Conversations with Melissa Oesch

Today we’d like to introduce you to Melissa Oesch. 

Hi Melissa, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself
I am an English major who has been interested in reading, keeping a journal, and all things books since I was a little girl. I’ve kept a journal pretty consistently since I was 6. When I was in college, someone asked if I wanted to learn how to make a book. I went to the one-night bookbinding workshop and my result was dismal. It was floppy, and I swore I’d never make another one. That was in 2005. Fast forward to now and I make multiple books 6-7 days a week. After that book-making workshop, I partnered with several friends in college to create an organization that was based on book-making. We wanted to change the world and create jobs for women who had trouble getting them. I helped run the organization for a few years, mostly doing the administration aspects. It was a great set-up for learning how to run a business as well as how to make art make money. I moved on from that to several other ventures, but directly before starting this business, I was working on an organic vegetable farm in Indiana. The work lasted through November and I decided to try and sell journals on Etsy through the winter. I started with that and it slowly started growing. I decided to nanny four days a week and pursue building this journal-making business 3 days a week. I went full-time in 2010 and worked really hard pursuing every revenue stream possible (online, art festivals, wholesale, custom orders, etc.). I knew I could do something else if this didn’t work, but I really wanted to give it my best effort first… just in case it could work. I’m happy that I put in all those long hours. Now, it is a matter of keeping up with what I built. I like to say, “I have all the best problems.”

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Definitely not smooth sailing. The first few years were spent on educating people as to why it is worth buying a handbound book from me instead one from Walmart. I spent a lot of time figuring out which art shows were a good fit for me, how to market and get the word out, and how to pay my bills, pay off student loans, and still buy materials. Money was tight. Luckily, I was use to that and I don’t cost a lot. I know that helped. One of the obstacles I found myself running into was my insecurities. One example was when I decided to add leather bags to my product line. My mentor had been encouraging me to do so for a while. I had been sketching some designs for a couple of years, but hadn’t had the time or made the time to start implementing them. I sat down and asked myself why…what was the hold up. I realized that I had created my own glass ceiling. I hadn’t created bags before…what if I couldn’t…what if I wasted that time and material and no one wanted them…weren’t there enough leather bags in the world- why should I add to that…and on and on. So, I decided I had options. I could either continue to bang my head on this glass ceiling of insecurities or I could back down and just not do it OR I could bust through it. I gathered my courage and energy and busted through…one prototype at a time. And I’m so glad I did. My customers had been asking for them for years, and it has been very fulfilling to have people finally get to enjoy this new piece of work coming from me.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I create handbound leather journals, sketchbooks, and notebooks, leather bags, and more. I mostly work with reclaimed leather though I sometimes use old book covers and have even worked with roofing material, old jeans, etc. The leather is largely scraps from purse and boot factories with the occasional furniture sample sprinkled in. I’ve been creating handbound books since 2005 and have a particular aesthetic. Its organic but classy. So, I have irregular lines and it’s a little rugged here and there, but each piece also has a finished, clean look to it. I grew up on a farm in Eastern KY and have always loved being in nature so much of what I do it informed by that. Its natural, but an unsaid order…no detail is overlooked and even the irregularities or imperfections are included and integrated into the design. Because I have limited quantities of each leather and each piece is completely handmade, every piece is unique and one-of-a-kind. I take pride in my workmanship, but also the energy and care I put into each piece. I know that each journal is being purchased with intention whether for one’s self or as a gift. Because I make journals, I hear so many stories of what people are going through. These books are containers for traveling to new places, memories from a grandparent, every kind of grief, gratitude journals, a journey through healing cancer, and countless others. I really appreciate that I can create a concrete tool for others to use. It can be a tool for healing or remembering or processing or recording or learning or painting, etc. I also appreciate the connection that it creates…between my customers and I but also my customers with themselves or their friends or family. A handmade journal is a rather intimate and thoughtful gift. It’s an honor to get to be a part of that.

What makes you happy?
Dancing. Being in nature. Knowing that I’m living my life with integrity. Learning. There is a certain level of internal rest…feeling safe, at peace, like I’ve given my best effort and I can relax into it…that makes me happy. I worked really hard on all levels of my life and letting myself sit back, take deep breaths, and really appreciate what I’ve created makes me happy. I’ve learned that, for me, happiness is very much an internal state regardless of what else is taking place. The important thing for me is to sometimes just stop to recognize it. I look inside and can see, “Oh my gosh, I’m so happy.” As I write this, I’m realizing that it’s connected with gratitude for me. I’m happy, but I’m also grateful. I also keep finding that Life keeps getting better and better. There were so many difficult things that I went through at a young age and in college. If you’re struggling, leave room for hope. Don’t assume that just because life has been difficult that it will always continue to be so. That is actually where my business name “ReImagined” came from. Yes, I use reclaimed materials. However, the deeper story comes from a night in college where hard thing after really hard thing kept happening. That word came to mind like a Whisper….”reimagine how your life could be”. As in, don’t assume that it will always be hard. Leave room for hope. That was a small step in my life beginning to shift.

Pricing:

• My leather journals range from $30 to $135.
• My leather bags range from $75- $250.

Contact Info:

• Email: reimaginedbyluna@gmail.com
• Website: www.reimaginedonline.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/reimaginedbyluna
• Facebook: facebook.com/reimaginedbyluna

Image Credits
Melissa Oesch