Member Spotlight - Pulp Sushi

This is kind of strange because this weeks member is.....me! So in my best Barbara Walters impression, let's proceed.

My name is Marilyn and my shop is Pulp Sushi where I sell handmade vintage inspired jewelry with new found items. I was born and raised in the Bronx, moved to Westchester (Yonkers then Tarrytown in 2003). I settled in Fishkill with my boyfriend in 2009 and I'm very happy here in Dutchess County.

What is your professional background?
I've worked in Corporate environment since senior year of High School. I went to college for Business but graduated with a degree in Psychology. I've worked in Human Resources since 2000 which kind of combines both fields. Plus the amount of detailed information I work with daily caters to my crazy Type A personality. I've worked for advertising agencies and a major weekly news magazine in HR. Today I am working for a large Public Relations company in their HR/Payroll department.


What led you to your current craft?
I've tried a couple of different creative outlets before I found my nitch in making Jewelry (music, writing, photography, fashion, making soaps/candles/magnets/notebooks, etc.) It was making and selling marble magnets on Etsy back in 2006 that made me explore doing something else with these extra marbles so I started to make rings, earrings and pendants.

How do you feed your creativity?
I follow a lot of creative blogs written by people who inspire me a lot from their work ethic, style, their photos, etc. I think about where I want to be five years from now (my own storefront) and pushing myself to make items I would be proud to call mine. I like checking out original art whenever I can. I have kooky taste that may not be for everyone (low-brow art) but sometimes the coolest ideas come if I'm looking at some crazy spooky portrait.


How do you work deal with a creative block?
I complain and grunt! I sit and stare at my messy work table, and then I walk away and work on something else completely different (like cross-stitching or my new found love of knitting). I write in my journal too, or I go to the messageboards on Etsy and work on promoting what's already in my shop.

Describe your work area.
Right now it's just a table in the corner of my livingroom. I picked it up at an antique shop in Tarrytown. Sometimes I like to work sitting on the floor at my coffee table.

Favorite time of day to work?
I feel like my creativity peaks in the afternoons when I am home - which unfortunately, is mostly on the weekends.

How did you end up on Etsy?
Back in 2005, someone I knew was putting together a Photography zine and they published one of my photos. There was only place where I could have purchased this zine, and it was some website called Etsy.

Other than your supplies & materials, what do you want with you on a stranded island?
In no particular order: iphone, boyfriend, books (or maybe a Kindle) Easy Bake Oven and a George Foreman Grill. Naturally all run on solar energy or I somehow figure out how to turn a coconut into a battery like the Professor on Gilligans Island.

Any guilty pleasures?
CAKE! Not just any dessert, I love any kind of cake. It's my ultimate weakness. And I love RuPaul's Drag Race, America's Next Top Model & Tabitha's Salon Take Over.

Words of wisdom for aspiring artists?
It's good to find like-minded people who share the same goals are you. It's so important to find that support whether it's in person or online. It's ok to be discouraged when things are slow but use that time to learn more about running your own business. It will pay off in many ways.
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