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    My Life in Color: On breakdowns, breakthroughs, and bricks, oh my!

    Brittany
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    My Life in Color: On breakdowns, breakthroughs, and bricks, oh my!

    My Life in Color

    I am sitting in the back of my mother’s car between two large car seats.

    It’s late November 2019, and it’s cold and snowing. I traveled with a 2-year-old and a baby for several hours (airport to airplane to airport) from Central California back to our home in the mountains. As my baby, Daphne, starts to cry, I try reaching into my canvas diaper bag on the floor for something to calm her. I find that my seatbelt is locked. I keep leaning forward, only to be blocked by the safety mechanism in the seatbelt. Over. And over. The baby keeps crying. My toddler starts to fuss. I am trapped. Emotionally, mentally, and physically. I scream (literally), to the benign bewilderment of the children next to me and the complete astonishment of my mother and husband in the front seat.

    Photo credit Meg Bird Photography

    We close out 2019 with a total of 31 different therapy appointments for my son, attended at various stages of pregnancy and (when the pregnancy leads to a newborn) with a small baby in tow. We then enter 2020. With a pandemic. An earthquake in our mountain home. Civil unrest. Political unrest. More speech therapy appointments. Juggling an inordinate amount of time with small children, jobs, life. I am simultaneously still feeling stuck in that back, middle seat while also feeling like I’ve been let go from whatever has kept me tethered to the earth my entire life. One year after my middle-seat car ride, on a foggy December day, my oldest child Calvin is diagnosed with autism.

    I stare at a green hedge out the window of my mother-in-law’s office back in Central California where we are staying for the holidays. It is the only color I remember from the day. The psychologist gives us the diagnosis, and denial follows swiftly afterward. Then anger. Then denial again. I keep staring at the green of the hedge. As soon as we end the Zoom call I drive, aimless, through the neighborhood streets. I am surrounded by pockets of fog—the vast pavement of the West Coast infrastructure neverending beneath the car. It is a gray winter day in the San Joaquin Valley.

    Life feels like it will never be anything but gray.

    There’s no rulebook for motherhood, but the picture-perfect ideas on Instagram and Pinterest provide a cloyingly nice framework for a lot of “should”s. Childhood should look like a rainbow of food for every meal. It should look like no screen time. It should look like well-rounded Montessori experiences. (It should look like less-than-colorful language.) It should look like a mother who has every moment curated and planned to climate-controlled, sterilized perfection.

    Everyone says there’s no rulebook, yet we all somehow fail to say how we subscribe to an unspoken rulebook anyway (rules may vary).

    A rare look at the end of a breakdown. We’ve all been there

    About a month before Calvin’s diagnosis, I am on the hardwood floor of our home, sitting and weeping on the landing to our garage (because meltdowns never happen in comfortable, convenient places). I’ve had numerous meltdowns this year, yet for some reason this is the one where I begin to realize and decide that I have to let go of some things. I begin to see myself on a metaphorical path. Not on Calvin’s path, since that’s for him to traverse and cultivate. I’m on my own. Our paths are near each other (so if he stumbles, as we all do, I can help him up), but they are separate. Distinct. And while the basic words we’ve been grasping for in speech therapy and the developmental milestones we have yet to reach are somewhere along his path (with continued therapy and intervention), I can no longer try to drag him along to reach them at the pace I want. I can only focus on my path. I allow myself to give him space—to learn, to grow, to throw the tantrums (as much as they can make day-to-day so difficult).

    Calvin on the first day of Kindergarten. A milestone I couldn’t imagine reaching.

    What I didn’t anticipate was that in turn, I allowed myself space. To learn, to grow, and to throw my own tantrums. (Remind me to tell you about the time that I literally smashed a pumpkin outside after my kids went to bed because I was raging through my emotions.) (And remind me to tell you how damn satisfying it was.)

    All of us. Photo credit Meg Bird Photography

    With an autism diagnosis, I am forced ,(by a sheer survival instinct), to stop believing in a rulebook.

    Remember in the film adaptation of The Wizard of Oz? How Dorothy is swept up in a black and white and gray tornado and wakes up in technicolor? I wish I could say this journey was like that–the tornado comes and instantly I’m dropped in a rainbow world of saturation. It would have been easier. Cleaner. A much more comforting story to tell.

    But, in my experience, life isn’t typically like that. The transformation on my bleak, foggy, gray path happens brick-by-yellow-brick.

