We were lucky to catch up with Rachel Dawn Lauver recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Rachel Dawn thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?
One day I came across the Annie Dillard quote “How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives”. I realized I would spend my entire life unfulfilled unless I spent my days doing what I love. That meant slowing down, prioritizing creativity over convenience, making more art, and eventually starting Green Velvet Creative.
Not only do we create our lives through the choices we make, though; we shape our world.
I want to live in a world that values and preserves art forms, skills, traditions, community, and stories. A world that supports artists and local businesses selling unique, handcrafted goods that will last for generations instead of corporations selling generic, mass-produced disposable products.
Moving toward that future starts with my choices. I can work toward learning new mediums to pass down to future generations, helping to cultivate a thriving and supportive creative industry, and creating sustainable, high-quality, handmade items. So that’s what I’m doing.
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?
My name is Rachel Dawn Lauver and I am an illustrator, painter, printmaker, photographer, and antique-store regular based in Louisville, Kentucky.
I am the artist and owner of Green Velvet Creative Studio, an online shop of nostalgic, hand-drawn gifts and goods. While my work spans across mediums, the common thread is a timeless, vintage-inspired quality. My focus isn’t to keep up with passing trends or create generic marketable work. Instead, I aim to create things that feel like hidden gems you’d be excited to find in a thrift store or tucked in the back of your grandma’s closet because they suit your personality.
Green Velvet started out as an act of resistance against my own habits. A few years back, I realized it had been years since I’d worked on art for my own enjoyment. My attention-span had deteriorated to the point where I couldn’t imagine sitting down and working on an oil painting for hours like I had when I was younger.
What started out as a way to reignite my creative spark has turned into a larger personal mission. Through this business I’m learning to prioritize creativity and curiosity over convenience and overconsumption, live a slower and more meaningful life, adopt ethical and sustainable production practices, and cultivate community rather than competition in the creative industry.
I’m currently preparing to launch The Fable Collection, a series of drawings, prints, and paintings inspired by Victorian children’s books, bookplates, and naturalist illustrations. You can find prints, apparel, home goods, and decor available on my website, greenvelvetcreative.studio and my Etsy shop, GreenVelvetGoods.
In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?
It’s becoming increasingly difficult for artists and small businesses to compete with the oversaturation of online marketplaces.
Platforms like Etsy and Amazon are flooded with suspiciously cheap listings from AI-automated dropshippers, resellers, and affiliate marketers. The sheer volume of products, many of which are low-quality, and mass-produced by companies with horrendous labor practices, makes it difficult for handmade and ethically sourced items to gain visibility or compete on price.
The best way society can support a thriving creative ecosystem is by making conscientious purchases from small businesses, craftspeople, and artists whenever possible. Instead of choosing mass-produced, generic products, consider investing in handmade, locally sourced, and ethically made items when you can. Explore small businesses and local craft fairs in your area and find independent creators whose work you love.
If there comes a time when small businesses cannot sustain themselves against massive corporations, we risk losing diversity, innovation, and personality in the market. Our only option as consumers will be to buy from companies that prioritize profits over quality, sustainability, and ethics.
Supporting small businesses and local artists contributes to a vibrant, sustainable economy. It preserves art forms and traditions, encourages creativity and innovation, and fosters community.
While art alone may not save the world from overconsumption and corporate greed, the businesses we support shape the kind of world we want to live in. Celebrating diversity, nurturing creativity, and building communities rooted in passion, integrity, and human connection are crucial steps in safeguarding a future where we can all thrive.
Is there mission driving your creative journey?
Right now, I am just trying to get my business off the ground, but I’ve outlined a plan for aligning my art and business with my values as my resources and skills improve. Like all of us, I have to make the best choices I can within my means. I can’t always afford the most sustainable product options, the equipment to produce things myself, or to keep inventory on hand.
My goal is to reach a point where I can produce as much as possible by hand, learn new mediums, and sell art in-person that supports my mission: to cultivate community, center creativity instead of consumerism in the creative industry, empower people to buy for their individual personality not for trends, and support individuals and organizations who are making an impact.
As individuals, we have tremendous power once we choose a path that feels authentic and fulfilling. We have even more power when we realize the impact we can have on the world by working together. For me, art has been the catalyst to a more meaningful way of life, but if you take away anything from my words- I hope it’s encouragement to take steps every day that align the way you live your life with your values and how you want the future to look.
Contact Info:
- Website: GreenVelvetCreative.Studio
- Instagram: Instagram.com/greenvelvetcreative
- Facebook: Facebook.com/greenvelvetcreative/
- Youtube: Youtube.com/channel/UCSCiOOormG0E4I5WVvch2RQ