Meet the Maker: Eryn Garcia of Neat Pony

From the very beginning, we knew that a gnome would be a member of the Almanac family. The gnome is a pivotal character in the human story of living in harmony with nature and connecting to the cycles of the Earth.

The story of how Wick, our gnome mascot, came to be goes a little something like this. Eryn, a Chattanooga friend, and maker, joined Emily for some holiday drinks at a local bar. From their seats, Emily looked up and found two little gnome statues peering down at them. This sparked a conversation about how Emily wanted a gnome mascot for Almanac.

We believe there was a little gnome magic at work that day because Emily was sitting in just the right place with the right person to help bring our gnome dreams to life! A collaboration to make Wick real quickly began and it was a pleasure to work with graphic designer and screen printer Eryn Garcia on this project. We’re excited to introduce her to you and share more of her work in our Meet the Maker series.

Introduce yourself and tell us about the work that you do.

My name is Eryn Garcia. I'm the owner and operator of Neat Pony, a boutique design and print shop in Chattanooga, Tennessee. We offer a holistic approach to brand identity and collateral; we believe that every piece of a brand's collateral (whether it's a special event tee or an entire product packaging system) should thoughtfully provide value and joy to their audience.

What do you love most about your work?

I get to learn. A lot. I've created for all sorts of brands in all types of industries (mechanical, health, hospitality, sports, etc.). The first half of my time spent on a project consists of research and getting to know the client well enough in order to deliver exactly what their brand and audience need. With that, I've acquired a lot of otherwise useless knowledge; I can now recommend the best electrical lineman tools if anyone is looking!

What inspires you?

While I don't consider myself a major "fashion" girly, I've been diving into streetwear brand design lately--particularly more independent brands (e.g. Carter Young, Arthur Ashe, Bobblehaus). This sub-industry is always at the forefront of apparel and graphic design trends, more so pushing underground aesthetics to larger, mainstream audiences through interesting and unconventional marketing.

Any words of advice you'd like to share?

Whether you're a maker, digital creator, entrepreneur, nine-to-fiver, or all of the above, always remain flexible and ready to pivot at any time. The world is constantly changing quicker than ever, and you've gotta be ready to continuously evolve with it!

Shop Neat Pony and Wick The Gnome items

• Wick The Gnome Shirt
• Wick The Gnome Bandana
• Wick The Gnome Enamel Pin
• Scenic City Shirt
• Scenic City Sticker
• Scenic City Logo Sticker
• Scenic City Art Print

To find out more about Eryn and view her work, visit her website at neatpony.com or Instagram @neatypony