As an artist in the world of business and entrepreneurship, it’s been a tough journey trying to find my way to a place where I get to do good work, keep innovating and designing, and keep the business from falling flat on it’s face all at once. Being a small team, marketing isn’t a big spend for us. And while that might ring alarm bells for you, I’m starting to realise it suits us very well.
Sometimes, you need to be hard to find for clients to realise you are a bit of a gem.
And that we are.
We offer a unique proposition of crafting beautiful lamps, each a piece of art - from a huge variety of materials ( we are fast becoming known for the sheer variety of materials we are becoming proficient in ) , natural materials, using sustainable processes, and the best part we’ve been told is that we offer customisation - without minimum order quantities.
If you know me, you know that my background is not in lighting design or product design. I’m an artist and a graphic designer , and my approach to lighting has simply been to make interactive pieces of art that transform spaces, spark conversations and create magic. This has been our brand goal - to make this difference to many lives , to warm many hearts . So it’s been very exciting to make a bigger impact by working with many architects and interior designers to create lighting for community spaces - restaurants, co-working spaces, offices, spa’s , hotels and homestays .. the list is long.
How are we doing it?
Last April, We were working with just 2 materials and had no projects under our belt. I sought out some architects and asked for their feedback on why they didn’t choose to work with us more often and though it was hard to digest - the response was pretty much the same. They needed more material options. It had taken us 3 years to develop a strong workshop with the type of finish we were happy with, and we worked with just 2 materials - I did not know how to grow our material base without it taking us years to do so.
But then, one architect offered us the job of crafting just four lamps , they used wood and brass - in addition to the material we were already comfortable with - fabric. We had six weeks to make it happen - and we made it happen. Beautifully so. And with that - we were down two more materials. After that, my fear grew a pair of wings and we started exploring actively, partnering with designers and workshops that were excellent at what they did , and designing across mediums with the sheer artistry commanded by the likes of an orchestra conductor.
I believe that this, coupled with our eagerness to innovate and deliver good work is what is helping spread the word like wildfire. The reason we are suddenly getting so many calls, so many projects landing in our laps . And I am grateful. I no longer believe in luck (it's easy to believe in the lack of it when things don't go as you hope ) . The harder you work, the lesser you let fear control what you do and don’t do - the luckier you get. I’m glad I put myself and the business in that position a year ago - that we asked those questions that questioned our very being, and got those honest responses. And we will always be grateful to those first few architects who helped shape us. Thank you to everyone who recommends us, works with us, and is challenging us to grow everyday .
If you’re wondering how to reach out - we’re available at amrita@olie.co.in, sidd81@gmail.com