    No higher significance. Just me in my dream van in my favorite color.

    I begin a gratitude journal (my last-ditch attempt at believing in a gratitude practice, as I had never felt the efficacy of one before). I purchase a book called Living with Color, and begin to notice the nuances of color all around me. Even in the grayest of grays (is that a little bit of yellow I see? some blue?). I take a job as a graphic designer for a company that celebrates crafting and color and creativity. I tap into my English roots (pun intended) and begin gardening and finding an oasis of color even in the most frustrating of weeds (I find some fuchsia-tinged clover at one point and am still in awe that that color exists in the physical realm on a plant I don’t want to leave in my yard). (I won’t mention the colorful language I start using as I cope with parenting two small, difficult humans.)

    Teaching my daughter to love gardening

    I follow the path of what I love—what lights me up from the inside out: flowers, patterns, colors, design, typography, lettering, (swearing, apparently), reading, making, yoga, gardening. I don’t know where my particular yellow-brick path will lead, but I know that with each clue, more color is brought into my life. And I come back to myself, more fully and completely.

    Photo credit Raquel Acevedo Photo

     

    Children with autism are officially diagnosed with “autism spectrum disorder.” My son’s spectrum has allowed my spectrum, and the spectrums of other members of my family, to become more fully saturated. We’ve created a veritable rainbow.

    All of us. Photo credit Meg Bird Photography

     

     

    Becoming Tabitha Sewer

    Marissa Lundeen
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    Becoming Tabitha Sewer

    Tabitha Sewer

    What do you consider yourself?

    I consider myself a sewist (sewing artist), fashion designer, and businesswoman.

    Where did you grow up? Were there aspects of your childhood that have influenced what you do now?

    I’m a military brat which means I grew up all over the world. As a kid, I had the privilege of growing up around many different cultures which now allows me to be more open-minded about all different kinds of people.

    Growing up, I watched my mom make her own clothes as well as mine and many of her friends. I always dreamed of becoming as good as her, and remember telling myself that I wanted to get to the point of being able to look at something and recreate it. I always felt like that was a true talent, and after many, many years of practice, I can now do just that!

    What did you dream of becoming when you were younger?

    Don’t laugh. When I was in elementary school I had high hopes of becoming a store cashier. LOL! Little did I know that dream was bigger than I imagined. I accomplished it in a way by becoming an entrepreneur and selling my products all over the world.

    Is there a person who has been influential in your chosen career path?

    My mother for sure! I never liked sewing growing up and she would always try to teach me but I didn’t have the patience necessary for it. After serving 10.5 years in the Air Force, I needed something to do while at home raising my kids so I learned to sew with the help of my mom. Ten years later and I’m still learning but have now turned it into a business.

    What inspired you to do what you’re doing now?

    My passion for fashion. I know that sounds corny, but when I was a kid my friends would always ask me for fashion advice and how to put together looks for school. Now I get to do that on a larger scale with social media and have, of course, added the extra step of actually hand-making my clothes.

    What is one piece of work that you are especially proud of and why?

    While building my business, I always wanted to think of a way to give back to my community. Everyone who knows me knows that I absolutely love creating costumes and do it every year for my kiddos. As my kids have gotten older I’ve joked that I was going to borrow someone else’s kid to dress up for Halloween and last year, Oct 2022, I did just that. I visited a mom group on Facebook and asked if anyone had a child in a wheelchair because I would love to create a costume for that child.

    A mom reached out to me and told me she had two kids but I only had one week to make these costumes! I shared the whole process online and the next thing I knew, when I went to present the costumes to the children, our local news was there on sight to film their reaction. There were lots of tears, smiles, and happiness. It made me feel so good! Most importantly, my kids were a part of the entire process and were there to see the results of doing a good deed in this way. We are looking forward to doing it again and blessing another family.

    What is your creative process like?

    It’s pretty simple. It goes a little something like this:
    I see it, I like it, I want it, I make it.

    Where do you find inspiration for new creations?

    Social media.

    What artists and creatives do you look up to, both historical and present?

    My favorite artists at the moment are Christina Martinez and Thee Bouffants.

    What books, movies, shows, or music are making you excited these days?

    Emily in Paris, Bridgerton, and I will forever and always be a Gilmore Girls fan (#TeamDean).

    As for music, I love listening to gospel and worship music. It’s so uplifting and puts me in a good mood.

    What is a piece of advice that you have carried with you and who is it from? Do you have a personal motto?

