Meet Jen Singh and Rachel Herzog | Creative Mavens + Girl Bosses

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jen Singh and Rachel Herzog and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jen and Rachel, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
Supporting emerging artists and elevating creativity.

From the very beginning, we’ve been aware of how important it is to support emerging artists at Garage Door Studio. You could call us a dynamic duo: Jen’s the fine artist and marketing maven and Rachel’s a jewelry maker and accounts guru.

Our combined strengths and experiences have allowed us to play several roles in our creative business. Whether we’re teaching workshops, engaging with customers, planning a craft event or acting as an artist mentor, there’s always something inspiring cultivating in our space.

We recognized early on that emerging artists needed a number of things: help with developing their brand, learning how to price their work, how to promote and finally, a place to test market their goods. As we took on more and more artists, we started seeing that our business model was successfully assisting artists in making a living.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
About Jen: The summer after receiving my BFA in Illustration at Kendall College of Art & Design (Grand Rapids, MI), I received a phone call inviting me for a design internship in the south. I was craving new experiences, travel and change, so off I went without hesitation! Eventually, Atlanta became my home base, which brought opportunities to work in the exhibit tradeshow and graphic design fields. I continued to pursue my illustration dreams and took all the freelance gigs with editorial and publishing companies I could while also networking with local artists and organizations.

Living in a big city provides ample opportunities, but it didn’t come without challenges; finding my tribe took a lot of effort. In those early days, I discovered a euchre group listed in Creative Loafing that met at Manuel’s Tavern. Through these friendships, I volunteered with Hands on Atlanta, joined creative design organizations, received referrals for freelance projects, and the cherry on top – I met my partner of 26 years!

Through these experiences I realized connections with people have value. Never throw away a networking opportunity, even if it seems unrelated to your field. Many times I’ve had conversations at a party or fundraiser with someone who later referred me for an art commission or logo design.

I’ve also learned more about the why’s behind my work, and how to answer questions like: What do you do for a living? “I’m a painter, designer and arts advocate.” Why do you paint? “I’m fascinated with creating mixed media works that are ethereal and allegorical.” My paintings capture the memories of magical woodlands, starry nights and fields of wildflowers from my childhood on the southwest shores of Lake Michigan. Animal spirits often come into play—a stag enveloped in botanicals, luminous butterflies magnified in vibrant hues, hummingbirds floating in dreamy colorscapes—all infused with joy and a bit of magic.

The journey of creativity involves chasing dreams, finding inspiration daily and feeling excited about even the smallest accomplishment. Living in a southern city for the last 28 years has been inspiring, exciting and so different from where I grew up. I wax nostalgia of that slow-living, small midwestern town of my youth, but I also love the soulful, rich heritage of the south. I find home in both these places.

About Rachel:
I have been a maker all my life. My major in college was environmental science, but I had to have a creative outlet, so I also took art classes.

After graduating, I started beading necklaces and bracelets using semi-precious beads. I became hooked on natural gemstones and started selling them to friends and colleagues. But life took over, and I began a career designing tile installations, started a family and then my creative pursuits were put on hold. Eventually, I decided to quit my job to become a full-time mom, but I needed to find something to call my own that was also creative. I got a sewing machine for my birthday, taught myself how to sew and started making upcycled wool and cashmere scarves. Using my environmentally-conscious background, I began applying it to my creative outlet. This was a huge “aha” moment for me! I applied to craft shows, got accepted, and then people purchased my goods! I couldn’t believe it. I started meeting new makers and thinking about my next steps.

Collaborating with fellow artists to open a handmade boutique was THE next step. Through meeting artists, friends and neighbors, a few of us came together and did just that. Opening the shop, keeping it going and focusing on thriving has been one of the greatest learning experiences of my life. Partnering with Jen is a relationship I’m grateful for. Through the ups and downs of life, I’ve relied on Garage Door Studio as a constant.

As with any creative pursuit, it ebbs and flows. Sewing has fallen to the wayside, and getting back to making jewelry with natural stones is my joy. I’ve always been drawn to rocks and crystals as a child. Over time, I’ve circled back to them. Learning about their benefits, energy, and meanings has been a fulfilling journey. I wanted to share what I’ve learned and experienced on my own, so I started a crystal section in the shop. Passing on the uplifting energy of crystals to our customers makes me happy.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Jen’s Itinerary: Atlanta is more than a big city, the neighborhoods are unique destinations all on their own. I’m partial to the east side of town since I’ve lived in the Decatur/Emory area since 1993, so if my bestie came to visit, I’d start with some laid back foodie destinations. Raging Burrito in Decatur does not disappoint with their Baja fish tacos and margaritas, or for something totally authentic, Arepa Mia in Avondale has the yummiest chicken empanadas. Try the guava sodas-AMAZING! Favorite brunch spots: Rising Son in Avondale and Sun in my Belly near Kirkwood. For happy hour, some of my favorite destinations are the Ticonderoga Club at Krog Street Market (so dark and swanky), Einstein’s on Juniper Street (beautiful patio!) or The Kimball House in Decatur (lively and fun).

