Thriving Under Thirty: le animalé

An Interview with Laura of le animalé:

In dealing with Laura after winning a recent giveaway for this adorable little deer, I knew I had to find out more about her successes with le animalé . I have absolutely fallen in love with all of her tiny creations; a Fat-Fat from her is next on my list of purchases.

Without further ado, meet Laura: 

How did you get into this field?

Somewhat suddenly, haha. I've been exploring all kinds of art mediums my whole life - drawing, colored pencils, acrylic painting, photography, music. It's funny because whenever I would consider what I might do as a 'job', I never really saw myself becoming a 3D artist. I'd made things from polymer clay before I started le animalé, usually just something for fun or gifts for friends, but not on any regular basis. But, I've been known to dive head first into a new field, and this was no different. le animalé is perfect me because I love animals, I love miniatures, and I love making art. I also love working for myself. And even though I never saw myself working in 3D, I have found that I really, really enjoy it.

Le Transformer Owl Totem

What other jobs did you have before starting le animalé? 

I had my first job when I was 15 working at a Dunkin Donuts/Baskin Robbins. For the next few years I had several food service & retail jobs before I started working as a freelance photographer in college. I shot a lot of portraits and ended up working for my university photographing people and events. Those beginnings morphed into my photography business which I worked on full time until I started le animalé. I still take photo jobs when my schedule permits.

Le Spirited Kit Fox Totem

What is your biggest source of inspiration for new pieces and why?

I try to choose animals that either I haven't made in a while, or have been suggested by my fans on FB, Twitter, or through my suggestion box. Every now and again I'll either visit an animal center of sorts or learn about a new animal and that will inspire new pieces: I made several lemur totems after visiting the Duke Lemur Center, for instance. Travel is another big one. After an incredible trip to Oaxaca, Mexico with artist Jessica Swift, we came back with inspiration for our new line of Sea Elves.

Sea Elves of Oaxaca -Fiesta

Which of your designs was the most difficult to materialize?

If I had to choose one totem that was the most challenging to bring to life, it would probably be this phoenix totem I created as a custom order last year. Figuring out how to make it stand and still look presentable as a phoenix was the hardest part. My recent falcon necklace was also unexpectedly challenging for me, trying to get his shape just right. Sometimes it's a surprise which animals are going to provide a challenge and which aren't!

What are your words of advice for anyone interested in a career within the creative field?

Be consistently hardworking, and share your work. Consistency will help you gain fans and will obviously make you better and better at what you do. I really believe that you don't have to start out with a certain level of talent, you just have to be willing to work hard enough to develop the skills. And if you want to be self employed, research and study business & marketing. Even fantastic art doesn't sell itself.

To see all of Laura's newest designs be sure to follow her on Facebook and Twitter. Her sweet little creatures will bring a smile to your face every time they cross your news-feed.

Which one of the le animalé totems is your favorite? 

My little deer grazing our coffee table with a few of my crystals.

I hope you enjoyed this new column, Thriving Under Thirty, getting to know le animalé. In the future I will be interviewing other prosperous women under the age of thirty that serve as a major source of inspiration. If you are interested in being featured please email meaghanmae@gmail.com.