We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Spain Hines. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Spain below.

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

I knew that I wanted to pursue a creative path professionally after about a year or two of not being able to get a job within the field. I actually ended up falling in love with furniture design by chance when I came across it as a path in college. I graduated in late 2019 and began job hunting in 2020. Nobody was hiring (or at least not hiring me) so I turned to making and refurbishing furniture on the side while I worked package handling jobs. I found it to be completely fulfilling in every way to the point that I knew I had to figure out a way to make it my full time, every day.

Spain, 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?

As I mentioned in the previous question, I studied furniture design (history, production, design, etc.) while in college and graduated with a degree in Industrial Design with a concentration in Furniture Design. Throughout my studies at Appalachian State, I did a variety of projects including lighting, seating, and cabinetry. While each one carried their own enjoyment to me, I overall liked the process of making each piece. After graduation I knew I wanted to get my master’s in the field, so I started grad school in 2020 but unfortunately, the world had other plans. After dropping out, I started working and jobs I could get while searching for something relative to what I studied in college. I kept getting turned down for job after job but I was still doing things on the side to scratch a creative itch. I posted and shared about my creations and eventually started getting enough hits that I could make a living off of it.

I believe that some of the reasons that I have been fortunate enough to be able to create such a lifestyle are my designs and my dedication to my craft. I am always looking to improve my craft and making sure that I am working to the best of my abilities. As far as my designs, I believe that the reason they stand out is because I use a lot of curvature and bending techniques that are not very common in the furniture production world.

I am most proud of some of my recent works because they showcase how my design style has evolved. I’ve really grown as a designer since 2019 and I believe that it shows best through my seating and tables. One of the techniques that I use is called laminate wood bending. It allows me to make unique shapes that are appealing to multiple people. This makes me stand out.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

A resource that I wish I knew about earlier is maybe not necessarily a resource but rather the effectiveness of a technique. The technique in question is that of cold calling/emailing. A phrase that I have heard many times before is that “you never know until you ask”; shortly followed by “the worst they can say is no”. I never really understood how true these words were until I started thinking on them and reaching out. I started sending out emails and calling up different people and business to see if they had any interest in my work. Low and behold, it actually works. Not everyone that you reach out to as a creative may take interest in what you have to offer; but you won’t know who will until you send that email.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

To me, the most rewarding aspect of being a creative is seeing other people take an interest and appreciation in my work. This doesn’t necessarily have to mean when I get hired for a job or when someone buys my pieces; but also when people ask questions about me and my craft. When people show that they find what I do to be interesting, that’s something I find to be very rewarding.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spanishfurnishing/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/spain-hines-a3080094/