The green spaces in Atlanta are beautiful, and I love an urban hike experience. The Peachtree Creek trail is an easy hike between Mason Mill and Medlock park with an option to connect to Emory’s Lullwater Park. For a more strenuous hike, I love the 5 mile white blaze trail at Sweetwater Creek. The historic mill is a quick landmark to reach, but the rest of the trail along the river is not to be missed. The Atlanta Botanical Garden is another fave, their installations are gorgeous and the proximity to Piedmont park makes it an easy way to spend the day communing with nature.

Afternoons are the best time to see movies when there’s less people, so we’d go to the art house movie theater, The Tara on Cheshire Bridge, to see an independent film. While we’re in the area, I always like to visit Atlanta Water Gardens and walk among the fountains-a total Zen experience.

Finally, one day would have to be dedicated to an excursion to Duluth where we would spend the morning at Jeju Spa lounging in their crystal saunas and getting full body scrubs! The fried rice is pretty delish at their restaurant, but we would save our appetites for 678 Korean BBQ on Satellite Blvd. To continue the international theme, I love driving down Buford Highway to stop in for Vietnamese pho, or grabbing some sweet’s from Lee’s Bakery. Getting lost in the aisles of Buford Highway’s Farmers Market in Doraville or grabbing tacos from Supermercado Chicago makes for memorable experiences.

Rachel’s Itinerary:
Atlanta really has something for everyone! If I had my high school friends for a visit, I would take them to Poco Loco for a late breakfast. Deliciously fresh made food that sells out fast (but if you plan ahead, you can order and have it waiting for you.) Then we would take a walk on the Beltline’s EastSide Trail to see various art installations and street artists.

I love visiting Bread and Butterfly for a late lunch with a delicious bottle of wine before heading back to Avondale Estates for a stop at Cremalosa, a new shop that sells some of the best gelato in the Atlanta area.

Atlanta is truly a city in the forest. I love walking in the Bamboo Forest on the Palisades Trail along the Chattahoochee River.

To top off the day, we would get some pho and bubble tea to-go from Vietvana, a local Vietnamese restaurant. An evening on my patio gathered around the fire pit catching up with each other’s lives until we can’t keep our eyes open would finish out a perfect day.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There were key people that contributed to moving our handmade business to where it is today. Rachel’s mom and dad, Jen’s sister, husband and many of their close friends were on the sidelines rooting for us the entire way. When Jen hosted ArtoRama, a craft show at her house that drew hundreds of guests, Rachel’s mom would help out by greeting art lovers with her enthusiastic charm. Jen’s sister was a great cheerleader, and was always ready to do what ever was needed.

In April 2014, we were given a golden opportunity by a local businessman. An old warehouse in Avondale’s downtown district, formerly a printing house, was planned to be developed. He generously offered to handle the buildout if we signed a contract to open our doors on October 1st. We held summer camps for kids in an adjacent event space that summer to help us begin generating revenue. This was the beginning of Garage Door Studio, a handmade boutique and creative space for workshops, classes and events.

Our kids were young, in elementary/middle school, so it was perfect to hold camps and classes for kids as they could attend and help out. They grew up with our small business and naturally became invaluable helpers! Our kiddos loved being part of our creative space, and even better, they got to watch their mom’s build a business. Avondale neighbors were also very supportive, and they loved seeing a new business opening in our growing downtown. Our studio was the go-to creative space for kids and adults along with girl’s night out events and adult workshops. Soon customers from all over the Atlanta area loved shopping with us too, Anytime a unique gift was needed, we were ready to help find a little something handmade and local.

It was important that our space exuded creativity and unique charm. We had plenty of creative mojo happening in our circles, so we HAVE to give a shoutout to one of our favorite people, Julie Davis. (Julie Davis Event Services) She helped us elevate our humble space during the holidays by wiring a huge arch of magnolia leaves around our front doors in a windy 40 degrees!! Little did we know that all the inspiration she gave us then would help when we moved to our second location with 8 storefront windows to merchandise!

After 3 years, our lease was up and our business was slowly growing, but stagnating. Our location was the main issue. We were tucked off on a side road and daily foot traffic was low. We had to make a decision. Do we move our business or simply close it down? We looked at other locations in Avondale, neighboring Decatur and even Brookhaven! We asked for advice from our friends, neighbor businesses, and of course our families. Coincidentally, (except not really, because it was meant to be!!) a prominent corner space with high visibility became available in the historic Avondale Tudor Village! We contacted the landlord, Fisher Paty, with Oakhurst Realty, and from that point on he became an ambassador to our vision. Avondale’s business district was reinventing itself, so taking over this vacant space that was an eyesore for several years was a win-win for everyone.

Website: www.garagedoorstudio.com

Instagram: Garage Door Studio

Facebook: Garage Door Studio

Other: Instagram: Jen Singh Creatively Jen’s website: www.jensingh.com

Image Credits
Photographer: Liz Stubbs