Conversation 06: Sigfús Designs
This series features refreshing conversations with Tucson’s makers, creatives, and small business owners via long-form interviews. We aim to share their multifaceted stories, processes, and inspirations through the lens of beginnings, risk, and creativity.
Photography by LEA ORTIZ
Lauren Valenzuela of Sigfús Designs works with the medium of polymer clay and continues to expand her craft, most recently incorporating resin, wire, and other elements in her work. Find her work here and follow her here.
Lauren Valenzuela / Owner & Maker
Tell us about your path to what you’re doing now; how did you start Sigfús Designs? What is your background?
My background is in restaurant management, marketing, and social media. I have worked in the food industry in some way for the majority of my life. In December of 2017, one of the restaurants I worked for was sold, and it freed up a lot of my time. I really wanted to find something that could be a creative outlet for me, and that’s when I started making jewelry.
I found a polymer clay jewelry maker in Australia who was making really wild earrings with tons of colors and prints, and that inspired me to try this medium. I wanted to make a style that was a little more me, so I incorporated desert colors and geometric shapes.
How has your style developed as you’ve grown?
I think my style has been more refined and more defined in terms of what I personally like, and not only what is popular in a particular moment. As I’ve grown, I have tried more and more to make pieces that simply bring me joy, instead of making things that I think people would want. I always want to stay true to my ethos and make things that I personally would wear. I would say my style could be defined as geometric, bold, and eclectic.
“I would say my style could be defined as geometric, bold, and eclectic.”
“After a very successful event, I came home encouraged and really feeling like I could do it! The experience of the market gave me a lot of the confidence I needed.”
When did the idea of starting your business feel like something you could achieve? Was there an “aha!” moment?
I essentially started my business in January of 2018. I created an Etsy page and was selling a few pieces. That March, I applied for the Spring Cultivate market, and to my shock, I got in! Cultivate was the first event I ever did with Sigfús. I say “with Sigfús” because about 10 years earlier I had a small resin jewelry business, so I had a little bit of prior experience with events and selling in person.
After I was a vendor at Cultivate, I grew exponentially. I brought so many pieces to Culitvate, not sure of what would sell or what people would gravitate towards. After a very successful event, I came home encouraged and really feeling like I could do it! The experience of the market gave me a lot of the confidence I needed to continue growing my business. After the market, I came home and wrote a seven page business plan, and the process has snowballed since then!
If you weren’t running Sigfús, what would you be doing?
I was dabbling a bit in selling vintage clothing before Sigfús, so I’d probably be doing something like that or find some other creative outlet. If I could be doing anything, I would want to be traveling the world as an undercover food critic. I love good food, and I seem to have a knack for explaining why certain food is good and why it is not.
Does your process come pretty naturally or do you find yourself fighting against creative block at times?
The process of running a business and creative strategy comes naturally to me. The process of just being free creatively and drawing from my own well of creativity comes harder. I try to not be too hard on myself and know that creativity manifests in many ways and if Im not getting some “new, never been seen before design” that it is okay and I don’t need to strive for it.
“The process of running a business and creative strategy comes naturally to me. The process of just being free creatively and drawing from my own well of creativity comes harder.”
Have you taken big risks to move forward? Do you see a connection between risk and creativity?
I think quitting my regular steady job of seven years was a big risk. There was just no way I could focus fully on my business and on another person’s business at the same time; one of them would suffer. For the marketing job at the restaurant I needed to be creative and innovative all the time and I just felt like I was running on empty. I decided to take the leap and that was really scary because I didn’t feel like I had anything to fall back on.
I do see a connection between risk and creativity because MOST of the time I have no idea what I am doing and if I think about it too much I will scare myself out of doing it. I choose to just jump and hope there’s a parachute that magically appears before I hit the floor.
Have you had any memorable collaborations? Why do you think it’s important for creatives and makers to come together and collaborate?
Yes! I think the most memorable collaboration I had was with a group of friends earlier this year on a collaborative art pop-up show. We came together, each of us with our different mediums: painting, photography, ceramics, makeup artistry, a florist, and my jewelry. We collaborated on a shoot and we created pieces from the experience. I knew going into it the purpose wasn’t to make money, but to make art and express the feeling behind it all. The show was called “Into The Deep” and the thought behind the subject was to encourage deeper conversation and connection. This was such a special show to me because I loved everything we made together so much. It was beautiful to see people coming together for the same goal and putting aside ego to be a team. I think its important to collaborate because we can do cool stuff alone, but we do much more profound work together. The show will always be an important part of my journey.
“Sell your work for its value. It takes so much time to make something that is handmade and you wear about ten different hats as business owners, so don’t sell yourself short.”
What advice would you give to someone who is starting out?
