In the UniFormation Maker Stories Challenge, we received a truly inspiring submission from Lauren and Chad, the creative minds behind Golden Garbage Studio.
Their story is a journey of passion, persistence, and creation — from meeting in a Marvel video game to building a real-life studio where imagination takes form layer by layer.
It reminds every maker that success isn’t about avoiding failure, but learning through it; that every cracked paint and failed print is a step toward mastery.
Let’s dive into their story and see how they turned their love for characters into real-world creations!
Lauren and Chad Story：
Hi! We’re Lauren and Chad, the duo behind @GoldenGarbageStudio. Our 3D printing adventure started about two years ago, though our story really began long before that in a Marvel video game where we first met. We bonded over our shared love for Marvel characters, Pokémon, and Dragon Ball Z
At some point, we realised why not bring those characters we love into the real world? That’s when we decided to try 3D printing and painting.
There was just one problem… neither of us had ever painted before. Our first few attempts at painting Pokémon figures were, well… pretty terrible (we still laugh looking back at them). But we loved the process spending hours together learning, experimenting, and improving one layer at a time. Every mistake became a lesson, and every small victory kept us going.
In the beginning, we used a few different brands of 3D printers, learning the ropes through trial and error. But once we discovered Uniformation, everything changed. Their printers are truly a level above reliable, precise, and beautifully designed. And whenever we ran into issues, Jessica Wang from their team provided unbelievable customer support the kind that makes you feel like family.
Of course, it hasn’t all been smooth sailing. There were nights when a print would fail after hours of work because we hadn’t supported it properly. Other times, we’d spend a full day painting a model, only to watch the paint crack hours later. Moments like that can make you want to pull your hair out! But we never gave up. Each failure taught us something new about patience, problem solving, and resilience.
Now, two years later, we’re proud to say we’ve turned our passion into our full-time dream job. Through 3D printing, we’ve not only built a studio but a life centered around creativity and the characters that inspired us growing up.
To anyone just starting out don’t let the early struggles discourage you. Every failed print and cracked paint job brings you one step closer to mastering your craft. Keep creating, keep learning, and most importantly, keep having fun.
Because if there’s one thing we’ve learned, it’s that 3D printing isn’t just about making models it’s about making dreams real.
