessible than in the past. But likes and views don’t buy paint and leather and electricity so if a person follows an artist, buy their work. I’ve bought everything from $300 prints to giving a $5 “buy me a cup of coffee” donation for a book blogger I love–it all counts.
Cities can do more too. We need affordable retail space in downtown areas so small business and small towns have a fighting chance. Take my city, Dayton, Ohio. We have a huge community of creatives and the downtown is being revitalized with new local restaurants and bars but there are still very few retail outlets for creatives to display and sell their works. The money isn’t there and many artists create part-time so the time isn’t there. In other cities there was once a thriving arts district but now the independent galleries and shops are gone because they couldn’t afford to stay due to increased expenses after curating the environment people flocked to.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
Bringing to life something that started as half an idea in the back of my brain. Any time I think “man, I wish I had something to…” I know i’m on to something good and I’ll write it down in my phone notes. Sometimes it takes years to go from that initial idea to something tangible but once I get the design to function for the void I originally felt, its an incredible feeling. And the fact that people buy my art because it can fill a void in their own life blows my mind. Any time I get a new order, I’m living on a high for at least a week.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.middleyakleatherco.com
- Instagram: @middleyakleatherco