    When I was a young adult in the US Air Force, my dad told me to go out there and make both him and my mom proud. In everything I do I think of them, and I work hard to become successful so I may be a product of what he and my mom taught me.

    What is a typical day like for you?

    It’s funny because as a DIY sewing content creator, people think I sew all day, every day. In reality, I’m at the computer most of the day sitting in on meetings, trying to scout inspiration, write blog posts, and answer emails. There are very few hours in a day that I will spend behind a sewing machine.

    What advice would you give to someone who wants to self-teach a new hobby or skill?

    Be patient with yourself and don’t mimic what someone else is doing. Create something from your own outlook and creativity. The creative world loves to see everyone’s different perspectives.

    Do you have a secret talent? What is one skill that you are working on?

    One skill that I don’t really share online is that I sing. I’ve been in plenty of competitions and won when I was younger. I don’t enter competitions anymore but I still love to sing and enjoy doing it at church.

    Is there anything more you would like to “become?”

    I would like to continue to become a good mom to both of my kids. They are currently in their transformative years and I want to be able to love them as much and as hard as I can before they get tired of me. LOL!

    What is your long-term goal? or What do you hope to accomplish within the next 10 years?

    I hope to be able to create several passive incomes. I also have a few ideas that I haven’t accomplished as of yet but hope to in the next year or so.

    Becoming: Jessica Peterson

    Brittany
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    Becoming: Jessica Peterson

    Becoming: Jessica Peterson

    Thank you, Jessica, for sharing more about yourself!

    What do you consider yourself?

    I consider myself an artist, photographer and maker. I am a trained photographer–I earned a BFA in Photography at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena California.

    What did you dream of becoming when you were younger?

    I always dreamed of being an artist. I wanted to be a painter or illustrator. I loved to draw and it was always my favorite subject in school.

    Where did you grow up? Were there aspects of your childhood that have influenced what you do now?

    I grew up in Provo, Utah.  I had a weird childhood, it wasn’t the norm in the area. I grew in a home with a working mother and three older brothers, I always joke that I was raised by wolves. My mother had a big influence on the way I see nature and life, she is a sweet woman who loves to grow things and immerses herself in nature–a farm girl at heart.

    Besides being ultra kind she always taught me that it was okay to be a little different and that it’s okay to embrace your imperfections. All three of my brothers are creatives, I have a film maker brother, a painter and tattooer brother and a small business owner brother. My oldest brother was always giving me art lessons at home, teaching me about composition, perspective and color theory.  I was surrounded by art lovers growing up and that definitely played a part in what I do now.

    Have you ever made a big career switch? If so, what prompted that? Are there aspects of a prior career that you incorporate into what you do now?

    Not necessarily, but I would say that after having my first child almost 5 years ago there has been a big shift in life. I have always waned to be a mom and now that I have three children 4 and under life is busy and my priorities have shifted. I know this time in my life is so short where I will have my kids home and small, I want to take advantage of that so the time I have to create is limited and sacred. I find myself making and doing personal art projects in the evening after the kids go to bed as well as when I have a job lined up I get childcare. But the days of long hours away for work don’t happen too often.

    What sparked your interest in felting? What attracted you to this field?

    I loved the endless potential felting offers. I am able to make just about any kind of prop I want for my photography and it opens up a lot of creative avenues to explore. I can also use felting as an art form in itself.  My main medium of art is photography though I am dependent on others to model for me as well as going on location and setting up lighting  for the creation process. With felting I can do it anytime and anywhere.

    What are three words to describe your style?

    Playful, exotic, weird

    What are some stereotypes of your job that you wish to break?

    As a photographer I hate the stereotype that my job is simply a mindless hobby and I take “pictures”. I actually don’t like telling people what I do because of the stereotypes of being a female photographer. I would love to explain to people that there can be a lot of depth, meaning, humor, healing, educating is done with photography.

    What is a typical day like for you?

    Most days I wake up and take care of my kids, because they are 1, 3 and 4 they are my daily priority. After taking care of their needs I usually get about a 2 hour gap of time for myself while naps are happening, this is when I get some time to do research, felt, draw or work on images.  We usually put the kids down around 7 and on the evenings that I have energy I will get back to work.

    When I am doing a project I am super excited about it can keep me up quite late.  When I am feeling stretched or on a time crunch for a project I will hire someone to watch the kids during the day. I know I only have another year or two that my kids are this small and it will go by quickly so I try to make sure to balance life and enjoy them.

