Casha Doemland - Set Designer + Prop Stylist / Creator of Allies of Mother Earth

Casha Doemland is a Los Angeles born, Georgia bred Set Designer, Prop Stylist, and the Creator of Allies of Mother Earth. A spontaneous decision led Casha to LA 5 years ago, and with the encouragement and support of her cousin, Casha had the ability to test out careers and find what fits. She started prop styling and set designing through test shoots with her partner, Jack. “It was always something that intrigued me, especially as my previous career involved interviewing creative agencies and designers. So, when my father passed away two years ago, I had the realization I'm sure many people who are touched by death have, which was that life is too short to settle and not go after your dreams,” explained Casha. Those test shoots grew and Casha was able to build a portfolio and collaborate with a variety of brands and small businesses like Daily Gem and Seventh Generation. In November 2017, Casha started Allies of Mother Earth after participating in a clean up on Black Friday. She started an instagram account to document solo beach clean ups around the Arts District and Griffith Park, which grew to group clean ups and a website of information and resources for a more eco conscious way of life. “My motto for Allies of Mother Earth has and probably always will be to show some much-needed to the planet we call home and create a community around eco-conscious living.” Through it all, Casha has always been a writer. From short stories to a novel in seventh grade to poetry to her blog We are Phenomenal, a online space to embrace women and non-binary individuals. Recently, Casha has shifted to writing her first book, “dedicated to grief and the memory of my father. This is where I think my writing will stay – personal, raw, and probably a touch too honest.” Currently, Casha has many projects and work coming up!

cashadoemland.com
@alliesofmotherearth

How did you create your career path?
My career as a prop stylist and set designer began a year and a half ago when I started doing test shoots for fun with my partner, Jack, and a handful of friends. It was always something that intrigued me, especially as my previous career involved interviewing creative agencies and designers. So, when my father passed away two years ago, I had the realization I'm sure many people who are touched by death have, which was that life is too short to settle and not go after your dreams. As such, I continued to do test shoots and eventually began booking smaller gigs that led to a portfolio and, as of now, fairly consistent freelance work that I am grateful for.

Ultimately, my start happened through a lot of hard work and the faith of friends who were down to collaborate on cool work and hire me.

What led you to LA?
I moved to Los Angeles five years ago on a spontaneous whim. The year before I moved, I spent two weeks on my cousin's couch, and she essentially said – if you ever want to try out LA, you can crash on our couch until you get on your feet. Little did she know that I would be on her couch until it became my own queen bed in their office two years later, haha. Throughout the time that I stayed with my cousin and her wife, I was able to try out several different career paths, travel, and really figure out who I was – which is something I do not think I would have been able to do without them. I am forever grateful for them and how they helped me get my start in this city and grow as a person.

Has writing always been part of your life?
Yes, writing has always been my first love. I have been writing short stories and poetry since I was in middle school. I actually remember writing my first novel in the seventh grade in a composition book that my friends would read in between classes. I thought about going to college for English or Creative Writing but ending up pivoting to something more practical out of fear.

When I moved to Los Angeles, my cousin actually inspired me to create my first blog, titled "GA Peach in the L.A. Heat." I wrote about my move and the two months I spent in Indonesia helping a woman launch a company, and eventually, I got the confidence to pitch publications. One of the publications, Citizine, was so impressed with my pitch that the editor brought me in for an interview and hired me as a staff writer a couple of weeks later. All of it felt very surreal but affirming at the same time because my words were being published somewhere outside of my blog. Throughout the next few years, I would pitch more publications and eventually see my name in print!

When COVID began, I joined a writing group and pivoted to writing my first book (as an adult) dedicated to grief and the memory of my father. This is where I think my writing will stay – personal, raw, and probably a touch too honest.

Can you share more about We Are Phenomenal?
We Are Phenomenal was originally a series I launched in November 2016 after Donald Trump won the presidential election, and I realized many of my friends felt invisible and unheard. Over the next six months, because I am an overachiever, I decided to launch its own website and to highlight women and non-binary individuals about their stories. I interviewed over 30 phenomenal humans over the course of two years, and if it were not for life happening, I probably would have kept it going.

What is the inspiration behind Allies of Mother Earth?
Allies of Mother Earth began with a cleanup on Black Friday in November 2017 with my friend Paisley. Before we were scheduled to meet, I got a jolt of inspiration and started an Instagram titled "Allies of Mother Earth." For the next six months, I would post about my solo cleanups around the Arts District and Griffith Park, as well as the beach cleanups I attended in Long Beach. Throughout this time, friends and strangers on the internet asked if I would host a cleanup for them to join along – so I did just that.

In November of 2019, Allies of Mother Earth hosted their first Eco-Friendly Market with By Way of Us, where we highlighted eco-conscious makers in Los Angeles.

My motto for Allies of Mother Earth has and probably always will be to show some much-needed to the planet we call home and create a community around eco-conscious living.

What can we do to work towards being better allies to Mother Earth?
There are an array of things we can do to be better allies to Mother Earth! You can do something as easy as picking up a piece of litter you see walking to your car or at the park/beach or purchasing a reusable water bottle to avoid single-use plastic. If you want a challenge, I highly recommend Plastic Free July, which is where you give up single-use plastic for the month of July. I've done it and it is not as easy as it seems, especially if you're a fan of gummy worms and chips ahah.

If you live in Los Angeles, there are some great zero-waste stores to check out, such as Sustain LA and Tare Grocery.

What are some of your favorite projects you've been part of?
My favorite projects are from a personal series titled, This One Is For You, which is dedicated to my father. The first in the series is a diorama of a mountain range, where I planted little props (iSpy) style. Each of the props signified a special memory I had with my dad and the mountain range, an homage to all the hikes we took together through the North Georgia mountains.

Who/what has been instrumental in your personal and creative growth?
As cliche as it may sound, my community is instrumental for my personal and creative growth.

Do you have any upcoming projects you're excited about?
I do! I can't divulge too much at the time, but the work is going to be rad and I get to work with my friends.

Photos courtesy of Casha Doemland