Chandler McLellan shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Good morning Chandler, we’re so happy to have you here with us and we’d love to explore your story and how you think about life and legacy and so much more. So let’s start with a question we often ask: Are you walking a path—or wandering?
Right now the path and direction of my brand is clear. This makes my day to day life predictable and focused. As a business owner this can be nice. I don’t have to spend a lot of time thinking about what I need to be doing. The tricky thing about running a creative business is that the demands of a straight path can often times deprive you of time to expand your creative vision. As business grows, a requirement of progressing down the path, sometimes what helped you find your sense of direction can be lost by the strategy of business. Walking a path can be great but finding time to wander is important and can be greatly missed.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Chandler McLellan. I am a multidisciplinary artist and designer. I primarily specialize in wooden sculptural work however my brand and work extend into furniture, lighting, and home goods. I design and build for my own brand as well as for category leading brands. I have worked for the world largest hospitality groups and retailers and my work can be seen in publications like Elle Decor and Vanity Fair. My work has also been used my major television and movie studios in Hollywood. Private collectors and interior designers are my primary clients.
I have been a wood worker for my entire life. Prior to working in the art world I was a carpenter and cabinet maker. Through pursuing a desire to explore less traditional techniques and shapes I found myself creating abstract sculptures. This evolved into a brand that aims to help bring natural flowing shapes and materials back into our square spaces.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
I cant say that any one moment did this for me. I can say that a collection of similar moments have cemented the way I feel about life from an early stage. Like so many people I came up with very little. Resourcefulness and creativity was how I was going to get what I wanted as a kid and for my entire life. Im not sure I go about anything in the usual way. When you don’t get what you want almost ever, you learn how to keep pushing and pushing and looking for new ways to get what you want. This attitude has never left me. It’s very rare that I will give up on something once I have convinced myself that I want it. I will do just about anything to make it happen. Creativity, resourcefulness, simply looking at things upside down. when you live your whole life like this you never stop. Its taught me that in life you can have whatever you want, there is always a way.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
I want to give up almost everyday. That is not an exaggeration. People out there running their own machines understand the feeling. It doesn’t matter if your business is having the best year or the worst. Everyday feels impossible. Im always thinking about plan B just incase one of these days I snap(dont tel the boss).
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. Is the public version of you the real you?
I don’t think there is a public version me! I think I can count on one hand the amount of times I have been seen in public in a work capacity in the last 12 months. If you are one of the people who encountered me during one of those times then yes you have met the real version of me. There is no way that I have the energy to create a different version of myself!
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I hope people remember me as someone who cared about beauty and improving the lives of other people. I hope people see me as a generous person and a kind person. Im not sure anything else matters.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.chandlermclellan.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chandlermclellan/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chandler-mclellan-1360b655
Image Credits
Photo featuring me credit @overcaffeinated.angie Angie Wei
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
