Meet Loren Sluder of North Nashville

Today we’d like to introduce you to Loren Sluder

Hi Loren, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Abundance Cast is unique resin art cast with intention to support your spiritual practices
and enhance your space. I’m Lo, and Abundance Cast is my creation. I began leaning into creative pursuits at a career crossroads, and the art that you see is an outpouring of expression during a time of doubt and loss, and also of abundance. My mom Rosi is my partner, having introduced me to resin. She learned how to make coasters from a family member, and taught me the basics. I left a job that had been creating a great deal of turmoil in my life, cocooning for a bit to rest. Nature, movement, and meditation became my routine, a cycle of self-care. I’d began exploring Chakras about a year before, meditating on the energy centers in my body and aligning myself for the day while lighting a candle for each Chakra. The ritual felt good to my soul, and an idea took shape to make a chakra meditation board for myself. I spent a lot of time and money collecting crystals and dried flowers to represent the chakras, buying candle holders and creating a beautiful tray that didn’t cure. Yep, I ruined it. When you don’t mix resin fully, it won’t cure and leaves a goopy mess. I was pretty bummed, but I showed the pictures to a few kind souls who encouraged me to try again, that my idea was worth trying again. I asked Mom to help me start Abundance Cast, she’s a master mixer and encourager and we have found something that brings us together in an unexpected way. With her help, I began creating unique resin art designed for spiritual practices to share with others.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I feel like I kind of wove that in with the story above, but here is another one-

Our first big festival was a total flop. We paid $75 to drive over an hour each way and sat at our little booth for 6 hours, selling a single piece for a grand total of $45. I was so disappointed, but pivoted and found another festival two weeks later, a huge hit! Our family is known for resilience, and we continue to prove it with this little operation.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
When people stumble upon art, they often arrive at different interpretations of what they are seeing. So what do you see? The answer varies, and we like that. Some see an altar tray or meditation board. Some simply see decor. Abundance Cast art is unique, handmade in small batches in Nashville, TN. Each piece is one of a kind and crafted with hand-selected elements. We use crystals, Oracle and Tarot cards, dried flowers, candle and incense holders, abalone shells, etc. to personalize art for our customers, whether they know it or not. When I am working on a piece, I focus on the intention that I imagine the eventual owner may have in using the piece. Healing, remembrance, celebration, self-love, personal power- whatever the intention, my hope is that the desired energy will radiate. I am not a spiritual guru or expert in anything, and there is no religion associated with our work. I’m still figuring it out for myself, so I won’t offer advice or guidance there. The creative process is my favorite part of this work, but I also genuinely love meeting kindred souls and getting to create something special just for them, or know that a piece that I created will support their spiritual path in some way. We would absolutely love to create a custom piece just for you. We will work with you to preserve memories, celebrate an occasion with a special gift, or design something specifically for your practices.

Pricing:

• Ranges from $40-$150

Contact Info:

• Website: https://abundancecast.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/abundancecast
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/abundancecast