We were lucky to catch up with Kaylie Pendleton recently and have shared our conversation below.

Kaylie, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

Over the past few years, I’ve been working on my stationery company, Ponder Paper Co. The current iteration blossomed from my thesis project at art school in 2021, a project that art students spend a whole senior year focusing on. Back then, I created a series of portraits of remarkable women from history, which I then connected to my interest in designing products and running my own business. Today, that original portrait series sparked my curiosity into women writers and artists which I have brought into my stationery line. Ponder Paper Co. sells planners and lined journals featuring quotes, biographies, and images of women artists and writers so you can be inspired by other women as you go about your daily routine. What I have learned from my research and time studying feminist theory is that everyone’s unique combination of motivation, thoughts, and creativity can lead to such fulfilling lives, which is what I hope to share with my stationery.

Kaylie, 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?

Growing up, I was always a creative but realistic kid. Once I was in high school, I started taking more and more art classes, solidifying that art and design are what I wanted to pursue in life. I was an illustration major in college and started my career as a book cover designer soon after. Working in publishing has given me so much knowledge not only about creating stationery but also about running a business. Seeing the behind the scenes process of how a book gets made and how it is sold into stores has been crucial in forming what Ponder Paper Co. is now and what my future plans are.

After my successful Kickstarter in 2022, Ponder Paper Co. became a stationery brand focused on well-designed, thoughtful products with embedded inspiration from remarkable women in history. What sets Ponder apart is the thoughtful curation of my product materials, from the paper color to the cohesion of the entire line. For example, the ink in the gel pens I sell matches the interior color of the planner pages, which as a graphic designer myself, is a small detail that brings me joy.

There are many stationery products on the market that feature a quote from Maya Angelou or a picture of Frida Kahlo. However, most do not go a layer deeper, where you can connect with these figures on a more meaningful level and see their humanity. I hope that people can see themselves in the women featured in the products, taking a bit of their energy with them throughout the day.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

Currently, with all the buzz around AI, supporting living creatives is more important than ever. For some people AI has taken their jobs, pushed them down in the algorithms, or outright stolen their art. I hope we can get to a point where AI is a tool and not a replacement for actual paying artists, designers, and creatives a fair price. As consumers, I think it’s important to be sharing small businesses with each other, talking about living artists we like, and supporting human-made products.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

As someone who grew up on the internet, I’ve found there are so many amazing people to look toward in the entrepreneurial space. For management and leadership, Timm Chiusano’s YouTube videos on how to lead teams, approach your inbox, and overall optimism toward life are a great watch. I find that watching women-led financial videos often aligns more closely with my own goals, for example, another great YouTube channel is The Financial Diet. The website https://thecreativeindependent.com/ has interviews and resources from any type of creative you could possibly think of. I love reading through people’s responses for very specific issues or thoughts I’ve been pondering.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.ponderpaperco.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ponderpaperco/
• Other: Kaylie’s Book Covers and Paintings: https://www.instagram.com/kayliependleton/