We had the good fortune of connecting with Erin Lee McCallum and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Erin Lee, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
For as long as I can remember, I have always been creating: crafting, puff-painting, bedazzling, knitting, knotting, boondoggling, sewing & experimenting with wearable body art; jewelry, accessories & clothing mostly. Functional, practical & useful art brings a deep satisfaction to my soul.

I would happily sell my creations & jewelry at local apple festivals and craft fairs when I was younger. Then in high school, was convinced by others to be “more practical” with my creative energies. So, after I graduated, I went and got my BFA in Graphic Design & Marketing from the Rochester Institute of Technology. Promptly moved out to Portland, Oregon, and pursued a freelance Graphic Design career, to the best of my abilities. Which made for a very interesting time in my life– unpaid internships = unique experiences. Lots of wild stories! Not much compensation, unfortunately.

Lived & learned a lot in those first few years, and along the way I stumbled back into sewing. On the rare occasion that I could afford to go out shopping, I never found anything that I liked, or was flattering. And all the clothing I had at home just didn’t fit quite right (after falling in love with yoga), BUT, I still loved all the fun, colorful patterns & details of everything that I owned.

So, in 2009, I bought a $14 sewing machine from the Salvation Army and went to town with my scissors. On my entire wardrobe. I Frankenstein-ed different pieces together into much more flattering variations, teaching myself whatever skills were necessary to make my visions happen. And for anything more complicated that I needed help with, I’d host sewing dates or trips with friends who were always happy to share their sewing/fashion/pattern-making knowledge.

I would happily prance around town in my fun, new shirt/dress creations, and people noticed! I was suddenly being invited to participate in fashion shows & vend at events. It all happened very organically & was very exciting– I was beyond flattered! So I said YES to everything. And had no idea what I was doing. Therefore, the adventure has been a wild evolution, ripe with all sorts of fun & sobering lessons. Hiatuses. Truths. All of it.

This creative career path definitely chose me– over and over again– despite me straying, repeatedly, due to the influence of others/society. And now, honoring my calling is the only thing I know how to do. I’m here to create & inspire the world through color, style & fun design. LoveBomb LifeStyle pursued ME. And I simply do my best to obey every day. Haha.

Please tell us more about your work. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
I love infusing color, playfulness, nature, luxury and a bit of yogic spirituality into everyday life accessories, utilitarian items and clothing design. Everything is better when it’s designed for maximum joy, inspiration & comfort (physically, mentally & emotionally). I believe in celebrating & decorating our bodies in the lushest, most glorious fabrics in all the land. And, above all else, style is bold, practical & versatile for me– “Sassy comfort for every occasion” is my motto.

My creative focus comes in waves and phases. I experiment & play around with whatever materials I have, and the goal of solving some current clothing qualm. I like fixing what I have, and making it better by thoughtfully destroying it and reimagining its potential– in a more form-flattering way. So, this adventure originally started off with up-cycling shirt-dresses for myself, then being asked to up-cycle clothing for others, which led to showcases in local fashion shows. These projects morphed into my epic Rainbow Resort Collection & the birth of my website. Since then, I have been primarily sewing a plethora of sassy pants. Because everyone needs more sassy pants in their lives! When I’m deep in My Sew Zone creating them, they flow out of me easily. Almost instinctually & impulsively. But also totally intentional. It’s pure magic!

As silly as it sounds, I’ve learned that this is my calling; to beautifully adorn humans and make them feel sexy & comfy at all times. I am definitely most proud of the fact that I have lovingly sewn so many people’s favorite pair of pants. How cool is that?! It was never a deliberate goal or dream of mine, but I must say that I now take pride in making people feel like their best, most authentic selves. Funky playwear always elevates the vibe. Color therapy is real. And I’m here to heal.

Recently, I have been integrating my graphic design background with my clothing design, and starting to create my own fabric pattern designs. My end goal being: to have all my fabric designs printed on soft, vibrant, eco-friendly materials, such as organic hemp & bamboo. Very exciting! A bunch of my designs are already on a wide variety of items produced through a large website called Society6. It’s a wonderful way to view your artwork on basically anything you can think of: yoga mats, backpacks, totes, travel mugs, furniture, tech cases, curtains, clocks– everything! The only *huge* downside, is that they take a massive percentage. So, my next step is to get some help with figuring out affordable production routes/solutions for a select number of products. With the intention of it to actually generate a profit & livable income– not just visibility + .07%.

Which brings me to my challenges: numbers (dyscalculia), business details, personal accountability, being a single mom with ADHD (also still healing from domestic abuse & recovering from trauma), and rebuilding myself multiple different times in different cities throughout my life. Thankfully, my unique perspective, resilience, resourcefulness & boundless creativity have given me (almost) everything I need. And for any small remainder, I’ve learned that it’s ok to ask for help. Doesn’t mean that I always get it, but asking always heightens the prospect of receiving. Definitely a lifelong lesson for me.

I can be very particular about how I like things done– quality is important to me! Therefore, I prefer to do all my sewing myself, as opposed to outsource it or hire help. I’m open to the right person at the right time, but until then, I’m not stressing. I have been focusing on perfecting my craft, learning new skills, experimenting with new styles, scheduling vending, making meaningful connections in the community & occasionally taking a slight pause to regroup. Rethink possible new directions. (Improving my Social Media presence & marketing is also something that I need to address soon…. but I could really use a bit of help, haha.)

