Who We Are
Behind the Willow Studios is me! Olivia, Liv, Olive, O’ (I love a nickname) though I mostly go by Liv these days!
The Willow Studios was my soft place to land after an arduous journey of self discovery through college and several jobs in several industries (finance, hospitality, retail, the non-profit sector, etc.). I’ve always led with my values* and that hasn’t always been appreciated… especially in institutions that uphold/profit off of colonialism.
I’ve been deeply influenced by my experiences with mental illness and navigating the healthcare system, as well as my experiences with misogyny and the patriarchy as a woman in male-dominated spaces.
Despite not being an artist myself, I’ve always admired and valued art, especially as a means of expressing and understanding the world around us. The Willow Studios brings together my appreciation for art with my skill set.
The Boss
Our studio manager is a 15lb weiner dog named Albert. He’s a great time keeper and best at keeping me on schedule. You’ll find his likeness featured on our inaugural merch line.
Willow,
our namesake, is my beloved soulmate, companion for over ten years, and reason for being. It was always a dream of mine to name ~something~ for her, but since she’s passed away, the Willow Studios has been a very special way to memorialize her and to channel my grief.
She taught me how to be soft and strong at the same time. A lesson that has proven invaluable time and time again.
The biggest thank you to Shan Olesa Design for this beautiful illustration of her.
Our Values
*we believe everything is political (TM The Slow Factory), including (especially) art. We believe in collective liberation, including (but certainly not limited to) a free Palestine, Congo, Sudan, Lebanon, Puerto Rico, Guam, Ukraine, Syria, Western Sahara, Georgia, and Tibet. We believe in Land Back, that Black Lives Matter, and that sex work is real work. We love our trans friends and we believe that love is love. We adopt the Canadian Human Rights Commission definitions of "discrimination" and "harassment", and we uphold a zero-tolerance policy towards any form of discrimination and harassment including (but not limited to) racism, sexism, homophobia, antisemitism, transphobia, misogyny, Islamophobia, ageism, xenophobia, ableism, and classism.
Photo credits (top to bottom): @noushisflix @thewillowstudiosvancouver