We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Polly & Josie Dinsdale a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Polly & Josie, thanks for joining us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

We have both always been very artistic-minded people, but we never knew where our talents and creative interests would lead us when it came to a career. After taking an interior design class together in high school, we immediately knew that it was a path we would like to continue with and learn more about. Our fictional design business in class was called Copper Owl, a name that we hoped to use one day when we had our own business. The meaning behind the name was also very special. Our mom was a Chi Omega at William Woods University. The mascot for both the University and for her sorority happened to be an owl. Our mom collected owl treasures over the years, and it became a tradition that we carried on as well. It became our “little something” that made us all think of each other. Our eagerness to pursue design grew as we geared up for college. We both went on to graduate from Missouri State University in December of 2018 with a degree in interior design and a minor in construction management. Together, we were hired by a Missouri based furniture company to start a design program and manage the visual merchandising of their showrooms. The next four years became a time of learning, creating, and discovering. We both grew as individuals throughout our college career, but the next step into early adulthood would be another period of self reinvention. We became better leaders, team players, and gained much needed confidence that was vital for growing within our profession. We tend to fall back into the category of Indians, but our positions needed two chiefs that could handle multiple projects, stay flexible while the company was expanding, and keep an assembly line of people on the same page. We had been exposed to so many opportunities and people within the industry, but something was missing. We had always been thankful for the success and rapid growth of the design services, but we were both feeling an itch to get back to the roots of where it all started. As one of our former clients would put it, we wanted to get back to something that “made our hearts sing.” In January of 2022, we set forth on a new adventure. We started doing some small design projects independently while also getting back to our artistic foundation. We brainstormed some ideas and had every crevice of our basement covered with watercolor palettes, sketchbooks, and eraser shavings. We were anxious to get going, but had no idea where to start. Over the last few years, we had illustrated several family recipes as gifts. Soon, many of our other family members and friends had taken interest in our recipe prints. We decided to start there. Many long nights of painting and planning were ahead, but it all felt like one big rush. We loved it. Over the last year, we have learned to start enjoying the process of evolving and embracing the unknown. Through trial and error, we have been able to create fine art prints, framed art, decorative pillowcases, tea towels, greeting cards, stickers, and gift tags. We are hopeful that in 2023 we can keep colliding our two worlds of art and design and ease into other genres of art as well. We would love to keep producing more pieces of art and home décor that allow us to keep our creative outlet and curate eye-catching spaces that become a home for our own creations.

Polly & Josie, describe to us your mindset throughout the beginning of your Copper Owl journey.

As we reflect back on the last year, we are very proud of ourselves for taking a chance on this opportunity. We had wondered what the trek towards a career in art would be shaped like, but were always leery to make the jump. We read about and admired many other artists who had faced this exciting, yet daunting, journey head on. Their success made us feel slightly jealous of how far they had come, the joy that radiated from the thrill of the ride, and the fact that they had the guts to just start. Of course it was easy for other artists to preach “keep going” when they had already made it through the trenches of the unknown. Yeah, they did it, but could we? When someone reads the stories of other young creators and artists, they tend to find an underlying theme. The artist had to overcome the stereotype that art can’t be a career, only a hobby. They all had to prove to their family, friends, and their current customers that they could make a living doing something outside of what many consider to be a side hustle at most. Luckily, our parents are extremely supportive and encouraged us to begin our career shift sooner rather than later. Their belief in us extended far beyond the confidence that we had in ourselves at the time. Although we both felt like a deer in the headlights, it did not take long for them to convince us that our art wasn’t going to paint itself! If our parents hadn’t been so supportive of our decision and our dream to curate Copper Owl, we probably wouldn’t be writing this article today. Their confidence in what we wanted to do and our ability to do it made our decision that much easier. With that being said, having confidence in ourselves was and is vital to continue on in the industry. Many artists warned us that if we did not have confidence in ourselves or our products nobody would. We had to believe that we had the skills to start our business, execute the plan, and continue producing new products. We can easily say that Copper Owl is not close to where we want it to be, but we are excited to continue on our business endeavor and ready to enjoy the ride towards the future.

Is there a mission driving your creative journey?

We have always had the same interests, had the same group of friends, and joked that we live a “double life.” It was no surprise that we decided to take on a career together, especially a creative one. During our first job, we learned so much about ourselves and each other. Although it might not seem possible, we did grow even closer during those first four years in the design field. We will always be interior designers and will never let that fade from our scope of work. It is a field that keeps us on our toes as clients, styles, and technology are always evolving. With that being said, the tail end of that final year was an experience like no other. The perk of being your twin sister’s coworker is that you experience everything together, even the rough times. We were feeling a bit overrun in our positions and had ourselves pulled in so many different directions. We were leaning on each other for help, but neither of us had an ounce left to give. While we were thankful that our employers trusted us with so many duties and roles, the responsibilities of being department heads were taking over. We were losing our artistic spark and it felt as if there was no getting around the creative block we were experiencing. Our together “25/8” relationship had become a bit strained and we, more often than not, did not feel like teammates anymore. This wasn’t us. The lust we always had for each other and our career was fading fast. We knew a change was desperately needed. A big one at that.

The feeling that we had at the end of that chapter was one we will both never forget. It’s a hard one to reminisce on, but it’s our main source of fuel in our new story. It’s the feeling that pushes us to keep going when we feel uncertainty and self doubt. The feeling that makes every small victory in our journey that much sweeter. It’s the feeling that we promised ourselves we would never feel again. From that moment on, we have tried to make everyday the best that it can be. It has also been a constant reminder that everything we create is created for us first. If we love what we produce, others will too. There is so much of our story that has yet to be written, and we know that 2023 will give us more learning, growing, and creating to write about.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

We are twenty-five year old twin sisters. Babies, right?! At least that is what we often hear from our older and wiser creative admirers. If we are lucky, we have a lot of life left ahead, but we have also been blessed with a pretty incredible legacy so far. The village we have behind us is one like no other. They are the most supportive, balanced, and self-assured people that you will ever lay eyes on. These people have really taught us what many others never get the opportunity to learn in a lifetime. One of those things being that although we all have different opinions, talents, and fascinations as individuals, at the end of the day, we all really have the same goal in mind; to love what we do and live a life that feels fulfilled in every way. The thing that makes life so interesting is that we all take a different path to get there.

For us, art and design are what allow us to help other people. It’s the color scheme and design of a room that makes one feel at peace after a long day. It’s a grandmother’s illustrated recipe that hangs in a kitchen to remind a person of someone special who was lost long ago. Just as a doctor wants to help a wounded patient or a firefighter wants to save someone in distress, we want to help and give back and contribute with our talents. As people, we gravitate towards careers or jobs that spark our interests. Careers that set our soul on fire and allow us to put our knack towards something larger than ourselves. Like a rafting guide sharing the thrill of riding the waves with those who seek the adrenaline rush, we as artists share our art with people who are willing to take a moment to appreciate the story behind each piece. Watching someone admire our work at the level that we loved creating it is part of our excitement. The thrill of painting and designing until early hours of the morning, until the vision that has grained itself in our heads has become a reality. It is not just art, it is our story. As people, we all feel satisfaction from completing something that cannot be easily accomplished by others. Something that is our niche and resonates self assurance after a job well done. That’s the feeling that keeps us searching for more. It’s how we grow as people. It’s a feeling we all crave. We all satisfy that craving with different hobbies, jobs, and interests. Rather than judging someone for what they do to satisfy that craving, smile because they have found the one thing that makes their heart sing, ignites their spirit, and makes them feel alive.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.etsy.com/shop/shopcopperowl
• Instagram: @copperowlstudio
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