After primarily living in Portland Oregon for the past 15 years, transitioning to Denver a year ago, (with zero connections outside of my coparent), has been an interesting adjustment. I’m slowly settling in here and carefully attracting my tribe through our shared passions. It’s honestly been a rollercoaster of psychedelic proportions. Exhilarating and horrifying, but fun & necessary to my overall development– personally & professionally. When things flow easily, I’m super grateful. And when obstacles arise, I simply get creative and surrender to the abundance that always surrounds me. I’ve learned that support sometimes doesn’t come in the form that you expect it to, but it’ll show up, some how–some way, if you ask for it.

LoveBomb LifeStyle embraces the beauty of celebrating life’s seemingly mundane details, and transforming any object into fun, useful and/or wearable art. Life IS art, and we all have the freedom to design it however our lil hearts desire. My clothing designs & product designs were born out of a dissatisfaction of what was available to me. So, I took it upon myself to remedy those situations, and will eagerly continue to do so along this wild adventure of creative solo-entrepreneurship. Collaboration seems to be occurring more lately, so that’s definitely an exciting new development in Denver! I love all of the fresh opportunities that are surfacing. Very thankful for this journey.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’m still getting acquainted with this area, but thankfully live in the middle of some legendary neighborhoods, within walking distance of so many wonderful lil gems! RiNo, Five Points, Whittier, City Park, Downtown & Uptown are all right at my fingertips– and I love it!! Taking advantage of the scenic walkability is one of my favorite perks, and sharing it with visitors brings me an immense amount of satisfaction & joy. Most things on our itinerary are walkable, and the few that do require some drive time aren’t far at all.

We’d warm up with courtyard yoga at Urban Sanctuary, just a short 1.5 block stroll down Welton. On the walk home we’d stop for breakfast tacos & libations at a brand new spot that just opened up, Taco Uprising, which is conveniently located half a block from me. Up next is a breezy, charming, and fairy-garden-adorned one mile walk to City Park for the Farmer’s Market, and/or Denver Zoo (or Museum of Nature & Science, depending on weather and if they have their kid(s) with them. A picnic in the park would end our day, and drinks & dancing at Beacon would fill our night (a fun, artsy venue where I regularly vend & frequent– also a short, convenient walk from me!). Huge perk is that we wouldn’t have to drive at all that day. We would slay our Daily Step Goal, AND soak in the beauty of all the historic neighborhoods.

The next day, we’d probably want to sleep in & chill a bit after all that walking. A healthy, leisurely, sweat session at Lake Steam Baths is the perfect self-care, followed by an indulgent rooftop Happy Hour/Dinner at Linger. Gorgeous sunset and bright, refreshing cocktails included. Early bedtime to rest up for a big day tomorrow.

Elitch Gardens!! All day!! Water park fully enjoyed by all the munchkins, if they’re with us. (Most of my besties have kids that are around my daughter’s age, so I think & plan in Mom Mode most of the time)

The following days would be filled with more yoga at Urban Sanctuary, walking to different parks/playgrounds in the area, and day trips to the Denver Children’s Museum & Meow Wolf. Dinners within walking distance to home would be at Barcelona & Goed Zuur. Local shopping & metaphysical perusing at Alchemy Ritual Goods. And to top it off, our last night we’d go out dancing at Milk Bar. Whew! So much fun, quality stuff to fit in. And very affordable, as well!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Yes, Laurie Pearsall, my high school art teacher. Her classes and extra credit projects were my favorite! To receive honors or AP credit, she required us to keep a sketchbook, in conjunction with regularly scheduled, though-provoking mixed-media projects exploring a wide variety of questions/solutions/emotions. It was SO MUCH FUN!! She was the first art teacher I ever had that pushed us to create, observe, reflect & let loose outside of the classroom.

That very first sketchbook that I was required to have in my freshman year art class paved the way to a lifelong healthy habit of always having a sketchbook/journal to document whatever my lil heart desires. The good, the bad, the beautiful, the most painful. All of it. She taught us to have an outlet for our thoughts, emotions, visions, dreams, etc– and that has been one of the most valuable life skills that I acquired in school. Is that weird? Maybe. But that’s exactly what I needed during that very sheltered time in my life.

It started off as mostly sketches & doodles of literal, everyday stuff. But over time, became a space for me to explore & experiment with everything; from beautifully hand-lettering my suicidal thoughts, to cartoon versions of boys I had crushes on, to dark, ominous revelations & visions from newfound highs and trips. In my 20s I documented all of my crazy life adventures. And now, it’s mostly a sacred place to help me voice goals, dreams and meet with whatever soul healing that arises. I’ve been joking for years that I need to compile all the volumes of journals that I have kept throughout my life. It’s been such a colorful, unique rollercoaster!

So, thank you, Laurie Pearsall! You have impacted my life more than you ever could have imagined, and I am eternally gratefully to have been a student of yours throughout my years at Masconomet Regional High School. That conservative, traditional community needed your fresh spunk & creative humanity so much–and you made a huge, positive difference in so many kids’ lives.

Website: https://www.lovebomblifestyle.com & https://erinleelovesdesign.com/

Instagram: @lovebomb_lifestyle & @mama_lovebomb

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/erin-lee-mccallum

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LoveBombLifeStyle/ & https://www.facebook.com/LoveBombPDX/

Other: https://society6.com/ladylovebomb

Image Credits
Ryan Maher (personal photo, and the 2 studio photos w/ the pink background)

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