lovely lovely intern

There will be a new face around the store, but I’ll let her introduce herself. She is fantastic and I’m thrilled to have her help. Just one more thing to be thankful for. Hope you all have an amazing Thanksgiving! Without further ado, this is Regina.

I walked into Smartfish Supply for the first time last Final Friday. I’m a student of industrial design at UC—the same program Alisha graduated from. My classmates’ masks were on display, so after a good post-critique nap, a group of us came downtown to see the store and have some Final Friday fun.

I’d never been inside the store. I had peeped in the windows once after hours; I had seen Alisha’s card at DAAP on the bulletin boards. It seemed cool, but I’ll admit to being skeptical. Most things advertised as “sustainable” are so far out of my price range as a student. When I found out about the student discount, I was sold.

That evening, I met Alisha—and before long, we were discussing the possibility of an internship. Details fell into place, one after another. Now I’m at the store for the first time as the official intern!

This place feels so cozy today in the rain. I love being surrounded by art supplies. Even though I’m studying industrial design now, my background is in graphic and fine arts. The supplies in here feel like home!

Aside from being excited just to be in this place, I can’t wait to see what the work here is going to lead to in the store and in my own path in design: I love my industrial design program, but I don’t see myself designing manufactured objects ultimately. In fact, I want to use my skill set for design focused on something bigger. I’ve been lucky enough to get involved in humanitarian design in Tanzania, historic preservation in the wider Cincinnati community, and sustainability movements on UC’s campus. Sometimes, intensive studios can foster a narrow perspective. The very act of leaving studio a few times a week to work here will be great—and that’s just the beginning.