We recently connected with Chris Hamby and have shared our conversation below.
Chris , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you tell us about a time that your work has been misunderstood? Why do you think it happened and did any interesting insights emerge from the experience?
I would say the biggest mis-characterization that I have run into is that leather-workers, are indifferent to the environmental impact of leather. From all of my peers I’ve talked to, this isn’t the case. We tend to value leather for how incredibly robust it is, how a product carefully crafted and casually maintained can last decades, potentially generations. We’re exhausted by so much of the waste that we see from cheaply made crap, and brands that go in and out of style. Instead want to make something worthwhile that will last you years and years.
Chris , 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?
I started leather work in earnest during the 2020 pandemic. I had built one or two for personal use before that, but like so many others during the period, I was forced to focus my energy on something rewarding during this time, or else just let my brain go to mush. And I loved it, I was hooked. The wealth of knowledge to draw from combined with the creative freedom of how to apply it was amazing. I sold a few off for cheap to friends and family, and pretty soon had a box full of wallets that I needed to do something with so that I could afford to keep practicing. I have consistently focused on creating a beautiful product that can be shown off, but doesn’t need to be babied or break the bank. Almost all of my designs are original, with the exceptions coming from fellow makers, and tailored to individual needs in a way that I wasn’t seeing done by others. I guarantee all my goods for life, and so far no one has had to take me up on that offer, even the ones I made within my first couple months of practice.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
No one looking over my shoulder telling me how to do it better. That and the creative freedom. Yeah, there are some baselines to follow, but I have so much leeway to design a product how I see fit. Carefully going through each step of marking, cutting, thinning and cleaning the edges of a product. I love marking out a stitch line, punching the holes a deliberately as I can. Measuring and casting the thread so that it zags across the surface and between the layers in a way that cements that the little details matter.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?
How little effort it takes to get started. I constantly hear people say “Oh, I could never.” Yes, you could. We all start from from zero. Don’t be afraid to learn to learn and fail quietly.
Contact Info:
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