{"id":104991,"date":"2023-08-07T19:02:00","date_gmt":"2023-08-08T00:02:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/?post_type=bu-article&#038;p=104991"},"modified":"2023-11-16T17:49:03","modified_gmt":"2023-11-16T22:49:03","slug":"inside-the-industry-2","status":"publish","type":"bu-article","link":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/magazine\/articles\/2023\/inside-the-industry-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Inside the Industry"},"content":{"rendered":"\t<div class=\"wp-block-editorial-leadin magazine-block-editorial-leadin is-style-side-by-side has-media has-box has-media-focus-center-middle\">\n\t\t<div class=\"container-lockup\">\n\n\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-block-leadin-media\">\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<img width=\"1500\" height=\"1801\" src=\"\/cfa\/files\/2023\/10\/Satabdi-Jena-web.jpg\" class=\"\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2023\/10\/Satabdi-Jena-web.jpg 1500w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2023\/10\/Satabdi-Jena-web-530x636.jpg 530w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2023\/10\/Satabdi-Jena-web-853x1024.jpg 853w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2023\/10\/Satabdi-Jena-web-768x922.jpg 768w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2023\/10\/Satabdi-Jena-web-1279x1536.jpg 1279w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2023\/10\/Satabdi-Jena-web-833x1000.jpg 833w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1500px) 100vw, 1500px\" \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"wp-block-editorial-leadin-caption wp-prepress-component-caption\"><em>Photos courtesy of Jena<\/em><\/p>\n\t\t\t\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"container-words-outer\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"container-words-inner\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"wp-prepress-tag\">Visual Arts<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"head\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tInside the Industry\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h4 class=\"deck\">Satabdi Jena designs whimsical housewares in her sustainable ceramics studio<\/h4>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t\n<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar magazine-prepress-layout-metabar\">\n\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-date\">August 7, 2023<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-credits\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul data-credit-type=\"By\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<li><a href=\"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/magazine\/authors\/marc-chalufour\/\">Marc Chalufour<\/a><\/li>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"wp-prepress-component-metabar-share js-bu-prepress-share-tools\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-twitter\"><span>Twitter<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-facebook\"><span>Facebook<\/span><\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"icon-action\"><\/span>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-editorial-introparagraph magazine-block-editorial-introparagraph is-style-large\"><div class=\"wp-block-editorial-introparagraph-content\"><p>Satabdi Jena began creating illustrations of cats and dogs a decade ago. It took a pandemic for her to begin selling them.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"alignright size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"844\" height=\"1024\" src=\"\/cfa\/files\/2023\/10\/Satabdi-Jena-12-844x1024.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-104995\" srcset=\"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2023\/10\/Satabdi-Jena-12-844x1024.png 844w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2023\/10\/Satabdi-Jena-12-524x636.png 524w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2023\/10\/Satabdi-Jena-12-768x931.png 768w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2023\/10\/Satabdi-Jena-12-1267x1536.png 1267w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2023\/10\/Satabdi-Jena-12-1689x2048.png 1689w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2023\/10\/Satabdi-Jena-12-825x1000.png 825w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2023\/10\/Satabdi-Jena-12.png 1891w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 844px) 100vw, 844px\" \/><figcaption>Some of Jena\u2019s ceramic housewares feature her \u201cMisfits,\u201d a cast of whimsical animal characters, such as Mr. Chonk, pictured on these mugs.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Prior to 2020, Jena (\u201911) was designing and producing corporate gifts, like mugs emblazoned with a company logo. When that work vanished, she had to reinvent her business. She decided to put her illustrations onto ceramic housewares and began selling them online and in pop-up stores and markets. With that, <a href=\"https:\/\/thestrangeco.com\/collections\">The Strange Co.<\/a> was born.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Three years later, Jena\u2019s Delhi, India\u2013based studio offers a variety of wares. Some feature her <a href=\"https:\/\/thestrangeco.com\/collections\/story-cards\">\u201cMisfits,\u201d<\/a> a cast of whimsical animal characters. Others depict simple scenes from monsoon season, like an umbrella blowing away. The designs are spare, but they overflow with personality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThat leap of faith helped me,\u201d she says of launching the company. It kept her in business until her corporate clients returned\u2014and it taught her some important lessons about embracing her own creativity.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3>Find your inspiration.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>When Jena began drawing the Misfits, she didn\u2019t think there was a market for ceramics with characters on them. She just loved animals and wanted to draw them.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She based some of her characters on animals she saw living on the streets of Delhi. Their quirky personalities, however, came from the humans around her. \u201cI eavesdrop a lot,\u201d Jena says. She listens to people on the train and watches them in the street. Her monsoon collection is based on scenes she witnessed through her studio window. \u201cThat\u2019s my creative process,\u201d she says.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-editorial-photoessay magazine-block-editorial-photoessay alignwide wp-block-photoessay js-block-editorial-photoessay\"><div class=\"photo-row-square-s-1\">\n<div class=\"photo-s\"><div class=\"wp-block-photoessay-media\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" src=\"\/cfa\/files\/2023\/10\/Satabdi-Jena-2-1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-104996\" srcset=\"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2023\/10\/Satabdi-Jena-2-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2023\/10\/Satabdi-Jena-2-636x636.jpg 636w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2023\/10\/Satabdi-Jena-2-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2023\/10\/Satabdi-Jena-2-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2023\/10\/Satabdi-Jena-2-1000x1000.