We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Ashley Pieper. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Ashley below.

Ashley, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What sort of legacy are you hoping to build. What do you think people will say about you after you are gone, what do you hope to be remembered for?

Often times I believe legacy is thought of as being an item to pass on, but I believe it to be more. Pursuing my career path after being a stay-at-home Mom for years came with challenges and learning curves. I felt passionate about the work itself and quickly realized that each step of the process to getting to where I am now shows my children that stereotypes and the averages do not need to stand in your way. Possibilities for growth and achievement doing what interests you to spite the ways society can ostracize are there. One of the reasons I love furniture making and design is that it has the ability to be a physical representation of qualities. The pieces themselves can be a symbol of the time spent, and care taken, a legacy in their own right. I hope that what I leave behind is an example of character. I hope to embody dedication, drive, passion and resilience with the pursuit of my dreams in building my business. It is also a wonderful thing to know that the people who invest in my work, and ultimately me, have the work as part of their personal moments and that special sentiments are attached to them and can be passed on. I hope I am remembered as using my life as a love letter to the people around me.

Ashley, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Hello, I’m Ashley Pieper, the artist behind Shallow Creek Woodcraft. I am based in York County, Pennsylvania. I began growing an interest as a new wife and mother trying to find affordable furniture for our home. I could not find pieces with the character I was envisioning that fit the budget. On the hunt I went for vintage furniture from thrift stores and yard sales that needed repair. From that point I took investment in the proper ways to repair and preserve pieces. It did not take long to fall in love with the details, history, and connection to material that woodworking offered as I continued to seek information. I repaired pieces intermittently and read lots of woodworking books over the years while caring for my four children. When my family moved to our current home there was plenty of space to make my own and Shallow Creek Woodcraft was born. Although I do not do restoration work anymore, I believe it instilled respect for longevity and building my pieces with that care in mind.

I currently take private commissions for designed pieces and sell smaller items readily available. My ultimate mission is to create unique crafted items while maintaining the traditions of the craft. I greatly enjoy displaying woods natural characteristics, contrast, and movement in a refined furniture form. I believe the sculptural elements of the legs I design set my work apart with a whimsical and lyrical presence. I am passionate about the work and grateful for the people it resonates with. I design and build with the intention of the piece to be as beautiful as it is functional.

Have you ever had to pivot?

I believe that I am currently at a pivot point in my career and business. I am in the next chapter after being a student in a remote fine furniture mastery program for two years. The program required a large time commitment and focus which made it very difficult to also run a business in tandem. After I started the program, I quickly realized that time for as many commissions would not be available. That ended up being fine because the program was feeding into my growth goals and ability to shape my business for what I want it to be. I also want to note that I had the benefit of a partner with a stable job. That extra bit of security should not be overlooked. Now that I have elevated my skill set and perspective through the program my goals for the business have changed. Prior to the class I did not design my work in the same capacity that I do now. The pivot comes in the way of shaping my brand, what work I want to be building, and knowing that my customer base may change slightly. I am continuing to figure it out and adjust accordingly. I will also be adding consistent teaching to my schedule for the year ahead.

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

Ah unlearning, what a funny juxtaposition. I’m not sure I believe that unlearning is a fair term. Is it not just learning a new way to navigate after learning it a different way to start with? Sometimes I believe we come to a point of awareness and then need to decide where to go with the epiphany. For me, that awareness was realizing I have a tendency to zoom in too tight and be a perfectionist. Through my craft and through starting a business I realized this about myself. There isn’t a spectacular moment where it became defined and stopped me in my tracks, which would have been fine to be honest, but rather it was noticing it in small bits. As I took notice of how perfectionism can steal my joy and create stress I actively worked on changing things. I still am conscience of it and work on it. I try to harness my detail focus in a positive way and understand when the point of stepping back has come. I believe that this is also what helps me create attainable and realistic benchmarks but not punish myself with the work I enjoy so deeply. Perhaps this journey is also what elevates my work and unlearning it would just undo that.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.shallowcreekwoodcraft.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shallowcreekwoodcraft/
• Other: [email protected]