We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Spencer Marshall a.k.a. RAIN. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Spencer Marshall below.

Alright, Spencer Marshall thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’ve love to hear an interesting investment story – what was one of the best or worst investments you’ve made? (Note, these responses are only intended as entertainment and shouldn’t be construed as investment advice)

My best and worst investment are actually one thing. A few years ago I leased a basement studio with a friend, and our intension was to fill the bench spaces we built with other glass artists from the area and once we had done that we signed onto a second space. We wanted to make a business our of subleasing glass artist space and provide everyrhing needed for artists to work. Jon and I worked in this space, and we also built a highly sound-proof music studio, had murals done by NTEL and Septic, built everything in the studio, repainted the large space with multiple coats, etc. Many hours of work went into this. All said and done, there weren’t enough people to supply us with the income to make the venture work, and over two years I lost about 20k. The renters weren’t great for the most part, and costs exceeded what we expected every month. So that’s the bad part, we made incorrect assumptions about the viability of the project. The good part though was that for 2 years I had dozens of people in an out, a few events, tons of jam nights where incredible music was made, and my friends made new friends. The vibes were immaculate at times for the two years I had the studio, and I learned a ton. So, win some, lose some.

Spencer Marshall, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’m currently evolving from a glass pipe artist into a more rounded glass artist. When people ask what I do, and I say that I make pipes I know that they usually are thinking about the janky stuff you see in gas stations or at a head shop. We in the industry refer to what I/we do as “Functional Glass Art” or sometimes “Heady Glass”. This movement started back in the 60’s when a guy named Bob Snodgrass started making Grateful Dead inspired glass pipes.
I’ve been doing this for what will be 10 years in October. Our industry is limiting because most people don’t buy glass pipes, especially $1,000 ones. Not that I haven’t sold $3,000+ pipes before, but I have realized that I can go outside of the realm of solely pipes without it making me a failure as a functional artist. What I’m known for is a wide range of technical ability, and very clean execution, so why not make things I enjoy and let the work find a home for itself? I’m excited for the first time in awhile. My path as an artist feels like it has direction again, and I’ll be focusing on nature, technology, and functionalist design principles in my new body of work. I make everything from pipes to decor, drinking ware, and memorial pieces made with the cremation ashes of deceased loved ones. I take pride in the range of skills I’ve developed and can’t wait to push it farther.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I’ve been through a lot with this career over the years. I’ve been disappointed at the lack of collaboration and openness of an industry that prides itself on those very things. They say don’t meet your heroes and that can definitely be true. Aside from that, constant self doubt and wondering if I chose the right path, hemmoraging money during some months, but doing very well during others. I wear every hat. I have no assistants, so I conceptualize, design, produce, photograph, market, sell, package, and ship my work entirely on my own. I have to be my own accountant, and then after everything I have to make sure I sleep, eat, hydrate, and have fun still. Doing all of this on your own is a very tough path in life, but what keeps me going is that it has molded me into a problem solver who is resilient even when I’m on the verge of a panic attack. Even though the years have been tough, I’m selling more work now than I ever have and I have a following that will join me in the next chapter of my career. Being my own boss absolutely gives me a sense of accomplishment, power, and pride, and without everything I’ve gone through I’m not so sure I would feel that way about myself. Keep your head up, and if you’re still breathing then there’s still work to be done to reach your goals.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

I had to unlearn the idea that if I didn’t make 100 production items every day (or some other ridiculous work standard) that I was lazy. I had to unlearn the idea that I needed to impress people by living up to their personal standards instead of my own. The people who initiated me into this craft had a very “early 2000’s” pipemaking philosophy that your entire life should be consumed by this craft and that you had to earn your way to the top by brown-nosing the people better than you, and that having an unhealthy work-life harmony was a badge of honor and meant that you were committed. I don’t think this is at all exclusive to the pipemakers of that time, in fact I’d assume such a mentality occurs in a lot of fields, both creative and non-creative. One day, after going through a month long spell of depression I asked myself, “Why are you killing yourself to reach a standard set by people who have never once checked in on you or treated you as an equal?”. My girlfriend Sarah really was helpful with that. I think having a second set of eyes on you from someone who really knows you and cares about you is essential. Even a genius can’t do everything alone. I don’t even think it was a matter of pride, I think it was fear. I had to let go of the fear of not getting approval from my peers. Letting go of that fear is how I was able to see my future again, and now my path forward looks brighter, with more direction. Art is about me, not them. It’s my career, not theirs.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @rainglasswrx