I would say to dig deep and price your work what its worth. I see so many people starting out selling their work for so low because they are unsure of it and they feel insecure. I say go for it. There are likely people in the world making stuff not nearly half as neat as yours and selling it for twice the cost. Sell your work for its value. It takes so much time to make something that is handmade and you wear about ten different hats as business owners, so don’t sell yourself short. I think what you put a value on, others will also. It may take a little longer in the beginning, but it will be worth it in my opinion.
Outline the 3 greatest attributes you need to be a maker / creative / small business owner:
Moxie - I think best described as grit, fortitude, and passion. I think you need a lot of this to keep consistent and not give up.
Self Awareness - Self awareness is a big one. I don’t want to over-criticize myself, but I also need to be aware of areas where I am lacking or need to grow and continue learning. I think its really important to stay teachable and have a posture of being a beginner, hungry to learn. With self awareness, it’s important to be open to feedback and invite people into your circle.
Community/Support System - To me this is the most important. You need someone in your corner cheering you on. You need that person or persons who can remind you of who you are when you can easily forget. You also need people who are honest and can call you out and help you be better. Running a business by yourself can be incredibly lonely and sometimes isolating. Friends who can support you in this are so crucial and my best friend, sister, and husband are probably one of the main reasons I am still going as a business owner. All the heaviness of doing many things can be exhausting. If you can get people in your life to help support you, even in small ways, it makes a world of difference.
“All the heaviness of doing many things can be exhausting. If you can get people in your life to help support you, even in small ways, it makes a world of difference.”
Do you feel a responsibility to contribute to something bigger? What type of legacy do you hope to leave?
I absolutely do. I think at the end of the day, making money and supporting yourself is great, but if there’s not anything more than that, you get to that place and then feel a little unfulfilled. For me, I need to give back. That could be financially or with my time, or sometimes its just giving someone a pair of earrings to brighten their day. For me this whole thing has to be about something bigger and at the end of the day, its the people I get to know and the relationships I have formed that make it all worth it.
What brought you to Tucson? How does living in Tucson influence your craft?
I am a Tucson native and a lover of my city. Tucson is a beautiful gem with endless love and possibility and I am so proud to be from here. Tucson inspires me deeply with its desert landscapes and cotton candy sunsets. Tucson also inspires me with its grittiness and its eclectic personality. I love the mix of people and style that the city hosts, and I think it all influences my work greatly!
“If I am feeling un-inspired, I try to shut off all the noise (social media and tv) and listen to music or just make things with no agenda.”
How do you stay creatively inspired?
I try to gain inspiration from nature, art, design, and travel. If I am feeling un-inspired, I try to shut off all the noise (social media and tv) and listen to music or just make things with no agenda. I feel like music can get me into a flow state where I can start connecting with my emotions and that’s when I make my best work.
What does a typical day look like for you?
I wake up around 6am and do a workout and drink lots of coffee! I get to the studio shortly after and generally work until about 530/6 in the evening. When I get in I first load and print out all orders that need to be shipped. I work on what I need to restock and make more of next. I am also answering emails, uploading items, getting very distracted, and all the basic day to day things needed to keep my business running. I do try and give myself at least 30min to an hour each day to just create for fun. It is a little harder in a busy season, but if I don’t have some creative free time, I can get burned out really easily.
“It is important to know what getting a “no” on something you really wanted feels like, and I think going through the rejection made me dig really deep as to what my “why” is.”
What are you trying to learn right now?
I feel like I am learning a level of humility in a different way than I have before. I applied for a large, well respected market in San Francisco for the holidays, and I didn’t get accepted. My first response was to feel totally defeated and to completely doubt everything I’ve ever done. I thought “I knew it, I’m not good enough”. After processing all of those emotions and the 20 others that came with it, I realized I learned a greater lesson of humility and perseverance.
It is important to know what getting a “no” on something you really wanted feels like, and I think going through the rejection made me dig really deep as to what my “why” is. It made me ask of myself, “Why do I do this? What is the purpose? How do I handle disappointment?” I learned a deeper lesson on how to be more humble with how I approach things in my business. When you are an owner of a business and your work is something you make, it can feel incredibly personal, and it can feel like in some way you don’t measure up. I think the rejection for me was really needed and caused me to analyze a lot of different aspects of my business, but ultimately to not overthink it. I say humility because I felt embarrassed to not get in, and it was really hard that one of my good friends in the same industry did get in. I had to choose to share it with people and let people see me not get what I wanted, and hopefully, how I got back up from it in a positive way.
Seeing where you are now, what are your ambitions for the coming years?
I think for the future I would love to grow a larger team. I would love to employ a few designers who would all be creative pieces to the puzzle. I would love to have someone who could run all marketing and web things for me and help me execute all of the “big ideas” that I can’t seem to get done in the short hours of the day. I would love to have a community art space with classes on all art forms as well as a place to showcase local work.
Where can people find you?
My website is www.sigfusdesigns.com. You can also find my work on Etsy and in quite a few stores around the country, including several in Tucson.
