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From Stage Props to Surgical Models, Nashville’s Anna Clark Turns Ideas Into Reality
The founder of Formatura 3D Printing and Design is building a business that combines creativity, technical problem-solving and a commitment to giving people’s ideas a chance.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — From a sketch on a napkin, to a model that helps a doctor prepare for surgery, 3D printing can truly save lives.
For Anna Clark, each represents a different version of the same challenge: figuring out how to turn an idea into something people can hold and use.
Clark, owner and founder of Formatura 3D Printing and Design, has built a business around that process. Her work spans product development, theatrical props, custom accessories and anatomical devices used for surgery preparation, bringing together interests that have followed her since childhood.
“I was always coming up with ideas and inventions and sketching things out,” Clark said. “I was always being creative, playing instruments, and making art.”
But her path to entrepreneurship began in another industry closely associated with her hometown of Nashville, music.
Tennessee Trends Gets a Firsthand Look
Tennessee Trends experienced Clark’s work firsthand when she designed and produced a custom microphone flag for the media platform.
The project offered a glimpse into how Formatura turns a creative vision into a finished piece. An idea for bringing Tennessee Trends’ branding to its interview equipment became a tangible accessory made for its microphone.
For the Tennessee Trends team, the process was easy, quick and fun, with Clark helping bring the concept to life from design through production.
The finished mic flag now brings a custom touch to Tennessee Trends’ interviews, and serves as an example of how Clark helps businesses put their ideas into practice.
A Creative Career
A Nashville native whose parents both attended high school in the area, Clark initially worked as an audio engineer. She later moved into local live-event production and planning, including prop work for musicals, Broadway shows and tours.
Over time, she discovered that the design work interested her more than the audio side.
That shift also helped her reconsider what she needed from a career.
Clark, who is on the autism spectrum, said the demands of live music could become overwhelming, particularly without time at home to decompress. Touring was not a sustainable option for her, and she described periods of moving between jobs as burnout made it difficult to maintain momentum.
People around her suggested self-employment as a way to gain greater control over her schedule.
“If something happens and I just can’t get myself or my brain to function for a day, then I may have to reschedule a meeting, but it’s not the end of the world,” she said.
Entrepreneurship offered the flexibility to approach her work differently while continuing to pursue ambitious projects.
One Printer, Then Another
Formatura’s beginnings were modest.
Clark’s first printer sat on a desk in her bedroom, where she made Christmas decorations, ornaments and props inspired by movies she enjoyed.
Then casual conversations began turning into requests. Someone would hear what she could make and mention a small part their company needed but could not obtain.
“I had opportunities and kept saying yes to them.”
She reinvested earnings from projects into additional equipment, expanding her capacity one printer at a time.
Even the business name came through an unexpected collaboration. Clark said her psychologist, who had a creative background, offered a list of suggestions after hearing that she was struggling to choose one. Formatura stood out.
Today, Clark said she has between eight and ten printers, with equipment ranging from about $300 to several thousand dollars.
Helping Doctors Prepare and Businesses Keep Moving
Some of Formatura’s projects serve a practical purpose far beyond the finished object’s appearance. After all, that is why 3D printing was created.
Clark said the business uses medical scans to create anatomical models that physicians can examine while planning surgery.
In one project, her team printed a model of a patient’s spinal cord and a tumor, allowing doctors to take it apart and study their relationship before the procedure. Talk about a Greys Anatomy moment!
Formatura also produces temporary machine parts for manufacturers awaiting replacements. Clark said some projects can be completed the same day or within hours, helping companies bridge a gap when equipment stops working.
Other projects begin much earlier in the development process.
“Some of the coolest projects are the ones where someone comes in with a sketch on a napkin or something and I have to go figure out how to make it function,” she said.
Room for Play, Too
Alongside its practical applications, 3D printing gives Clark an outlet for experimentation.
She has worked with a jewelry designer on custom pieces, including name necklaces, rings and wearable-ring covers.
And for herself, she printed a roughly two-foot-tall Yoda.
The print took about three or four days, she said. Painting and finishing it became an evening project over the following weeks.
Looking ahead, Clark hopes to explore immersive pop-ups and brand activations, combining her experience in production with her interest in creating physical environments. “I’d love to kind of learn more about how those are made and be involved with one of them somehow,” she said.
Succeeding on the Spectrum
For Clark, building Formatura 3D Printing and Design has also meant deciding how she wants people to be treated.
She said stigma surrounding autism, including experiences with employers who dismissed requests for accommodations, helped motivate her to become an entrepreneur.
“I want to prove to people that just because you ask for an accommodation doesn’t mean that you can’t accomplish whatever business goals you have,” she said. “You may just do it in a different way.”
That perspective carries into her work with clients, particularly people trying to develop their first product.
Clark wants to communicate intentionally and give ideas thoughtful consideration, including those that a larger manufacturer might overlook.
“A lot of what I want to do is just give them a chance that maybe a huge manufacturing corporation may not take the time to see the vision,” she said.
At Formatura, that chance can begin with something as simple as a sketch, and Anna is ready to figure out what comes next.
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