We were lucky to catch up with Allison Harvey recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Allison, thanks for joining us today. Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

I was fortunate enough to find a good job when I finished college. It was a government job with great pay and benefits. I loved my job and did it well the only issue was, that I was always my authentic self. I made my own jewelry and it was funky but it was me. I really didn’t fit into the the ultra conservative world I was in. Obviously there is a lot more to the story but I’m not writing a book here. The environment made me miserable and I needed a change, a BIG change. I put in my two weeks. Then bang, covid hit and everything was at a stand still. No one was hiring and I was scared of losing everything. I know I’ve always got good compliments from my jewelry when I was out and about. My friends and acquaintances that would come over to my house also loved my funky planters that I made out of cabbage patch kids heads. So I thought to myself , I could give this a try and sell some pieces and see how it goes. This was new to me but I was having fun and people were responding well. I asked to question to my Facebook friends , what should I call my new business? I proposed that the best name I would use and they would receive a planter of their choice. I picked the name Pieces of Childhood since everything I made was made from 80’s toys. It was a perfect fit. Off I went creating all day and starting an Esty page and selling at small craft shows around town. I don’t make a living off this and have found another job that compliments my life. The moral of all this is that I found that money doesn’t equal happiness and this wasn’t a easy journey but in the chaos I found my happiness and share my love of fun art pieces.

Allison, 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 originally began with making earring out of Barbie parts and small toys from the 80’s. I also made Planters from cabbage patch kids heads. Now 4 years into this I have moved on to mostly crazy wall art but still incorporating 80’s- 90’s toys. I didn’t grow up with much but I loved going thru the Toys “R” Us Christmas catalog and Sears catalog. Looking at all the fun and amazing new toys. I didn’t receive any of these but now as an adult I can get whatever I want and turn them into amazing art pieces to be loved by my peer group. Honestly even younger groups just like the fun of it and buy it also.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

My art is female positive and creepy at the same time. I have been involved in some small craft shows that I have been swarmed with negative comments. It’s upsetting. Comments like, this is degusting and this is not art. It impacts me but at the same time I know that is an opinion and they could have just walked away and not said anything. There are good shows and bad shows but as long as I’m still having fun I’ll just let it roll of my shoulders. Art is always subjective, I learned that from watching DRAGULA on shudder.

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

My first degree was an art degree. Art history with and emphasis in restoration. Everyone was super competitive and mean. It was not fun. I was put in the art pamphlet for the school for a piece that I did called Orchid de Jesus. I was targeted. But as an adult now I found a group that supports each other. I joined the Petrichor Collective in Fort Collins Colorado. I’ve never felt so accepted. It’s been inclusive to all art, music, pottery, sculpture, and painting. we support each other and there is no competition.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: Pieces_of_Childhood
• Facebook: pieces of childhood

Image Credits
T.J. Lesmeister, founder of Petrichor Collective, took the last three pictures Taylor Lockhart photography took my head shot