We had the good fortune of connecting with Owyn Porter and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Owyn, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
Balance has always been a struggle for me, I am either all in with my work, doing everything I can to make sure that The Happy Sea is productive and successful, or I am burnt out looking at flights to the nearest tropical island. Honestly, up until this year when the entire planet reached a screeching halt I struggled with balance. Throughout the months of March, April, and May The Happy Sea was in a complete flux as I know many other businesses were going through the same up & down ride. This time taught me a lot about myself, where I want The Happy Sea to be, and my relationship with The Happy Sea. I got to take a step back and look at the bigger picture versus being so caught up in the day to day that I had lost my vision. Balance is crucial in every aspect of life, whether it is with food, exercise, work, or friendships, you must maintain a sense of harmony. Now that the world is slowly starting to come back alive I like to try to maintain a sense of balance between my personal life and my work life with The Happy Sea. I spend my days drawing, fulfilling orders, catching up on emails, and working on future collabs while still making sure I make the time to run with my dog Koast, see my friends and do other things that make my soul happy.
Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
The Happy Sea is a little piece of my soul. All of The Happy Sea designs were created intentionally using a mosaic and geometric look using triangles. The eclectic combinations of colors and triangles holds a lot of meaning to me, and is my key inspiration. The triangle pattern comes from two things, I grew up with 2 younger sisters Kendyl & Shay and it was always us 3 with EVERYTHING growing up, so between the 3 of us, we create a triangle. Triangles are also the sign of water, which is in my astrological sign (I’m a cancer). The Happy Sea is created with a mosaic look which is inspired by a dear family friend, Ruth Ann Petree. She was extremely influential in their lives and created incredible mosaic art, chipping the stones by hand, and creating breathtaking works of art. They are seriously amazing. The Happy Sea has been in business now for 5 years which is so hard to believe! It took so much hard work and determination to get here but I am so happy it has gone the way it has. From starting at working local art markets to attending trade shows, The Happy Sea has grown into a brand that I am really proud of. We donate back a portion of all of our proceeds to ocean conservation and I really love that I am able to make a small difference in the world while being able to do what I love.
Any great local spots you’d like to shoutout?
I am now living in Jacksonville Florida, so if my best friend was in town I would take her to where I grew up on Amelia Island. We would first go to see my moms giftshop Color it Green located in the heart of Downtown. From there we would bop around to all the other cute shops downtown has to offer while sipping on a cold brew from Amelia Island Coffee. We would grab some lunch from Cafe Karibo, one of my favorite lunch spots before hitting the beach! Throughout the week we would go get drinks from The Green Turtle a little local bar and The Decantery a bit more upscaled bar for some drinks, eat at the best places in town, Cafe Karibo for their Tofu Tower, Timotis for a rice box or tacos, Artes for pizza and Go Juice for some açaí! We would 100% be at the beach a lot of the time too.
Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would love to give a little shoutout to my mom, Laurie. The Happy Sea would never be in existence if it weren’t for her knowledge, love, & support.
Website: www.thehappysea.com
Instagram: @thehappysea
Facebook: www.facebook.com/thehappysea
Other: www.pinterest.com/thehappysea