We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Paul Zemaitis, Alexander Zemaitis, Gabriel Guevara N/A. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Paul Zemaitis, Alexander Zemaitis, Gabriel Guevara below.

Paul Zemaitis, Alexander Zemaitis, Gabriel Guevara, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Are you happy as a creative professional? Do you sometimes wonder what it would be like to work for someone else?

All three of us have found that being able to create and be makers is the most liberating and fulfilling work. We agree that the jobs we had before Moonrise, warehouse logistics, restaurant/coffee shop jobs respectively, were not enriching to the artistic spirit we all share. We’d much rather create products that we put work into designing, testing and perfecting than work for somebody else’s vision. That’s not to say it’s not hard work, but hearing that one customer who finds us at a market or wanders into the studio say “please don’t stop doing what your doing” always makes it worth it.

And yet even with having this labor of love that we pour our blood, sweat and tears into, the thought of having a “regular job” can be intriguing sometimes. The unfortunate truth is that society has been preparing us for a “regular job” since the moment we enter grade school. The mounting pressure placed on us as students to get good grades, which leads to a great college, which leads to a great job with great money and benefits.

Creative pursuits and the “struggling artist” lifestyle don’t really fit that pipeline that we as a society have allowed to be deemed “regular”, and anything that strays from that can feel so uncomfortable. For us, when we have a month with lower sales it can feel like a regular job would be more secure. Taxes are more strenuous and expensive, it can feel like a regular job would be less stressful come tax season. When we have to pay rent to a landlord and they still take a commission from products we sell in our studio we’re renting, it can feel like a regular job would be less complicated to get the money we work so hard for.

It can seem like a “regular job” is some magical remedy that can cure all the ailments that come with being creatives and running a small business, but at the end of the day we love what we do. Even given the obstacles, it’s so much more fulfilling to be our own bosses and have the freedom to create whatever it is we want to do next. Beyond all the noise of society telling us we should secure a “regular job” we take pride in having work that allows us to be led by art.

Paul Zemaitis, Alexander Zemaitis, Gabriel Guevara, 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?

Moonrise Candle Co. is a father son and everyone kind of company that encourages artistic collaboration and the repurposing of our containers to bridge the gap between community and a healthier planet. We take back used jars to be repurposed and offer a discount for jars returned. With the release of our astral collection, we designed a wax refill that can be dropped into your candle jar after it’s done burning to replenish the candle and keep more jars out of landfills. And most recently we started the Moonrise FINDS collection which is a set of repurposed vessels curated from what we find in vintage and secondhand stores for some beautifully unique candles.

All of our candles are 100% Soy wax with Natural Fragrance Oil blends to create simple scent combinations and fill your home with a warm atmosphere. We try to balance functionality and design of the candle, so it’s a scent you like to smell and a jar you like to see. Our Classic Collection of candles that launched with the business consists of 8 scents with a few seasonal blends. The Astral Collection launched with 3 planet-themed candles and are now up to 5 with the intention of assigning fragrances to all the celestial bodies in our solar-system.

Here’s the story. Alexander came up with the idea for Moonrise after teaching himself how to make candles from videos online. Only 16 at the time, he went to his father Paul with a business plan who immediately jumped on board and helped establish Moonrise as a business officially in 2016. Since then, the company has seen enormous growth, moving into a studio space in Harrisburg, PA in 2018 and after Alexander went to NYU for college a second studio space in Greenpoint, Brooklyn in 2021.

While in school, Alexander maintained helping his dad run the admin side of business while Paul held down the fort in PA. Alexander went to New York to study film and that’s where he meet his boyfriend Gabriel who was there studying acting for TV and Film. With a common interest in the arts, the pair quickly hit it off and Alexander invited Gabriel to join Moonrise soon after the pandemic started. Together, the pair sold at markets across the city which led to securing that second studio space. It was a lot of work, but definitely so refreshing to introduce Moonrise to a whole new audience and have it so well received.

Given the success that Moonrise has found through our candles, we couldn’t be more grateful of our supporters. We wouldn’t be able to do what we do without them. It’s their support that continues to push us to grow into the business we are today. They allow us to tie our passion for art into the business, such as our 2022 Holiday campaign. Last November we released a stop-motion/animated short film called “Share the Light” that was all designed, developed and produced by us. It was one of those projects that demanded so much from us for almost 2 months, but felt so rewarding to see all come together in the end. We put the set that we created to capture the film on display at our studio which was nice to see our customers dive into this handmade world we created. With our love for the arts and supportive candle lovers who keep us going, looking forward we see Moonrise continuing to explore experiential art and how our customers interact with it.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

Take time to invest into art. A simple task that can look different everyday for everybody, but intentionally setting goals to purchase, experience or create new art will always keep the creative ecosystem alive. The second people lose interest in art, artists won’t be able to sustain themselves.

Investing in art can be financial, such as buying directly from the artist when possible. Buying through a third party website may seem easier sometimes but the artist will likely have to pay commission from every sale to the site. If you’re unsure the best method to support an artist through a purchase, ask them to clarify.

Investing in art can also be social. When people grow connections with artist’s they tend to form a desire to support them and share their work with the world. There are tons of local maker markets and shows where you can meet tons of new creatives or reconnect with familiar ones. If you can’t find one in your area, connect with other like-minded people and see how you could start one! Bringing art and creativity to a region where it’s currently lacking is probably the best thing you could do to build a creative ecosystem.

Investing in art can also be political. If voting season is coming up and you’re looking through candidates, research to see how they aline on legislation regarding funding and encouragement of the arts. Find candidates that want to grow the creative ecosystem, not exploit it. In our own community we’ve seen politicians support millionaire developers and fund their new luxury apartment building over organizations wanting to cultivate art through education and experiences. Who’s to say why these decisions are made, but it’s easier to get away with when nobody notices or questions it. Art, by nature, is political. In the words of Lin Manuel-Miranda “Art lives in the world, and we exist in the world, and we cannot create honest work about the world in which we live without reflecting it. If the work tells the truth, it will live on.” If a candidate ignores legislation to support the arts, or actively tries to discourage its growth, it’s probably for a reason and a big red flag.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

We are ALL creatively spirited people. Weather creativity comes easily to you or sounds more like something you practiced more when you were a kid, it still exists in all of us. It may be hard to imagine being sustained by your creative endeavors but it’s not off limits for anybody, at any point in life.

You may think artists are very brave to commit to such an unstable lifestyle, but the reality is we are all a little scared and that’s okay. Do something that scares you and you may be surprised by the outcome.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.moonrisecandle.com
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• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJzemaB2MAzFGhHOkd5vy2Q