We had the good fortune of connecting with Jackie Marion and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jackie, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I grew up thinking art was just a hobby. If someone was a professional they were a “starving artist.” This misconception led me to put my paint brushes down and pursue a degree in Engineering. It wasn’t until my junior year, when it was time to start thinking about internships and my future, that it became clear to me that I had made the wrong choice. I couldn’t sign up for a career doing something my heart wasn’t into. An MFA, a cross-country move, and an Etsy Shop later I learned art can absolutely be a career. When you do what you love, you find success and happiness and nobody starves.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am the creator and founder of “Woolies” and my shop, “Miss Align Creations”. In 2013, I had just started working at DreamWorks Animation. After three years of grad school and many hours in front of a computer screen, I was looking for a way to be creative from the comfort of my couch. I had seen felted dolls at craft fairs and was in awe of their construction and appeal. So I bought a small kit from a craft store to figure out what this medium was all about. I immediately fell in love. To challenge myself to really learn the craft, I signed up to donate art for a charity auction for DreamWorks’ upcoming movie, “How to Train Your Dragon 2”. I set out to make one dragon but ended up making three. They were a hit! Attending the gallery and seeing how passionate fans were to see more of their favorite characters gave me an idea. I started felting away an inventory of DreamWorks characters in preparation for our annual studio DreamCon fair. I couldn’t believe it. My table of “Woolies” sold out and the studio wanted more. The following month I was selling at our campus store. Word continued to spread, and departments started ordering “Woolies” as employee and cast member gifts. Over the last nine years, I have created and sold nearly 1000 “Woolies”.

But the downside to a thriving brand when you are the sole creator of handmade merchandise, is that more orders mean more time and hard work. Each “Woolies” takes me approximately four hours of felting to make. On a week where I felted every night and through the weekend, I could only produce a handful. As the popularity grew, I started to feel buried in orders without an end in sight. It no longer was what I had fallen in love with when I started. Ultimately I had to pull back and start turning down orders. It was a hard lesson to learn, but today I am very selective of the orders I take and only take on what I can manage.

In March 2020, DreamWorks’ employees were sent home to work remotely. I thought it would only be for a couple of weeks, so I decided to put the extra hours of the day to good use and do a watercolor painting a day. It had been over a decade since the last time I painted non-digitally so this was not an easy endeavor. I posted each watercolor on my Instagram page and after a few weeks people started to reach out asking for prints or requesting custom paintings. Sales started to grow and eventually I needed a better place to track and manage my orders. So I revived my old Esty shop, “Miss Align Creations” (originally “Miss Align Designs”).

Today I continue to sell prints of my watercolors on my Etsy Shop. But these days I make new content at a slower pace. In 2020 I took on my greatest project yet and had my daughter, Madeline. As I am sure most parents of toddlers can relate, trying to sit down with a set of paints for more than ten minutes is nearly impossible and covering the living room with needles and wool is no longer an option. So while I create with my daughter, my shop now focuses on prints and updates content when I squeeze in the time. I can’t say what or when the next project will be, but I have come to learn that my brand is ever-changing, just like me.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
love being a guide when people visit Los Angeles. It’s such a beautiful city with lots to explore, especially if you are a nature lover, like myself. If someone comes to visit, I like to share, what I think is, the perfect Los Angeles weekend.

You start your Saturday off at Malibu Wines. Invite a small group of your favorite people and pack some silly board games and a cooler full of fruit, crackers, Ruffle Chips (Original flavor), and charcuterie. I like to dress in my most flowy dress, biggest summer hat, and chunkiest wedges. While you are laughing your afternoon away, enjoy delicious local wines, or hop on the dance floor to dance along to the live music.

With a couple hours left before sunset, order some wine to go and start making your way to Point Mugu Campground a few miles down the road. Before anything else, pop up your tent and change into some comfy sweats and headlamp. Light the campfire and open the second cooler of food that has been kept cold on ice all day. As the sun sets, enjoy your campfire grilled dinner and maybe a little more of that wine you bought earlier. End the day with some roasted marshmallows and a cool night under the stars.

When you wake up, light the fire one more time to boil some water for instant coffee and grilled bacon and eggs. There is truly nothing better. Once you’ve eased into the day, throw on your hiking boots and head to the hills. You will find lots of trailheads near the campground that take you to beautiful scenic overlooks of the ocean. After your hike, head back to break down camp and throw on a swimsuit. It’s time to hit the beach.

Just over the Pacific Coast Highway is the ocean. Take a dip in the cool water and bury your nose in a great book (a real book, no screens). But make sure you pop your head up every once in a while so you can catch the whales and dolphins swimming down the shore line. If you still have energy after your hike, you can head a few miles south down the coast and join in some pickup beach volleyball.

Stay and soak up at much warm sun as you can handle (don’t forget the sunscreen) until you are so relaxed you’ve forgotten all of your worries, or until you’ve run out of food. It’s time to head back.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would like to give a shoutout to my fiancé, Jerry, for encouraging and supporting me in my ever-changing, never-ending, sometimes exhausting, creative endeavors. Whether I am working on orders for my shop, expanding my product line, or I just want to craft, Jerry is on board with love and patience. He takes on the extra workload (which is not an easy task with a one-year old daughter) to allow me to create and he gives me the confidence and courage to always go for it. Thank you for all that you do, Jerry.

Instagram: @jackiemarion

Facebook: @WoolieCritters

Other: Etsy Shop: Miss Align Creations

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