Ink on Paper Source Artist X Our Heiday
Ink on Paper Source is a collaborative collection from independent artists who inspire us. Discover their creative voices, translated into stationery and wedding invitations exclusively at Paper Source.
We spoke to Ink on Paper Source artist Pat Shen, the creator behind Our Heiday, a stationery and gift brand dedicated to creating a more beautiful and connected world. For the Ink on Paper Source collection Our Heiday designed an exclusive line of custom stationery.
Pat launched Our Heiday’s first collection in 2014 after leaving law school behind. “I knew it wasn't exams that kept me up at night, but the dream of what this brand could be,” she said. With no formal art training and a desire for a creative career, she picked up her paintbrush for the first time in ten years.
Before going to law school, her childhood was spent surrounded by art and creativity. “My grandfather loved the arts and encouraged his children to pursue it, which was highly anomalous in post-war Korea. He had a painting room built on the top floor of their home and my mom remembers watching her older sisters paint late into the night. They had such a unique childhood and this deeply embedded creativity shaped how we approached art and beauty in our home. I was never formally trained, but we drew, painted, crafted and sewed as a way of life,” she said. When it came to naming her business, she paid tribute to her creative family, naming Our Heiday after her mom and four aunts, whose Korean names all begin with "Hei."
She described the brand’s aesthetic as straddling the line between loose and structured. “I'm driven by a natural, organic hand, I love imperfections, and the details of a brushstroke,” she said. She draws inspiration from “paying attention and noticing beauty in the everyday. I love taking a walk and observing the first buds of spring, the way the neighbor's trees look after the rain. When I'm in a new city, I love taking in all the visual communication in their street signs and shops.”
When she begins design season, she starts by sketching all her ideas by hand, then moves into digitally mood boarding color trends. “Until a couple of years ago, I used to paint all our patterns, but I've since moved to Procreate and I've loved exploring what I can do there. I spent six months refining my digital paintbrushes and pens to be able to capture my original hand, the true essence of what makes a Heiday design recognizable,” she said
When it came to creating designs for the Ink on Paper Source collection, Pat said, “I was most inspired by imagining how Our Heiday was going to become that much more personal, a part of the customer's every day. Personalized stationery is such a special way of intentionally doing something for yourself or someone you appreciate. Some of these patterns have been with us, tried and true, from the beginning. Paper Source was one of the first major retailers to carry our greeting cards over ten years ago. In those early years of growing our business, I came across many people who found our brand through their local Paper Source, so it feels very full circle to now be able to offer personalized stationery through this partnership. I love that we're able to offer a unique way for people to experience our brand.”
“I started Our Heiday to create a more beautiful and connected world, so I feel most proud, or most encouraged, when I hear from someone that my art has taken them through a very difficult or very joyous moment. Whether through a greeting card or an original painting, it’s an honor to know that the beauty I bring to the world encourages people to connect to one another or themselves,” Pat said.
To explore Our Heiday’s custom collection with Paper Source, click here, view their website, and follow them on social @ourheiday
