Tammy Dinh: Balancing Art, Business and Well-Being with Uncomfy Co.

Vietnamese American artist Tammy Dinh is the force behind the successful polymer clay business Uncomfy Co. Her work has led her to establish a following of more than 600,000 people across various platforms. Dinh welcomed us into her home and studio here in Denver, giving The Curio Cabinet a behind-the-scenes look at what it is like to run a successful business. 

Upon arrival, we were greeted by her furry baby, Winnie, a cute pup full of energy and play. Entering her living room, Dinh has a great collection of Fantasy books. Reading is one of the many ways Dinh finds balance.

“I read a lot,” Dinh said. “I want to make people feel the same way authors do.,” To Dinh, novels are compelling, and words connect people; therefore, she wants her work and the narratives behind each piece to be captivating. 

Fans of Dinh know that many of her characters have stories. “It’s sort of like the chicken and the egg,” she explained. Sometimes, the character is created. Other times, a narrative comes first or vice versa. One of her first sculptures, the infamous radish, started as nothing more than that, but Dinh said she began to resonate with the radish.

“Radishes are root vegetables; they grow underground, and then they sprout.” To Dinh, the process is similar to someone feeling anxious and uncomfortable. “Sometimes you need to grow into your uncomfyness to really sprout.”

Dinh’s desk sits behind a beautiful window, illuminating the studio with warm light. She began her business in October 2020, and many may not know that this was a collaboration between her and a friend. Both were creative, awkward and uncomfortable, leading to the business name. However, Dinh’s partner decided not to continue this endeavor, and Dinh became the sole creator of the studio.

While taking the cozy content pocket of the internet by storm, it hasn’t always been easy. “Last Christmas season, I was like, what if I just never do this again,” Dinh said. With a gray cloud looming over her during this time, Dinh was not doing well mentally and physically. She “began to develop crazy wrist pain and arthritis-like symptoms, my eyesight was getting worse, and a lot of the times I felt like a failure.”

While having her own personal struggles, at the same time, Dinh has had to learn to navigate nasty hate comments. She confessed that she reads everything, both good and bad, but the bad has a way of sinking its claws into her mind.

“I delete those comments immediately,” Dinh said, but that does not stop them from circling her thoughts. Dinh is not naïve; she knows a lot of her success is due to luck, but while “I am lucky, I also worked hard.” Her community knows this to be true. Dinh is surrounded by an incredible group of peers and people who support her. Still, the stress “made me forget that I am taken care of.” It was this support and reminder that Dinh entered 2024 with a new mindset.

After nearly quitting Uncomfy Co., Dinh took a three-month break to prioritize herself. Her goal was to learn balance, realizing that the price of burnout was not worth the impact on her health. Dinh has taken up hobbies like yoga, walking with Winnie, trying to sleep seven to eight hours a night, and creating non-negotiables such as having dinner every night with her partner. By creating these boundaries to maintain her love for her craft, Dinh resumed her activities at Uncomfy Co. but changed the business model slightly; rather than making everything to order and letting as many orders as possible come in, she does drops once a month. While a part of her is heartbroken that not everyone will get one of her pieces, she knows this to be the best decision for her health. 

Dinh tells us more about her creative process; like many artists, “I let myself ruminate” on thoughts that she may get randomly throughout the day, letting these ideas simmer and develop as she does mundane things. Her process changes depending on what medium she is working on. Still, typically, she will transfer her ideas to her notes app, and once organizing her thoughts, she will start creating. Dinh emphasized that “it’s so important to have multiple avenues” to experiment with. For Dinh, this looks like throwing pottery, creating figures, writing and making videos. Having all these creative outlets allows for her process to begin to overlap, and one inspires the other. 

“Being able to tell my story and inspire others, that is what is meaningful to me,” Dinh said when asked about what she values as an artist. She is always surprised when locals recognize her and is grateful to them and her community. Cultivating a warm and welcoming environment has led Dinh to work with brands such as Crocs, Glow Recipe, Notability, and just recently, Amazon.

Like many young artists and business owners, Dinh is still growing and learning, but she has found her voice now. “My voice is my strongest power,” she said.

“Use your voice,” she added, encouraging young artists. “Be authentic, be yourself, be your truest self because no one can take that away from you in this world.”

Uncomfy Co. fans can look forward to many exciting projects this year, the biggest being plushies! Dinh hopes to incorporate heating pads in these creations, making them cute, cozy and practical.

Her community has found her, and thanks to the support she has garnered, Dinh never feels alone. 

“Remember to create and know that you are not alone,” she said. This sense of community and support is a testament to the impact of Dinh’s work and her ability to connect with others through her art.

Photography by Bryanna Urbina Lagos.