Team Member Profile: Meet Lexie
Our carpentry team has been growing, and we are super excited to introduce our newest woodworker, Lexie! We feel lucky to have her energy and knowledge around the shop and can’t wait to get to know her more. We are aware that it can be difficult for women to break into this male-dominated industry; we are so stoked to push back on that norm & share this space with her.
ON DESIGN//
Q: What is your personal design ethos and how do you carry that through your work?
A: I believe that objects can be much like entities if they have enough presence. They can transcend the space that they exist in with the energy that they bring. The design of objects and spaces is impactful and should support the individual in both functional and emotional aspects.
Q: Which part of the design + build industry do you see having room for growth?
A: More diversity and inclusivity in gender, ethnicity, and class. I would like to see more opportunities and outreach programs for low-income, LGBTQ+, and ethnically diverse individuals. This field would only get stronger with the influence of different perspectives and backgrounds.
Q: How do you remain curious and imaginative throughout each of your projects?
A: There are endless possibilities for how to design, build, and finish a piece. Staying curious and imaginative is inherently built into the practice, it demands it. It’s a humbling field of work where you never stop learning. I’ve always been in awe of the material. Different species of wood have different properties and they each like to be treated a little differently than the other. The distinct characteristics of every piece of lumber tells a story of the life it lived and its struggle to thrive. Wood is a great teacher that doesn’t allow room to not remain curious.
Q:What part of the design process do you find most creative in practice?
A: Well… It’s kind of like gardening. Except you and/or your team designed the plant species. So you know what it looks like on paper, what it functions as, and you can picture what it will grow into in your mind; but the real treat is how it develops over time. Seeing the day to day or week to week progress of something that you’re building is like… peak creative reward.
Q:How do you marry both concept and execution in your projects?
A: Once the concept is explored and determined, I stay mindful of its intent throughout the building process, keeping in mind all of the sensory aspects of what the piece is meant to achieve.
ON MENTAL HEALTH//
Q: COVID-19 really made us reevaluate how our work lives and personal lives intersect. How do you separate the two and what practices do you implement to keep your mental health at the forefront?
A: I don’t feel the need to separate the two. Being a woodworker is a part of my identity. I truly want to do it all of the time. But whenever I do feel some form of burnout, a good rest day + comfort food + getting outdoors fixes me right up.
Q: Oftentimes in the construction industry, deadlines, scheduling, and coordination can feel very all-consuming and demanding of immediate attention. How do you allow yourself space to move throughout this process in a way that is honoring to your own mental health and also give yourself the permission to remain present to this overall life experience?
A: I chose this field of work because it’s what worked best for my well being. Working with my hands, problem solving, and being surrounded by a great team honors my mental health. I feel lucky to be doing the work that I do.
Q: Why do you think the stigma behind mental health and work + life balance is just now being reexamined globally and in what ways do you hope to see our world shift in implementing new practices of self-care?
A: I think there’s just a lot more people sitting at desks for long hours, staring at computers all day than there were in the past-and humans just aren’t built to thrive that way. Our society requires those jobs and they serve an important purpose so I’m not knocking it by any means, but there’s still something about it that kind of drains out the things that makes a person feel human. We’re tribal by nature so I think the implementation of practicing self care is to help us all remain mindful of that so an individual doesn’t start to lose themselves in the matrix.
ON THE LITTLE DETAILS//
Q: What’s your enneagram and how does it resonate with you?
A: I’m a 2. Highly empathetic, I spend a great deal of energy on loving and understanding people. I thrive on interpersonal relationships. I think it’s one of the things that made me an artist, seeking to fundamentally understand all facets of human nature. It allows me to feel deeply, and I can translate that energy into my work. There are downsides to it, but overall I’m proud of the part of myself that is able to meet people exactly where they are at and still have reverence for it.
Q: Most frequented Nashville restaurant?
A: Mitchell’s Deli & Eastern Peak
Q: Favorite local music venue?
A: I am sad to say that I have not been to many music venues in Nashville yet. So for now…. My car.
Q: Most Binge-watched show?
A: Parks and Rec & New Girl
Q: Your go-to comfort nostalgia movie?
A: Forrest Gump. Never gets old.
Q: Something surprising about you?
A: I grew up on a ranch and we had a pretty unorthodox array of pets, including a pet beaver and a pet alligator…looking back on it, I’m not sure how legal or ethical that was but that baby beavers are very cute.
Q: What could we find you doing on any given Saturday afternoon?
A: House projects, reading a good book in my hammock, cuddling with whatever dog I can find.
Q: And lastly, tell us something about yourself that you like, and why it’s an important part of who you are and how you exist in the world.
A: I like that I’m creative & artistic, and that it seemed to be in me since birth. Having that in me has gotten me through so many challenging parts of life. I feel pride in absorbing the world and all of its chaos, feeling it all, and then spitting it out into something that’s beautiful and useful. I also really like my hair.