Rising Stars: Meet Aaron Behnk of Ohio

Today we’d like to introduce you to Aaron Behnk.

Hi Aaron, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
The idea to start making paper was born out of looking for a use for all the scrap paper I was accumulating during art school. I started with re-binding pages from partially used sketchbooks, and when I ran out of paper large enough to do that, I thought, what if I could combine all these bits into a new sheet of paper? From there I started my experiments and figuring out the process. A classmate of mine introduced me to a local papermaker and bookarts studio, Cobenick Studios, where I began working as an assistant and still partner with today. Over the years I’ve built up my own studio, refined my product, and reached my clientele doing made-to-order paper for artists, wedding invitations, various ready-to-ship products, and workshops. Today my studio is in a building with other artists (700 Bryden), and I’m involved in the arts non profit that runs the programming (OTE Arts).

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
There are always a number of challenges involved with trying to be successful as an artist or small business, and I think mine are shared with most:

1. Financial- I’m an artist first, business person second. Pricing work, scaling size with limited income, side hustles; All these things need to done mindfully. How much am I actually making? How much product can I realistically make? How do I make more sales? These are questions I problem solve on a daily basis, and are crucial for remaining sustainable.

2. Side hustles- I’ve been in and out of part time jobs the whole way. They are usually necessary to keep the boat afloat, and I’ve always been good at aligning them with my creative goals, have led to opportunities and met clients through them.

3. Managing Burnout- It’s really important for me to set realistic timelines for projects, and stick to regular work hours to mitigate burnout and maintain a worklife balance. There’s never an end to the work that needs to be done, but at the end of the day, there is a line that needs to be drawn. It has to be sustainable on an energy level. Eating and sleeping well, and having leisure time are important things to keep me going! Having a very supportive partner makes a lot of this possible as well!

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I like to say, I’m an artist (period), but the work I mostly do at this particular time (for the past 10 years or so) is papermaking. I make high quality archival paper, mostly custom made-to-order. Most of my clients are other artists, small business owners, crafters, and wedding invitation designers. I sell mostly on Etsy, but also through my website and social media. There’s a big interest in workshops an demonstrations too which I’ve been getting into more. I also work in a studio building where I work with the non profit OTE Arts coordinating exhibitions in the gallery, doing social media, and other areas of programming like collaborative projects. I get to meet a lot of artists this way, and really enjoy being involved.

How do you define success?
I would define success as being good enough to keep going, and continuing to improve.

Pricing:

• Get in touch about the paper you need for a custom quote, or ask about 1 on 1 workshops in the studio!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.looseleafhandmade.com
• Instagram: @loose_leaf_handmade
• Other: TikTok: @looseleafhandmade