One of the many things we love about CreativeMornings is the opportunity to explore different, interesting subjects through the lens of each month’s global theme. The concepts and conversations that our speakers come up with never fail to spark a new perspective.

For this month’s theme of mystery we have invited Kevin Peterson and Jane Larson of Sfumato fragrances to tell us a little about who they are and what inspires them:

CM/DET: First, a little about your background. Each of you come from distinct creative backgrounds. Tell us something about your roots?

Kevin: My background is in both the culinary and science worlds. After working in a variety of restaurants over about 5 years, I was inspired by the movie Fast and Furious 2 to switch career paths and become an automotive engineer. I studied physics, chemistry, and engineering, but eventually combined my two loves into a pursuit of fragrance.

Jane: My background is in art, design, and event planning. I got a degree in Art focusing on printmaking, but then spent 6 years doing event planning for concerts and arts organizations, before moving into to web and UX design. The visual arts and focus on experiences shapes the thought process behind Sfumato’s aesthetic.

CM/DET: It seems like scent is often overlooked as an art form. We can all agree on its power when cooking, or camping in a forest, or walking into a room that smells like one of our strongest memories, so then why do you think that it is not celebrated in the same way that visual and performing arts are?

Kevin: I think it is the lack of a vocabulary to describe scents. Scents are very personal, very hard to share digitally.  Even the words we do have kinda suck, like saying something that smells like an herb is ‘herbaceous,’ or a wood smells 'woody.’ It’s hard to write a paean for an art form without words, so it has a bit of a solipsistic quality. “Does everyone else smell what I’m smelling? If I tried to describe this scent, would anyone know what the hell I’m talking about?” Possibly not.  

CM/DET: How do you recommend one choose what scent might be right for them?

Kevin: Watch yourself in the mirror while you try it and see if it makes you smile.

CM/DET: What are some of your favorite smells?

Kevin: I like the smell of mud in the forest, I like the smell of entering someone’s home while they are in the middle of cooking, I like the smell of Nag Champa in college dorm rooms, I like the smell of babies’ heads, I like the smell of skunks at a distance, I like the smell of beer brewing from across the neighborhood.

CM/DET: Our theme for this month is “Mystery.” What images does this conjure up in your mind?

Kevin: Mysteries are unanswered questions. I think there is no unanswered question that logic, persistence, analysis, and insight cannot unravel. Mysteries are the reason to keep living, keep searching. If everything was known, life would be so boring.

CM/DET: What does Detroit smell like?

Kevin: There are many areas in Detroit that wildlife has taken over. In the spring especially, I like to take walks and pretend I’m a bee and smell every colorful flower I pass. North Corktown in particular has a lot of wildflowers.

CM/DET: If you were not doing Sfumato, what other creative endeavor might you be doing instead?

Kevin: I would grow a gigantic garden and learn acupuncture.

Jane: I would illustrate a picture book.

CM/DET: What do you do when you feel stuck, creatively?

Kevin: I never feel stuck. I always feel like I have 10,000 ideas, but only enough time to work on 3 of them.

Jane: I turn up some music and dance around. Movement is the main thing, but I think time away from a project gets me unstuck.

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You can hear Kevin and Jane talk more about mystery, the power of scent, and Sfumato next week during their CreativeMornings talk at Nora. Doors open at 8:30 for coffee, snacks, and mingling, and the talk will begin at 9:00am. As always, the event is free.