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2023\/10\/Satabdi-Jena-2-500x500.jpg 500w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2023\/10\/Satabdi-Jena-2-1200x1200.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2023\/10\/Satabdi-Jena-2-550x550.jpg 550w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2023\/10\/Satabdi-Jena-2-710x710.jpg 710w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2023\/10\/Satabdi-Jena-2-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2023\/10\/Satabdi-Jena-2-600x600.jpg 600w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2023\/10\/Satabdi-Jena-2.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"photo-1\"><div class=\"wp-block-photoessay-media\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" src=\"\/cfa\/files\/2023\/10\/Satabdi-Jena-1-web-1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-104997\" srcset=\"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2023\/10\/Satabdi-Jena-1-web-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2023\/10\/Satabdi-Jena-1-web-636x636.jpg 636w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2023\/10\/Satabdi-Jena-1-web-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2023\/10\/Satabdi-Jena-1-web-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2023\/10\/Satabdi-Jena-1-web-1000x1000.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2023\/10\/Satabdi-Jena-1-web-500x500.jpg 500w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2023\/10\/Satabdi-Jena-1-web-1200x1200.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2023\/10\/Satabdi-Jena-1-web-550x550.jpg 550w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2023\/10\/Satabdi-Jena-1-web-710x710.jpg 710w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2023\/10\/Satabdi-Jena-1-web-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2023\/10\/Satabdi-Jena-1-web-600x600.jpg 600w, https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/files\/2023\/10\/Satabdi-Jena-1-web.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:250px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer alignfull has-tertiary-background-color overlap-top-250\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:40px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-background has-normal-font-size has-tertiary-background-color\">More ceramics by Jena, including a mug with \u201cMisfits\u201d Ms. Meow and Bubbles (right).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3>Tell your story.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Jena\u2019s characters inhabit an imaginary universe. There\u2019s Ms. Meow and Mr. Chonk the cats, Jimmy the yoga-practicing dog, and Mr. Hendrix the confused rooster. To give customers a glimpse into their world, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/thestrange_co\/?hl=en\">The Strange Co.<\/a> packs a postcard with a character-specific poem with each order. Photos and animations on the company\u2019s Instagram page further develop their personalities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The importance of storytelling extends to The Strange Co.\u2019s business practices. \u201cPeople don\u2019t mind paying that extra buck when they know how something\u2019s been made and who\u2019s making it,\u201d Jena says.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Strange Co. relies primarily on the free marketing power of social media\u2014Instagram in particular\u2014and has also opened its studio so people can see where the products are made and take workshops.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What they\u2019ll see there is a company focused on sustainability. It uses local clay and natural dyes, and most orders are shipped in recycled materials. Communicating those practices is an important piece of convincing a customer to spend more on her products than they would elsewhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-end-of-article\">The idea of bringing joy to an individual customer motivates Jena. \u201cIt\u2019s very gratifying for my creative side,\u201d she says. She especially likes to imagine contributing to a customer\u2019s early-morning ritual: \u201cYou pour some coffee and when you look at that mug, it brings a smile to your face. It may be a very simple object, but it really has an impact on your day.\u201d&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Prior to 2020, Jena (\u201911) was designing and producing corporate gifts, like mugs emblazoned with a company logo. When that work vanished, she had to reinvent her business. She decided to put her illustrations onto ceramic housewares and began selling them online and in pop-up stores and markets. With that, The Strange Co. was born. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6310,"featured_media":105006,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"bu_prepress_billboard":"","_bu_prepress_primary_term":"","_bu_prepress_primary_term_manual":""},"tags":[],"bu-publication":[191],"magazine-article-category":[372,379],"magazine-topic":[],"news-article-category":[],"news-topic":[],"bu_edition":[397],"media_type":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/104991"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/bu-article"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6310"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=104991"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/104991\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":105752,"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-article\/104991\/revisions\/105752"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/105006"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=104991"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=104991"},{"taxonomy":"bu-publication","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu-publication?post=104991"},{"taxonomy":"magazine-article-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/magazine-article-category?post=104991"},{"taxonomy":"magazine-topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/magazine-topic?post=104991"},{"taxonomy":"news-article-category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-article-category?post=104991"},{"taxonomy":"news-topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/news-topic?post=104991"},{"taxonomy":"bu_edition","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bu_edition?post=104991"},{"taxonomy":"media_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/id-andrea.cms-devl.bu.edu\/cfa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media_type?post=104991"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}