We recently connected with Alicia Dietz and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Alicia, thanks for joining us today. What was the most important lesson/experience you had in a job that has helped you in your creative career?

Through my furniture business, I’ve not only grown as a craftswoman, but as an individual. My previous career as a U.S. Army Major and Blackhawk Helicopter Maintenance Test Pilot gave me the discipline and attention to detail needed to construct fine furniture. Leaving the Army left an emptiness in me, but I’ve filled it back up with my hands. Making provides the mission, task, and purpose to overcome the daily yearning for camaraderie and direction that came so naturally in the military. The process of designing and building furniture has become my map – helping me to navigate my past experiences in healthy ways and to explore, experiment, fail, learn, grow, and continually move forward.

While seemingly two different areas of expertise, my career in the Army unexpectedly prepared me to design and build. Many of the same principles apply between piloting a helicopter and crafting furniture. In the military, you plan in both overview and specific detail. Then execute. But no plan survives first contact, so you make adjustments and execute again. This process leads to decisions more informed than the last. This is true in my studio as well – I evaluate past projects in order to experiment with new materials and processes. It’s what produces ever-evolving work.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Thirty-eight years ago, I made a lightning bug catcher with my dad and grandfather in our make-shift basement woodshop. This creation, complete with a swinging door and my carved initials, marked my introduction to craft. Through my decade in the Army, I continued to make in creative facilities on military bases around the world.

My decision to leave the Army and follow my passion for craft led me to a traditional furniture design and build program at Vermont Woodworking School. There, I learned the history and technical aspects of the craft and rooted myself in the principles of technique, quality, and design. This led to a lift-changing internship with Wendy Maruyama followed by graduate school at Virginia Commonwealth University. In 2016, I opened my own shop doors and have been a full-time furniture maker ever since.

I create all types of work from solid wood dining tables to concrete sinks. My favorite projects are those that are a fusion of solid wood and ultra high-performance concrete. I find this harmony is reflective of my process and collaborative style. When I bring concrete and wood together, their collaboration is a dance. They seek to be understood and appreciated within their own parameters, but ultimately complement each other. Where one has a weakness, the other shows strength. While one is cool, the other is warm. Where one is soft, the other is hard. I am drawn to the dichotomy of these materials – they push me towards dynamic and innovative designs.

Wood is technical and precise and requires exacting attention. Concrete is inherently fluid, both in material and in mindset. I can control it up to a point, and then it becomes one unto itself – a balance of precision and fluidity.⁠

For me, furniture is such an integral part of our lives – so much so that we sometimes take it for granted. With each custom piece, I love for my clients to be involved in the entire process. One of my favorite days during each project is when clients come to my studio to see the progress of their piece and the craftsmanship within it. They get to see, firsthand, the integrity of furniture built to last for years to come.

I am passionate about each project I take on. Designing and building custom furniture not only allows to push materials and designs from one piece to the next, but it allows me to develop a relationship with each client. I see these pieces as collaborations. Every day I walk into the shop and look forward to the journey ahead.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

Between my years as a Blackhawk Maintenance Test Pilot and commanding soldiers, despite my best efforts, I am a pretty regimented person. Testing an aircraft after maintenance requires exacting protocols done in a particular order. This personality carried into my wood shop when I first started. I brought parameters and expectations to each piece I built.

Then, I got the incredible opportunity to intern with Wendy Maruyama for a summer while she worked on her wildLIFE Project (https://wendymaruyama.com/section/355149-The%20wildLIFE%20Project.html).

From Wendy, I learned valuable lessons that I put into practice as often as possible. I learned to evaluate what is the most engaging at that moment, in terms of spirit, interest, and energy. Wendy is the model of doing what you want to do at the time you are doing it. I learned that quantity is what produces quality. Small projects are a way to experiment without worrying about time or money. They can lead to a series, alternative procedure, or a new concept. They can be throw-aways if they don’t work or serve as mock-ups if they do. Samples and small pieces are just as useful, if not more so, as the sandpaper, rags, glue, and finishes that I keep fully stocked.

Working on large commissions, I can sometimes convince myself that I have little opportunity to experiment and explore. But play sparks inspiration and broadens the range of options available to us. In exploration, we uncover possibilities and connections we wouldn’t have otherwise seen. Play is an antidote to stress and stress is the enemy of productivity. When I explore materials and techniques, I can broaden the ingenuity and quality of products that I can produce – it was in this realm of play that I started making my wall hangings with wood and concrete. I was simply “playing” with different interactions of these two materials and, as a result, discovered a new line of work in the process.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

When I was a commander and test pilot, I felt a true place in the world. I had a sense of control both in the aircraft and in my company. Navigating daily challenges, I thrived in the dynamic environment of problem-solving and alternative solutions. I had high standards and lofty expectations, but also fostered a growth mindset environment of encouragement and collaboration. My mission was to make the world a better place in my small realm of 130 soldiers.

In my shop, I’ve once again found mission and purpose. The same energy that fueled my role as a commander now comes full circle as a maker and business owner. The autonomy empowers me – every decision, from design to schedule to material, is within my control. I take my mentorship role seriously, bringing young female makers into the shop, contributing to the growth and diversity of the craft. Through my work, I find fulfillment in making the world a better and more beautiful place.

Each day, despite the challenges, I get to enter a space that I love and create things I’m proud of. When faced with difficulties, I tell myself the same things I would have told my soldiers – look at it from a different perspective, adapt to the constantly changing landscape, and keep an open mind.

Every day, I get to create something a little different than I’ve done before. In my shop, I have the opportunity to explore, experiment, fail, learn, grow, and continually move forward.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.aliciadietzstudios.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aliciadietzstudios/

Image Credits
Alexis Courtney David Hunter Hale Justin Chesney Mindie Ballard