Interview with a Maker: Kyle Durrie of Power and Light Press

You can find more of Kyle's great work here.

Meet Your Maker (MYM): Describe what you make and how you got your start.

Kyle (K): I'm a letterpress printer specializing in cards, stationery, invitations, posters, music packaging, and other printed ephemera.
I loved the printmaking classes I took in college, but it wasn't until a few years ago that I discovered letterpress. A friend of mine suggested it might be something I'd be into, and when I moved to Portland from Maine in 2005, I decided to take a class. By the end of the first hour, I was pretty certain I had found something that was going to stay with me for a very long time. After a year or so of workshops and fooling around with the presses at a community printshop, I decided to start looking for an apprenticeship. I wanted to print every day, and I also wanted to learn about how to run a shop. I packed up and moved to Asheville, North Carolina, to work with Blue Barnhouse, a small printshop specializing in the most amazingly off-color greeting cards as well as beautiful custom work. I learned an overwhelming amount in that year, and formed some lasting friendships with the folks there. I spent another few months apprenticing at Wolfe Editions in Maine before moving back to the west coast and starting up my own business.

MYM: Is this your largest source of income or do you have another job?

K: This is currently my largest source of income, though I do take on odd jobs every now and then.

MYM: Any advice to someone about making the leap from hobby crafting to selling?

K: The most important thing for me has been to bring my personal expenses down as low as possible. Go for the cheapest rent you can find! I had the good fortune of finding a mostly free living situation (work/trade) and it made all the difference for those first few months when I wasn't making any money. Even if you can't live rent-free, it takes so much stress off of the business and allows much more creative freedom to use your money efficiently.

Also important is finding the right balance between computer/marketing/networking time and actual studio time. It's essential to put some effort into getting your name out there so people know what you're doing, but not if it means you're at your computer five days a week instead of actually making stuff!

MYM: Have you had any big breaks? How did they happen?

K: I wouldn't say it was exactly a "big break", but I did get to attend the National Stationery Show this year as an exhibitor. My friends at Blue Barnhouse have had a booth at the show for a few years now, and this year they invited me to share booth space. It was a great opportunity to pitch my work to vendors from all over the world, and I picked up a few good accounts that will hopefully place more orders in the future.

MYM: Where else can we find you online (blog, etsy, facebook, flickr, twitter, etc.)?

K: Etsy is currently the best place to find me, though I do also have a blog, which I update every now and then.
And the website (www.powerandlightpress.com) will be up and running in a few weeks. Facebook may be coming soon?

MYM: Any further info or comments?

K: I feel so lucky to have found work that I love. Even when things get crazy around the shop with missed deadlines, finicky antique presses, ordering the wrong paper for a client, etc, I still can't think of anything else I'd rather be doing. Making a business out of a craft you love doing is a tricky thing - just because I'm a good printer doesn't necessarily mean I'll run a good printing business. The past year has been a big learning curve, but I'm starting to figure it out.