We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Lauren Weiss. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Lauren below.
Lauren , appreciate you joining us today. Let’s jump right into how you came up with the idea?
For a little bit of context, I was born and raised in Saint Louis, Missouri. I grew up there and went to university there. Growing up I was beyond passionate about the ocean, and had actually planned on studying marine biology, specifically shark science. I spent my entire life before college reading about the sea and watching anything I could get my hands on to learn more about it. As the time came for me to graduate high school and go to college I found a school in Saint Louis that I was planning on attending for two years before I transferred to a coastal school to pursue my path in Marine science. ( I know that this is a long back story, but I PROMISE there is context here haha.) In school I was enjoying my time maybe a little too much and I think I was excited to have this new freedom and meet so many people that I lost sight of what was really driving me, and the pressure to succeed as a STEM student was weighing on me. Now, I am notorious for struggling with math, but when applied in a visual way I was really able to succeed, so science wasn’t the problem, for me it was math. I failed a math course and had a wake up call of maybe this is not the path for me, but this is all I’ve ever wanted to do with my life, so what now?
My friends and parents specifically always encouraged my creative mind, and reminded me that not only do I really love art, but I am actually pretty good at it too. Next thing I knew, I was in the art department and excelling. I was excited because it helped me to really refine my skills, and encouraged me to revisit ones I hadn’t thought about in a long time. I became better at painting, a skilled ceramicist, and a refined but very driven photographer.
I think around this time its important to share that I also had an affinity for traveling, which I did A LOT of. If I couldn’t live by the ocean, I would be flying over it, and finding a way to get back to it. I finished my undergrad early, and moved to Florida ( I was planning on transferring to Ringling School of Arts for my masters program) for a summer after living in the Bahamas for a brief period. My dad who bought me my first camera, was always encouraging me to take photos and pushed me to keep working with a camera. He surprised me with my first underwater housing and I took it with me to the water at any chance I had. And fortunately for me It ignited a passion I didn’t realize I had. I could essentially marry my love for the ocean with my love of art in a way that allowed me to work in the water. Unfortunately for me, I moved back to Saint Louis where I fortunately met the man who would be my future husband ( a true hero). I finished my Masters in arts early and then we moved to Philadelphia.
Living in Philly was definitely an adjustment and a great learning and life experience. We concluded that Philly wasn’t the place for us and we moved to California. Not to sound dramatic but Moving to California filled a part of my soul I didn’t realize needed filling. Having access to so much natural beauty and of course the ocean (finally!!!) really felt like everything I ever wanted was working out. In Philly, I was so distracted by trying to make it work as a painter that I became more and more burnt out, and that burn out carried over to California. It was a very lonely time, and definitely a struggle. I thought to myself, “how can I be in a place that is essentially my dream place, and feel like such a failure?”. I was considering going back to school, looking at jobs I knew I would hate, and becoming more and more isolated and discouraged in the process. I thought at one point about completely leaving art completely, and becoming an activist, but I was scared about the perception of that and what would happen if I completely pulled away from art.
I would spend a lot of time near the beach, and I would notice that there was SO much trash. I was so stunned that one of the nicest neighborhoods in the country had so much trash on the beaches. I was actually growing more and more angry at the lack of interest people seemed to have when they came to the beach and would have trash right next to them where they would post up for the day, and no one would do a thing about it.
I started coming down to the beach at least twice a week to pick up the trash there, and I was collecting so much of it I didn’t know what to do until one day I realized, “I can do something with this.” and essentially that is how my small business was formed!
I am very much an old soul, and have always gravitated to the California music scene of the 60’s and 70’s. I had become particularly inspired by The Doors. There’s context for this too I promise. For a fun tidbit of history, Jim Morrisons partner, Pamela opened a store in the late 60’s called Themis. I thought that was really cool, and traditionally in Greek Mythology, Themis was recognized as the Goddess of Justice. I thought Themis would be a really cool name for what I was dreaming up at the time, but I also didn’t want to completely copy Jim Morrison’s now passed (Rest In Peace) Girlfriend’s business name, but I thought a nod to the greeks would be nice. I am particularly inspired by the ancient mediteranean cultures so it was important to me to have a nod to that in my business.
