I just got off the phone with Margaret Smith, owner of Clean Green Studios - a company whose mission it is to provide sustainable dwellings (called the Hope Shelter) for people in developing nations, and who usually live in shacks made out of surrounding debris.

Of course CGS also offers the Hope Studio, (readily available to you and I) and are what Margaret affectionately refers to, “as kind of like your back-yard retreat. It’s a 120-square-foot studio (see above and below) for creativity: art, woodworking, writing, music and entertaining friends. It has French doors, two large windows, a storage loft and built-in bookcase.”

How is it sustainable? The company uses materials with high recycled content and health-conscious finishes:

Galvanized steel siding is a green alternative to all-wood structures.
Insulation and interior siding are made with recycled content.
Clay tiles act as natural floor insulators.
Rain catchment system lets you water your landscape around the studio.

According to Smith, “this year the company has been working with a top advisory board, which includes consultants in sustainable architecture and energy, as well as in issues of social justice.”

2 for 1

For a limited time, when you buy a HOPE STUDIO plan, Clean Green Studios will send a HOPE SHELTER plan to a non-profit house-building organization in developing nations. That means your support will directly contribute to bettering the lives of a family or two in need like this family (shown below) who live on the entrance road to Managua’s (Nicaragua) city dump, and whose community of about 1600 is called La Chureca.

Look at those smiley cute faces, even living under substandard conditions (that neither you nor I can fully comprehend), have something profound to teach us.

Photo taken by Margaret’s son, Eric Smith.

Find this story interesting? You can help by spreading the word. Tell your friends, visit the website: www.cleangreenstudios.com where you can purchase a Hope Shelter for $595. That’s very affordable and would make the perfect holiday gift for more than one.

You can also help by clicking on any of the buttons at the end of this post to share with others on Digg, Facebook, Stumble Upon and other social networks.

I’ve known Emie Otis, (shown above) owner of Beauty Mark Designs, for several years now and have been following her work with a watchful eye.

Emie who is a gifted and savvy designer is known for her range of talents including photo-styling, hair, make-up and fashion design.

Her recent creation Madame Bottle Fly (shown below) was modeled by the designer at Portland’s Junk to Funk Show where ‘trash is transformed into wearable works of art.’

Madame Bottle Fly was made with over 600 bottle caps attached to a delicate wire frame (made out of over 30 wire hangers) weighing in at 45 pounds, and demanding over nearly 450 hours of work.

I was curious about Emie’s dream, the obstacles she’s faced, and the evolution of her work. Here’s more from Emie:

CJ: What is your dream?

Emie: I want to be independently and artistically successful. That means continuing to have the freedom to create my art, and in return to receive financial support to pay my bills and live sustainably. I call myself a Beauty Dominator and am currently living my dream of photo-styling, designing clothing and working as a hair stylist. I can’t imagine doing anything else.

CJ: When did you first realize that art was your dream?

Emie: Well, I remember being 8 years old and my sister (who is a bit older) knew she was going to be doctor and I knew (without a doubt) that I was going to be an artist. We were joint-custody kids and I remember one day (in particular) when my dad took me for walk in the neighborhood. He lovingly told me that my sister (as a doctor) might have an easier time being respected by society and that I might find more challenges on my path as an artist, but he respected me for being an artist.

Every time I think about that time, it makes me cry. I remember thinking that someone understood what I felt, and it was very comforting. There were times when I felt second-fiddle but never with my dad. There was this sense (as I grew older) that what I felt on the inside was that I was just barely making it on the outside. My dad’s support was everything. For example, at one of my gallery showings, he bought more than half of my work.

I always knew I wanted to communicate myself artistically. For example, in middle school, I’d cut things up and staple and hot glitter them to shoes. I later took classes. There eventually was a  snowball-effect and all the work started to pay off. I often stayed up working until 3am, creating my own clothing line, entering in competitions and doing photo-styling projects.

CJ: What have been your biggest obstacles and how have you worked through them?

Emie: My biggest fear has been rejection. I’ve overcome it by NOT giving up. For example I’d hear things like, “Your finishing work sucks, you’re not professional enough, etc.” I would beat myself up for a week, let that process, and try again. It’s been a process of many life lessons, and mistakes are important. Perseverance is also important. As an artist without a degree in Art I’ve often considered myself an outsider. Yet the voice inside my head tells me things like, “Keep going Emie and don’t give up.”

I do my part and let the Universe decide. For example, if I don’t get chosen for a competition, I believe that wasn’t supposed to get in, and that’s probably giving me an opportunity for something better.

CJ: What advice would you give to others following the creative path?

Emie: Be as organized as possible. That has been a big challenge for me. Organization really helps because you are the only person taking care of yourself. A lot of being an entrepreneur is not creative, but is also very important. If you want to be financial successful, you have to have a business mind. Do a budget and assess everything.

