We were lucky to catch up with Blair Logan recently and have shared our conversation below.

Blair, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

I’ve always been intrigued with art–when I was a child, I loved searching for the most beautiful shells the shore presented on our limited trips to the ocean; dancers have always taken on the most powerful form of expression in my mind; writing and poetry were early interests of mine when I was day-dreaming of traveling the world and finding the burial space of Genghis Khan as a worldly archaeologist! I never really considered myself an artist, and pushed my art time aside to create more space for my academic/scientific foundations.

I was able to transfer to Sophia University in Tokyo when I was in early college, and it was incredibly enlightening spending a semester in Japan. There is art and beauty in every aspect of life in this place–from fashion to food, from architecture to gardening and integrating natural beauty into the cityscape. Being immersed in such a culturally respectful and appreciative space made me crave aligning with whatever artist could be living inside of me.

I remember wanting to hone in on articulate and descriptive writing–I loved journaling and creating poetry and started to explore this a little more as I delved into my archaeological studies at university. I desperately longed to find comfort in movement and be at home exploring dance–I’d never been confident at dancing and still absolutely admire those who shine and find joy on the dance floor.

I started exploring dance styles when I returned to the states and fell in love with Trans-Cultural Fusion dance (“bellydance”). The community was entrancing and inviting, and I gained body confidence and appreciation in this form of expression–seeing this happen with my students made me instantly fall in love with teaching. I’ve been a dance instructor for the past 15 years and it’s led me to find so many talented artists and makers and I’ve been inspired to find other forms of expression and appreciation of the art I’m able to see everyday.

When I found people creating copper electroformed jewelry, I was hooked. This combines so much of what I love–nature, a wee bit of delightful lab equipment, and exploring a way to honor the beauty nature presents to us! I’m excited to invite more art into my life and tap into any projects that may spark inspiration or joy in me and my community.

Blair, 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?

Right before the pandemic happened, I was working towards revving up my dance business and working more for myself than another employer. I had been teaching at a couple of local studios in town and presented workshops and performances here and there, but wanted to double down on instruction and create a Patreon and Youtube channel to expand my student base and connections.

When I was furloughed from my job in 2020, I ran full speed at the opportunity and created my online platforms, pushing out choreographies and new dance material, editing videos, and working on content that would help and/or interest my dance community. This was a great time in my life for expanding myself and my art, as well as creating a space for being a more potent business woman and truly working for myself.

After the first year of running full throttle on my dance business, I became super burnt out and was looking to spark another source of expression and crafting so that I could become inspired again. After all, I’d never imagined I could be a dancer, let alone create an entire business from it, and I wanted to find out what else I could do. I have some super creative and crafty friends I’ve always admired and was hoping I could find a way to combine my love for nature and energy into a new craft.

Around this time, I was also able to delve more fully into my love of energy and spell work–I was very fortunate to have all I needed at the time to nest at home and create a spiritual routine for myself that allowed me to more fully focus on what I really want in my daily life be more present in every moment. It was around this time that I had randomly found a few different designers online (through friends of mine) creating the most delicate and beautiful copper electroformed jewelry.

I had never heard of this process, but I know I’d seen this type of alchemy before (I just hadn’t really paid that much attention previously). The Copper Witch (@the_copper_witch) on Instagram is one of my favorites and one of the first accounts I started obsessing over when I decided I wanted to pursue electroforming for myself. It took several months for me to finally purchase my rectifier kit and electroforming solution–this was a huge leap for me because I didn’t have much money at the time and I was splurging on myself without any intention of getting that money back or doing anything other than purely enjoying my own art project. I was in such a business mindset that I was in the habit of only spending money on tools that would enhance my own business, not just to enhance my daily life! Once I started creating pieces, my family started encouraging me to share my art, and the business really took off from there–my community greatly supported me right away.

I began by working with shells and twigs–my first project was to preserve a beautiful snail shell I’d found and create a necklace for myself. Because my interest in creating copper pendants pulled from my personal energy crafting, I began expanding my knowledge of crystal energy, plants/herbs, the elements, and runes so that I could purposefully craft spells with the pendants I was making.

Copper is often associated with the planet and Goddess Venus, along with the energy of love, compassion, empowerment, beauty, and prosperity. It’s a metal and color I’ve long been attracted to and it adds so much power to every piece. The elements used provide a unique and empowering energy and no charm can be exactly replicated.

And that’s the intention behind Whimsical Alchemy–to create charms unique to the people they’re intended to empower, while revering and preserving the beauty of nature. I’m always humbled and elated when my customers find the pieces that call to them right away, or return to my market booth weeks later with their friends to see if they are pulled in the same way to any of the charms.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

Creating something, whether it’s a choreography, a talisman, a song, or something else you envision and are inspired to bring to life, empowers you to grow into a more confident and authentic individual. It took me a long time to allow myself to be open to the idea that I could create art, even though I didn’t see myself as an artist.

But we’re all creatives–we all have our own unique spin on life experiences, and this allows us to have infinite ideas about what we can bring into this world. I love the empowerment I get from experimenting with new forms of making/creating, and it brings me so much joy to see that spread to others. I know I’ve been inspired by so many artists in my lifetime, and very little we create is truly original, but presenting something so dear to you and your personal experiences can open you up to more self respect, reflection, and love, especially when you see that emanating from the people experiencing your work.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

Art gives fresh breath to daily life and can inspire, empower, and rejuvenate your soul. Just showing up can be beneficial for everyone involved. Creatives get to share their work, people who don’t consider themselves as creatives may be awakened to new artistic endeavors, and we all get the opportunity to advance our perspectives.

Giving time and appreciation to the creative community can be an incredible way to incorporate local talent into your life. Whether you’re adamant about showing up for a local show every month, or catch a market here and there, or even actively supporting and sharing social media for your creative friends/community, you’re helping the community thrive!

It’s great to keep local makers in mind for wares and special occasions–this reciprocative relationship allows makers to continue their work and customers to purchase incredible, durable, and absolutely unique handmade goods. It’s so incredible to see so many creatives thriving from doing work they love. Small businesses have to deal with extreme taxes, even if they’re new and not quite thriving, so everything you can do to support your creative community helps expand opportunities for these small local businesses and artists.

If you’re not sure the best way to support your local artists, you can always reach out and ask–sometimes, a band needs a venue, or performers need extra help at the door, or maybe you have a great lead on a collaborative business that can assist with marketing needs. There’s so much that we can all do to continue to show our creatives that we appreciate and need them!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.whimsicalalchemy.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whimsical_alchemy/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/whimsicalalchemyshop
• Other: Google Review Page: https://goo.gl/maps/v6K7dUyovJMbDXUG7

Image Credits
Photo Cred (last photo) Thomas Bradshaw https://photoartbythomas.wixsite.com/mysite/contact