With the intention of using beach trash in clay to create pieces that I could sell along side kiln fired ceramics, I settled on Pathos. I thought this was a good name because it was evoking the idea of an emotional response, which was part of my intention with my work. I wanted people to see how important of an issue (climate change specifically involving the ocean) this was.
That was a long long story but that is essentially how Pathos was born!
Lauren , 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?
Definitely! I am 27, and live in Southern California in Los Angeles. I got my first camera when I was ten, and haven’t put it down since! I now am building a business, I should actually say rebranding. I am the Owner and creator of Pathos.co, a creative Collective where I offer Photography (editorial, lifestyle, and Underwater photography) as my main service. I couldn’t quite let go of painting or ceramics though, so I will have occasional offerings of paintings and pottery. My main goal is to raise awareness tactfully about climate change, and give back to the community by donating a portion of my profits to organizations that help to combat climate change, and the communities actively being affected by it.
Additionally I want to remain true to who I am, with roots in the midwest, and new roots here, I have sprinkled little tidbits of my personality into this brand. I see it now as almost an extension of myself. I’m constantly inspired by so much in LA, and the waters here. I am proud of myself for fulfilling personal goals I’ve carried with me since I was a teenager. It was always important for me to work for myself, and if I couldn’t be traveling the world on a boat, I would be working somewhere on the coast and advocating for the water. Additionally one of the most important things to me is to build and foster a community. For a handful of years (2014-2021) I really felt like I was just passing through. Now, I have made connections with people I could have only dreamed about when I was younger and have made others feel good about sharing in my mission, helping them to know that they are contributing to making our planet a little bit better for everyone.
Because Photography is my main gig now, I hope to be able to work with organizations who work to conserve our oceans, and ETHICAL and SUSTAINABLE brands who are working to change the focus and function of consumerism by implementing changes to the industry that positively impact the individuals who manufacture products and the environment around them, and everyone as a whole.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
I’m not going to lie, I used to be a little bit of an art snob. I hate to admit it, but I really was! I would always pride myself on being able to predict art trends and call what would be successful at shows, or galleries. It taught me how to be observant which I find to be really incredibly rewarding. Before, it fostered a sense of perfectionism, which lead to crippling anxiety and imposter syndrome. It got to the point where I was becoming so caught up in my own perfectionism that I really didn’t accomplish much. BUT, I started to observe why I was feeling that way, and why I was playing comparison games and how that impacted me not so much as a business person, but just at my core as a human. I started looking at my observation abilities and applying them to my life a little differently. It helped me to heal A LOT of what was holding me back. I owe a lot to my observation skills. They have helped me to make better decisions as an artist and a person. I hope that makes some sense.
Additionally I think that the most rewarding thing outside of that personal tidbit, would be that I actually respect and acknowledge the thoughts that exist in my mind, and while maybe not all of them need to be turned into a piece of art, I love that I am able to take a thought and visualize that into something that can be shared with other people. Giving these thoughts space to exist, and allow other people to connect with them can really form a community. I think that is really important and really beautiful.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
YES. Growing up I used to say YES to really any opportunity that came my way. Sometimes this worked out great, other times not so much. I have encountered a lot of toxic behavior through some opportunities, which in a way I’m very grateful for because it taught me to enforce my boundaries (I used to, like many others, Struggle with this A LOT) and to trust my gut.
Not everyone in the game is here to be your friend. So I would say, just continue to be observant!
Additionally, just because I went to school for one thing, doesn’t mean you’re married to that career path. I’m happy I figured this one out (thanks gut) because who knows what I would be doing now If I didn’t completely change my situation. I have an amazing support system and people I look up to immensely, who are in my corner. It means the world!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.Pathoscollective.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/____laurent_____/
Image Credits
Lauren Weiss