Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Emelie Glessner. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Emelie, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

I have been a small business owner for some time in terms of selling artwork and painting portrait commissions for people. However, what I would like to discuss more in depth is my newest business endeavor to be launched this fall. This is a project that’s extremely personal, and something I am deeply passionate about. My company Svenska Barn (a phrase coined by my 9-year-old son, translated to “Swedish Children”) is dedicated to the mission of, through artistic means, bringing Scandinavian culture to families abroad.

I know firsthand how challenging it can be to keep a foreign culture alive when removed from it geographically, and especially if you are the sole carrier of said culture. I started thinking about the strongest memories I have from my own childhood and how to most effectively pass down pieces of it to my three little ones.

I believe our senses are key to all lasting memories, what we see , smell, taste, feel, and what we hear. I soon realized there’s a series of classic children’s songs so vital to the Swedish childhood experience it simply cannot be ignored. I knew I wanted to illustrate a collection of these classic tunes, and make sure my children will always have them. Although there’s other Swedish song collections out there, what sets my book apart from the rest is that it’s made to cater to Swedes everywhere, whether they speak the language fluently or not. I want everyone to be able to sing along with the lyrics, without simply just repeating the words, but to also grasp the meaning behind each song. In order to do so I have included English translations, or versions, of each song, all accompanied by hand painted images in a colorful and illustrative fashion.

A simple google search will show there’s 3.5 million Americans of Swedish descent, as well as approximately 150 000 Swedish citizens living in the United States. These numbers, together with my own experience as a mother of Swedish American children, tells me there’s probably a need, but definitely a want for creative ways to incorporate the Scandinavian culture into our everyday lives.

The book is at the very heart of Svenska Barn, and what started it all, but it’s not all. Along with the book release comes the launching of the web store which will feature hand selected, small batch made Scandinavian products. As a Swede in the United States I feel there’s a lack of authentic Swedish merchandise, and by that I’m referring to products with a deeper cultural significance. I want to offer more than just printed merchandise with the most commercial Swedish symbols, such as the flag or the dalahorse (although they are fantastic symbols indeed). The way I’m going about this is by having my own hand in the making of all products, utilizing Swedish connections where I can, but always independent makers and artisans, never mass produced products from overseas.

Svenska Barn is the true definition of a passion project, a labor of love, and a fabulous way to bring meaning and purpose to my work as an artist.

Emelie, 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?

In order to better understand why I do what I do, and my sincere intentions with Svenska Barn, it’s important to know who I am, and where I came from.

I was born and raised in Västerås, a small town located about an hour’s drive from the Swedish capital. Being a seeker at heart, the longing for adventure (and warmer weather) brought me to the American west coast as a young adult where I went to college. This was followed by marriage, an east coast move, and finally the birth of our three children.

Once I became a mother I soon realized the culture and traditions I grew up with are not genetically instilled in my children, and that part of their heritage will be left out unless I actively expose them to it.
I know I’m not alone in this quest, there’s thousands and thousands of families in this country, and across the globe, all doing our best to create and maintain some degree of Swedish identity, not only in our children, but also in ourselves.
To me, that’s what Svenska Barn is all about. It’s about using my artistic abilities to bring wholesome Swedish culture to families who may not get it from their local communities. Svenska Barn is not about commercializing Swedish symbols for profit, it’s about bringing about a product[s] which trigger deeply rooted nostalgic feelings, and love for the country which gave us life through the celebration of our Swedish heritage.

We’d really appreciate if you could talk to us about how you figured out the manufacturing process.

As far as the book goes, I have chosen to self publish, as I want complete artistic freedom and control over the finished product. For the merchandise which I design but don’t personally manufacture, I have gotten in touch with local artisans, and companies, to aid me in bringing my ideas to life. It is still a work in progress as many of the products are still in development, but it is very important to me to outsource locally, where I have control over the the quality of the products I’m about to put out into the world. I’m hoping to eventually be able to collaborate with other Swedish makers and small brands who share my mission and passion.

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

As a mother of three, of which my daughter is still home with me full time, time management is crucial. I work around my children’s schedules, which oftentimes results in very late nights in the studio, and a less than optimal amount of sleep per night. This has been the case for several years in regards to my art practice in general, long before Svenska Barn. What keeps me going day after day is the personal fulfillment I experience, and the strong sense of accomplishment with each painting being brought to completion. I do my outmost every day to show my children that they can do anything they put their minds to. My art will outlive me, and it is my hope that one day they will treasure the work I leave behind, and be proud of their mommy and her accomplishments.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.svenskabarn.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/svenskabarn