Daily Inspiration: Meet Laurie Shand

Laurie Shand

Hi! My name is Laurie Shand. I am a former educator and an avid crafter. For as long as I can remember, I have had a need to make things. I think I have dabbled into every art form imaginable. I also loved to decorate interiors and design flower gardens outside. This has always been just a hobby or a means to manage stress and improve my mental health. I never considered the possibility of making this a career. I went to school to become a speech-language pathologist and loved helping people in that profession. When we began to have a family, the pull to be home with my kids was too great, and I resigned from my very good job in the public schools. At that time, I watched all the DIY programs from 1990s and somehow convinced myself (and my husband) that I could paint murals in our children’s rooms. My always patient and supportive husband was a little apprehensive but quickly acquiesced. “It’s only paint”, I convinced him; if it doesn’t turn out, we can paint over it. I was shocked to discover that the rooms actually turned out really good! I was told I had a “good eye,” and from there, word spread, I began painting custom murals, making drapery, and designing interiors spaces for others! Having a flexible schedule afforded me the opportunity to volunteer in my children’s school. A few years later, a long-term SLP substitute position opened up, and I was asked to take the job. I was reminded of everything that I loved about working with kids and families and making an impact on their lives, so I joined again. A few years later, life circumstances began to change. My parents were getting older and were experiencing medical issues that required a lot of time and energy managing doctor appointments, medications, and the like. I realized that having a job with traditional hours that involved a great deal of caretaking was getting too hard to manage. My mental and physical health was spiraling downward, and significant changes needed to be made. I turned back to creating. But with 2 kids heading to college, I desperately needed to make money as well! Visiting summer markets filled with vendors, I had the realization that maybe I could do it too! I named the business “Corner of my Heart” because I didn’t know exactly what I was going to sell, but I knew I wanted to make meaningful pieces that were unique and heartfelt.

 Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I would say my journey has been mostly smooth but it was not without challenges. The decision to leave a “good job” in the school system with its pension and benefits was a difficult one. Did I mention my husband is patient and supportive??? Sacrifices were definitely made, and many people questioned my sanity and choices.  I learned not to worry myself with the judgements of others.  I needed to listen to my gut and do what was right for me and my family at this point in my life.  This attitude freed me up to take chances and make mistakes.  Sounds cliche but the saying “you learn more from your mistakes than your successes” has been 100% true for me. One challenge that is specific to creatives is the ever-frustrating creative block. I sometimes feel the pressure to make new designs and offer more choices, but the ideas aren’t always there exactly when I want them. I’m learning to embrace the concept of “flow.” When things are going smoothly, and ideas are coming, I try to ride that wave as long as possible, even if it’s at the expense of housework and chores. I’m a work in progress, but when the dry spells come, I try not to beat myself up for not being as productive.

I try to create a variety of heart-felt art pieces inspired by the natural beauty that surrounds us. I particularly love flowers and the beach, and this influences many of my ideas and creations. Currently, I specialize in making pebble art with beach glass and driftwood. This art form has become very popular recently. I try to make my pieces unique by painting watercolor backdrops for the elements. I also like to add hand lettering to further add meaningful messages of hope and perseverance. Likewise, I love painting oversized flowers on accent tables and various scenes on repurposed old windows. My motto is that if it stays still long enough, I’ll paint it! My signature is a soft, muted palette that gives you the same serene and peaceful feelings as a day on the beach collecting beach glass or walking through a garden. My favorite is when someone comes into my booth, and I notice them getting emotional because they see something or read a quote that they need to hear in that moment. And for me that’s what art is meant to do. It elicits an emotion that needs to be felt. I am grateful that I can provide that to people. I love meeting my customers, hearing their stories, hugging them because they are celebrating or going through a hardship. I am so grateful that my artwork can give us an opportunity to connect with each other. We are put on this earth to care for each other. This is one way I can do it. I also have several young adults in my life that I want to be an inspiration for. I want them to see that it’s ok to have a path, but it’s also ok to shift and do something else if that’s not working for you. And sometimes that’s very scary, especially when you’re putting yourself out there. I want them to see that they can do what’s best for them, whatever that means to them individually.


Luck has definitely played a role in my creative success. But hard work, perseverance, and a little risk-taking set it up first. On a more literal note, there is also a lot of luck needed to find the glass itself. You never know what you’ll find or if it’s going to be a good glass day or not. So, you have to be persistent in your quest to hunt! And I feel that I was introduced to beach glass combing at exactly the right time. It was newer art form, and the pieces I made were very unique to the market. I’m lucky that people like what I make. In short, I have been extremely lucky to be able to do so many different things to make a living. I am lucky to have such a supportive partner in my life who listens to some of my crazy ideas and encourages me to pursue them. Without him, I could not do what I do. To that end, I may be the luckiest girl on earth.