We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Emily Cauble a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Emily thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?
I have been a creative all my life, utilizing my my skills in many different ways over the years. I learned the art of surface pattern design (taking your artwork and putting it into repeat patterns for use on products such as textiles), only recently. Everything I have learned about it has been through online courses specific to surface pattern and product development from other artists who do the same thing and earn a living through it. I felt a calling to live a more authentic life, to hopefully inspire others with my art and story, and most of all to give back to the community in a bigger way.
Honestly, the most essential skills in my opinion are taking the things you learn and actually implementing them. It can be so easy to feel like you have to learn everything before actually putting your work out into the world. So i really try to focus on bite-sized lessons that I can implement immediately and just learn as I go! The amount of online classes you can take can be completely overwhelming – so for me staying focused on the task at hand and having smart, measurable goals is vital.
The biggest obstacles for me have been finding time in the margins of my life to bring my vision to life – I’m a wife and mom to 3 kiddos (from teenager to toddler) – I had the itch to learn something new when I was pregnant with my third child and used that time at home with her to learn and launch my business. But that time quickly came to a close and the pressure of bringing home a steady paycheck soon came knocking at my door. I have had to pivot and work really hard at setting boundaries for myself and be realistic with a timeline that can work for me at this stage in my life. Unitl I can make hinch,kin my full time endeavor, I will have to continue giving myself grace and being okay with a slow and steady growth. (Which is incredibly hard for me!!)
Emily, 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 think for people to get a really good understanding of who I am, I have to start at the very beginning – which was being born into a tiny East Texas Town in the early 80’s. I spent my days roaming the hills of the piney- woods with my dog (Charlie) and my imagination. Creating stories and drawings and day-dreaming. With a mother who could sew anything, and made a good portion of our clothes, there was never a shortage of fabric or sewing projects on our dining room table. We grew up with very humble means, but an abundance of love and community. Our extended family had peach and plum orchards, and gardens full of watermelon, purple-hull peas, squash and tomatoes. I can still feel the warm sand in between my toes with the summer sun beating down my back as we picked peaches to sell in the roadside stands. I have always been inspired and felt at home in the solitude of nature -the details and patterns that are found where we least expect them. The beauty that is inherently around us when we take the time look.
That small and idyllic world came to an abrupt halt for me when my dad was diagnosed with cancer when i was 12 years old. He ultimately lost that ugly battle 2 years later, and between the ages of 9 and 21, I lost 9 other people from my family and close-knit community. It was during these times of immense loss and grief, that i found a new solace in nature… my home and life were so different… but nature was always the same – and it has always been my constant.
But another important thing made a huge impact during those times, and that was the kindness of community. I experienced first hand the love and warmth of humanity and charity, and good people who want to help those less fortunate than themselves.
Fast forward through high school and college – where I obtained a degree in horticulture, met my husband, and then started a career as a Horticulturist and Landscape Designer for a Boutique Landscape Design/Build Firm in Dallas. A culture shock for this small town girl, with very humble beginnings… I worked hard, was privileged to design along side some incredible Architects, Interior Designers, and some pretty important Clientele. I was able to hone my Design Aesthetic, and small business acumen, but one thing was always missing – and that was how this career helped those less fortunate than me. So after 16 years and my third pregnancy -i decided a break was in order… And 3 weeks after that most precious baby – i survived a SCAD Heart Attack. You may not have heard of it – but a Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection (SCAD) is where an interior layer of your artery tears and causes blockage (and therefore heart attack). It was sudden and scary and I’m extremely lucky to have caught it when i did. And once again with i found myself in the position of needing help, and my community gathered around me while I healed and cared for a newborn – and the support groups of other survivors were imperative to me finding my way back to myself after my body had betrayed me.
I took that as a sign that it was time to use my story for good. To use my pain to fuel my passion – and my gifts as a way to help others. I’ve had to work hard at being vulnerable and opening myself up – but i hope that my story can inspire others to keep going – to keep creating – to find your solace – and that its our trials that make us – not break us. – that’s how HINCH.KIN was born.
HINCH.KIN is a culmination of the things i love most – nature, art, Texas, home, family, and of course gardens – all rolled into products that are both functional and beautiful – and hopefully serve as a reminder to anyone using them – that we can all use our stories for good. That we are never alone.
Every purchase donates 10% to established charities in our communities. And my Hope is to continue to design and bring awareness to the things that matter most in this world by creating beautiful products and partnering with various giving partners to benefit from their sales.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
The most rewarding thing for me as an artist and creative is sharing connection with others. Art is such an emotional thing – and artists are very tied to their creations as an expression of themselves – so when someone connects with something you have created (and especially purchases it) – it is an incredibly validating experience!
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
Oh Man – tooting my own horn… i was taught that self promotion is not a good thing, be humble always… and so I’ve had to learn how to promote myself and my products while still staying humble. It is my biggest struggle and I’m nowhere near a master! but people cant see it or learn about it if you don’t talk about it and promote it. So I’m trying my best! And i really just try to keep in the back of my head that our stories really can resonate with people and bring good things into the world. So even if someone never buys my product, but my story has an impact on how they view the world – i would consider that a huge success! – but deep down – I’d really love for you to buy my products too.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.hinchkin.com
- Instagram: @hinch.kin
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/hinch.kin
- Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/hinchkin