Today we’d like to introduce you to Linnea Schoen.
Hi Linnea, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I am a Michigan based artist and maker! I have been drawing and painting for my entire life and when I met my (now) husband back in high school, we definitely knew we wanted to build an amazing life together filled with art, nature, and connection to the land. I’m happy to say we’ve been able to do just that! Our small business, Organic and Wild, was created by us in 2016 and has been fueled by our passion of bringing people closer to the land. Our love of foraging and preparing delicious and unique dishes has fueled my work as an artist. I have constant inspiration around me, through observing the land and reflecting on my experiences in natural spaces (my own city backyard included). Organic and Wild offers nature inspired art and home goods including one of a kind original art, prints and stickers, unique candles made from locally sourced beeswax, as well as wild crafted teas and herbal extracts. We pride ourselves on the attention we give to sourcing our ingredients and the quality of the goods we offer!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
We have been through many challenges! From moves, to raising a family, a pandemic, and the standard small business woes, it has not been an easy road. We have learned how to live more simply and do without many luxuries, and have had to navigate running a small business while both my husband, Forrest, and I complete degrees. I have just completed my bachelor’s in Native American Studies and Art History through Northern Michigan University and Forrest is almost done with his degree in Anthropology and Biology at Grand Valley State University. We are looking forward to incorporating our life experiences “in the field” with our academic pursuits in a way that serves our community. While there is so much more we want to do with Organic and Wild, we see many opportunities ahead for that!
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I have been drawn to art since before I can remember. My parents always instilled an appreciation for design, creativity, and artworks of all kinds and that has really stuck with me throughout my life. I have loved working with all sorts of media – clay, watercolor, acrylic – but my long time loves have been pen + ink and colored pencil. I absolutely love being able to sketch out my ideas, refine it with ink, and then color in with vibrant colors that reflect nature. I have turned many pieces into prints and stickers because I am overjoyed by the number of people who are able to purchase a piece from me even just for a few dollars. Accessibility is really important to me so this option feels appropriate.
I am working on a Michigan habitat series in pen+ink that I am so excited for! I am creating coloring pages with the black and white images, then finishing in colored pencil and acrylic marker. My end goal with this project is to compile this series into a children’s book to help educate young people on the plants, animals, and fungi that live in the world around them!
At Organic and Wild, we loved to craft products that support the health and wellbeing of people through organically grown and wild harvested plants and fungi through teas, tinctures/extracts, and seasonal offerings such as a wild harvested salt blend, mushroom hot cocoa, and homemade maple syrup. Nature connection is always at the core of all of our work – through the products we make as well as my artwork!
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
There is so much behind our ‘success,’ but I don’t like to use that word because there is a finality to it. I like to keep the long view in life. I try very hard to not compare our business and craft to anyone else’s. I try not to take things too seriously and keep levity, whimsy, and joy at the forefront. I always make art for the love of it, not for money, and any sales of my art are a perk. We could not do this work without leading with curiosity, patience, and support from our loved ones.
Our philosophies have shifted over the years but we always seek to honor the Earth at every turn, as well as the ones who have come before us who have done the hard work of learning the land in ways we have benefited from. We support local and organic farms for everything that we cannot sustainably and ethically wild harvest ourselves. We seek out invasive or naturalized species wherever possible and seek to support biodiversity in the areas we tend and harvest from.
Pricing:
- Vinyl stickers: $3
- Prints: $5-$20
- Herbal Extracts: $15-$45
- Beeswax candles: $2-$25
- Large Scale Prints/Posters/OOAK art: $50+
Contact Info:
- Website: https://organicandwildshop.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/organicandwild
- Facebook: https://Facebook.com/organicandwild
- Other: https://organicandwild.Etsy.com
