Hello!
I’m Elizabeth and this is my Studio. Studio of Growth exists to help others create less stress and more joy in their lives. At my core I am a problem solver and someone who sees possibilities. I am a designer and also someone who values sustainable rhythms in our lives, loves discerning and thoughtful design, and relishes in textiles and making things with our hands. Above all of that I find innate joy in helping others.
I listen, absorb, synthesize, empathize, then design.
What is Studio of Growth?
No matter the medium, setting, or project type, Studio of Growth is here to provide you with expert design and color guidance in accessible ways that are compelling and beneficial to you. Our suite of services is specifically tailored to discerning individuals and communities looking to better their sewing endeavors, hobbies, wardrobes, and spaces. SOG wants to make your next project or space that much more enjoyable and your life less stressful, less hurried, and full of more wonder and calmness.
My background includes nearly 20 years of experience as a licensed commercial and hospitality interior designer executing well designed spaces across a wide array of sectors and project types. Now I am taking that experience and turning towards our more personal, home spaces. I am a lover of textiles and textile design and a lifelong sewist. Both adaptable and a good listener, I am always focused on the goal at hand and the person or people involved in a project. The things we create with our hands, and the spaces we live and love and work in are highly personal to us.
By supporting SOG, you are also supporting a female owned business & owner with a disability. Here at SOG we acknowledge not all disabilities are physically visible and supporting those with diverse needs is key to the success of all. We appreciate tyour support!
Why Studio of Growth?
Studio – a room where an artist or maker works, a place where something is created
Growth – the process of developing physically, mentally, or spiritually. An indication that something has grown or is growing.
I have always learned and worked in Studios, and I am happiest when I am growing and practicing ways that enable others to grow into themselves and do their best activities and passions.
Hence Studio of Growth. . .or SOG for short 😊
(p.s. Green really is my favorite color too.)
(p.p.s. Studies have shown that green is calming to our brains and nervous systems and can lessen perceptions of pain – whether in plant, color, or lighting form. How neat!)
A Little (more) Background on How SOG Came to Be:
While SOG exists to bring more joy, my very first notions of forming this started in a very rough time in my life. I was newly separated, soon to be divorced, from a long-term relationship gone really sour due to unforseen emotional and physical pain and near burnout of juggling everything. Simultaneously, I was burning out in my current job and suffering the effects of an industry bent on chasing the next big thing and churning out work at an unstainable pace in large firms full of office politics. For the first time in a while, I had time and space alone to think.
I thought about what a life well lived looked like, what I value, what I enjoy most (helping others and creating) and what are the things that would create my best life. I had spent almost two decades hellbent on doing what I was ‘supposed’ to do, achieving, ticking off the life boxes, helping others manage their goals and challenges, and somewhere in there I lost the peace and feeling of discovery and contentment that I really craved.
Then out of nowhere I found myself having vertigo and head pain and extreme reactions to everyday stimuli. While being single for the first time since college, having taken over a mortgage by myself, and a long list of additional responsibilities in a new work role and at home as a divorcee, I was diagnosed with an incurable invisible chronic illness. This illness stole my ability to stay upright, process the stimuli I used to love in the world around me, and do everyday things like bend over, garden, read books, socialize, and present to client committees. It was baffling and relentless. It required strength, and hope and perseverance to find the right specialists and the right management plan. But it pushed me – to go to my core, to slow down, to be stronger, to prioritize what really matters in life, and to forge a new path.
And out of that was born SOG. SOG is a way that I can still pursue my passions and share my skills but in a method that both supports my health and provides a future of financial stability for myself. It is a way to say that challenges may slow us down, but it is how we react to them that really shapes us. It is also a (little) revolt against traditional corporate culture and being forced to work long office hours at relentless paces or being made to feel not worthy or unemployable due to having a disability.
My illness is treated and manageable now with the right plan and lifestyle in place. While I don’t let it define me, it is a part of me. SOG is all the things I love while getting to help others find more joy and less stress in all the things and spaces they love. It is the best Studio yet!
Contact
If you would like to get in touch to share some awesomeness, need clarification on a product or service, or have an idea for partnership, affiliate, or contract services, please email us at studioofgrowth@gmail.com.
Check out our social media pages for more information and inspiration too. Thank you for being here! We appreciate you!