A touch of whimsy
Hillary and Christopher are the husband and wife team behind Wildberry Studio. We chat with Hillary to learn more about their business and their playful, whimsical designs.
Hello, who are you?
Hello! We are Hillary and Christopher, the husband and wife duo behind Wildberry Studio. We create paper and lifestyle goods for the wild at heart – those who dare to dream, explore, express, and connect. All of our products are made with care and intention, and comes straight from our hearts.
Your designs are all very playful. As graphic designers, has this always been the the style that you’ve enjoyed creating?
Chris and I are both huge fans of fantasy and adventure, colour and detail, and we try to incorporate as much of these elements in our work as possible. But more than anything, we are always telling a story with our art, whether its a certain feeling, emotion or mood. We love to add humour and playfulness, and convey a sense of joy, happiness and nostalgia.
Some of your polymer clay earrings are so detailed. How long does a pair of these usually take to make?
Polymer clay earrings have been a recent endeavour, one that came about a few months ago when the world came to a halt. Each pair is carefully handcrafted from start to finish and are designed to reflect our painting style and palette. A pair with more details, such as our Strawberry Fields (below, left) and Evening Gardens, will take approximately 45 minutes to craft, and that doesn’t include the colour mixing, sanding, drilling, or assembling. Needless to say, they are a true labour of love, and I am totally okay with that!
You’re a husband and wife team. Before starting Wildberry Studio, did you ever think you’d work together?
We have always known that we were destined to work together, even a week after meeting. We have very similar creative interests, and stylistically, we compliment each other so well! We explored offering strictly graphic design services but it drained our souls and made us unhappy. We started Wildberry Studio spontaneously, but it felt so natural to create products that promoted connection but with yourself and with others. We love working together and bouncing ideas off each other, but as with everything, there are good and bad days. We are both quite strong willed and confident in our own ideas, so that can sometimes come between us. But overall, I’d say we are quite the dream team and there is absolutely no one I would rather have as a partner in business and in life!
What were you and Chris each doing before Wildberry Studio?
Chris graduated in graphic design and I studied in the culinary arts. He was freelancing when we first started Wildberry Studio and I was a bartender up until a few months ago when I decided to jump with both feet in! We had both our kids during the early stages of our business which was slightly challenging to juggle, but we did it (still doing it) and it’s a pleasure having our kids watch us grow. It is the most fulfilling job and we would never trade it for anything else!
What is the Wildberry Studio's creative space like?
Our creative space is nothing fancy! It consists of our master bedroom converted into an office space, our dining table where we do most of our sketching and dreaming, and my antique writing desk where I paint and do my clay work. It’s functional and cost efficient, but we are planning to move into a studio space soon so that we can work more efficiently. Won’t be long now!
What is your favourite part of running Wildberry Studio?
Our favourite part about running our business has got to be making all these beautiful connections with people all over the world. From retailers to direct customers to other artists, we have met and befriended so many amazing souls and that is absolutely priceless. It is the exact reason we started doing what we do, and it will always be our favourite thing.
What would be your advice to others looking to finally start their own creative business?
My advice to creatives looking to start their own business is to take a step back from exterior influence (other artists on social media in the same field) and really hone in on your own creative voice. Just explore and experiment without the current of trends pushing you in a particular direction, and listen closely to that voice with all your trust. That is the voice that will set you apart, that will effectively tell your story through your art, and ultimately attract all the right customers to you. And another piece of advice I would give is to never, ever give up, no matter the ups and downs. There will be many, but perseverence is what will get you to where you dream you will be.
Follow along with Hillary and Chris on Instagram – @the_wildberry_studio
Location: Montreal, Canada