CJ: What’s been your biggest victory?

Emie: I had a really good 2008. At this time in my life I feel very comfortable in my skin and am proud of my accomplishments. I won 4th place in Junk to Funk, I participated in Explode La Mode where 15 local fashion designer were highlighted. I showed 18 of my garments and The Oregonian featured 6 of my pieces. I also became Trillian Recycled Artisan, I set up an Etsy account, and photo-styling projects which all were very encouraging.

Although is has felt overwhelming at times, being accepted, acknowledged and maintaining that level has been exciting and scary.  I am optimistic.

For more info on Emie, visit her website, Beauty Mark Designs, www.beautymarkdesigns.net.

Several weeks ago, I attended a function to benefit the Itafari Foundation, an organization supporting innovative community projects in Rwanda.

An undulating wave of beautifully colored, handmade baskets greeted me as I walked through the door. I’ve never completely understood the essence of basket weaving yet at a fundamental level these objects are a symbol of giving and sustainability within a community.

Looking over the pieces, I felt a sudden loss as I remembered a friend saying, “When you find your basket, you’ll just know it’s the right one.” I chuckled to myself when she said this to me, because I couldn’t conceive of the day when MY basket would appear.

So I took the challenge. I decided to pick up each basket and hold it.  What was I looking for? The right texture, weight, color, or size?

Suddenly it all started making sense. Once I put a basket in my hands, a modern day Goldilocks took shape. “No, this one is to wide. No, this one is the wrong color. No, this one is too light.” Finally I kept coming back to the same basket, and I just knew she was the one for me.

A powerful sensation resides in depths of a handmade object. These baskets were lovely to look at, but when I held one in my hands and connected through touch, I began to understand its story and the passion woven into its structure by a group of resilient people. These baskets are created by women in Rwanda and are part of a sustainable income project partnered through Macy’s. When I lifted the basket to my nose, I could smell the fresh cut grass, and instantly imagined the hands of the woman who brought it to life.

This Rwandan basket now rests on my desk, softening the sharp edges of my computerized space, while holding and transforming bits of my life. I think it’s fitting to have baskets be one symbol of building peace in Rwanda.

During this season of giving and gratitude, I look forward to celebrating and contributing to projects such as the Itafari Foundation, who seek to support the reimagining of a sustainable and creative ecological culture in Rwanda.

This watch, designed by Rolf Sachs, for Fortis makes me smile. It must be the delightful combination of chalkboard, chalk, hand written numbers and its child-like quality that make me want to go to Fortis’s website and add it to my shopping cart. Maybe it’s about tapping into the creative side of grown-ups.

Either way, I was curious about the inspiration behind the design and discovered that the concept emerged from a shop window the Rolf designed for London department store Selfridges, shown below.

Rolf shares, “I am always in search of the new.” Me too and I’m inspired.

There is the mechanical aspect of the inner workings of numbers mixed with human nature, while tapping into the creative side of a child. A nice recipe. As reported on Fortis’s news page, “Chalk is transitory, waking the childhood memories in everybody - leading from the sterile to the human.” Interesting.

A very cool watch. I’m tempted. There are a limited edition of 999; very auspicious indeed. That would be seriously good for my shui.

For purchase info, go here: www.fortis-watch.de

It’s been four years in the making of the Vegetal Chair (shown above) for designers Ronan and Erwan Bouroulle; a method that included an idea, experimenting, re-thinking and more experimentation. The complex and beautiful design process also involved commitment, perseverance and support from the producers, Vitra.

I’ll give you the ‘explain-it-to-me-like-I’m a 10 year-old’ version of the design process. For the complete grown-up version visit, www.form.de.

The inspiration for the design came from the designers’ interest in a traditional 19th century North American technique, where young trees were shaped over the course of many years until they adopted the form of a chair. They came up with the idea of designing a ‘grown chair.’

Cut to four years later after the first idea emerged, the chair, made out of “fibre-reinforced polyamide” is about to be presented for the first time on November 8th and 9th at Designers’ Saturday in Langenthal, Switzerland.

Ah, what I would give to go and meet these two creatives.

Some grown-up details from Form.de:

“Flat branches extend and interweave into an asymmetrical, irregular circle-shaped seating shell. The woven strips are stabilized by ribs which grow downwards and merge with the legs. Viewed from the rear the Vegetal Chair looks like a leaf with several stalks and numerous veins branching off.”

Sounds like a challenging puzzle that when all the pieces finally fall into place, is magnetically rewarding.

Congratulations to the designers for all their hard work, the producers for supporting the idea and the world for receiving Cultural Creatives (like these two) with open arms.

For more info visit: www.bouroullec.com / www.vitra.com.