    I waited a long time for my kids and I always planned to put some of my passions on the back burner while they were young. (Back burner to me means that my passions are still stewing, they are kept warm, they are tended to and tasted and consumed and at times they get my full attention).

    What is your workspace like? Has it changed at all since the beginning of the pandemic last year?

    I work at home, I used to have an entire room as my office, but after my second child was born we needed the space for him so I moved my work area into our oversized laundry room but now that my husband works from home I have a work space in the corner of our living room.

    It actually is really nice because it has great light and sometimes the kids can just do their thing and play while I get things done. My goal for the next year is to either build a studio shed in our yard to work from or find a home with plenty of space for our family and my passions.

    Pop culture appears to influence your work. Can you tell us about that? What books, movies, shows, or music are making you excited these days?

    I do love pop culture! I love anything that makes my imagination start to run.  In college I bought a DVD of Michel Gondry music videos and I watched them all the time. I was in love with his work, it made me want to go out and create worlds.  I loved that he uses practical effects to make real life feel like magic. His work is weird, quirky and fun yet emotional.

    I have gobs of art books on my shelves, some of my favorite photo books are from artists that plucked phenomenal portraits of strange people and scenes and gifted them to others (Alec Soth, Diane Arbus, William Eggleston, Martin Parr are some of my favorites).

    I have books and books of illustrators and painters and when feel dry I can flip through them and they give lend me their ideas for mine to sprout from.

    I also love tv shows that embrace humor–one of my favorites is 30 Rock. I think I enjoy seeing that there are other adults with weird ideas that are successful. I don’t like to take myself too seriously. Life is too short to not live it authentically.

    What is the most challenging part of your work? How have you, or how do you, overcome those challenges?

    I can think of three things.

    1. The first one is time. Time is something I really took for granted before I Had my children, I wish I made things from sunrise to sundown before they came. I have such thin slots of time to make things.

    2. Money–a lot of my ideas take some money. I want props and costumes, make-up artists or piles of yarn and I know my passion projects won’t really have any monetary rewards so I have to pick and choose which ideas to explore.

    3. And my biggest challenge is one I have battled with from day one and that is FEAR. I hate it. I absolutely despise that fact that I have these inner voices (some have previously existed from actual voices and most are ones I have manifested on my own). There is the fear of failure. Creating something that is stupid.

    I will tell you what, I have been wanting to create this specific photo for over 12 years now, I have the costumes/masks in my storage unit I have the idea on loop in my head but I am so afraid that I will execute the thing and it will look juvenile and cheesy (but not in a good way). Maybe I will dust off the boxes this weekend and find some poor soul to squeeze into the morph suits and rubber masks and I will make the image a reality.

    Where is one place that you’ve never been to that you’d like to explore?

    I would love to go to Tokyo. It seems like such a colorful and eclectic city. I want to go photograph and eat all the things.

    How has social media influenced your work?

    I love that I can make something fun and see that it has inspired someone or made someone laugh. I also love being able to peek into other creatives lives and see their work spaces and journeys.

    What is your long-term goal? or What do you hope to accomplish within the next 10 years?

    My goals for the next 5-10 years is to self publish a photobook. I have a few projects I would die to do when the time is right. I dream of the day I can work on one idea from beginning to end and have an entire book dedicated to it that I can put on my coffee table.

    What advice would you give to someone who wants to self-teach a new hobby or skill?

    Just do it. Don’t be afraid. Don’t compare yourself and just go to work. Also, be inspired and run with that, put “you” into what you make. Also, I love YouTube! There are so many people putting great content out there.

    You can see some of Jessica’s work for Lars here:

    The original Lars balloon arch
    Mommy and Me Halloween costumes
    3 Holiday Looks

    You can find Jessica here

    Her website
    On Instagram

    My Life in Color: My Unexpected Journey to Being a Muralist

    Brittany
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    My Life in Color: My Unexpected Journey to Being a Muralist

    My Life in Color: My Unexpected Journey to Being a Muralist

    A bathroom changed my life, and my relationship with color, forever.

    Through a combination of leaving my job, breaking my leg, and entering a global pandemic, I had some time on my hands. I was weathering the brunt of the pandemic at my parents’ house when my mother suggested I add some color to the bathroom. With white walls, white counters, white tiles, and white fixtures it had all the ambience of a hospital.

    I could definitely slap some paint on a bathroom wall. But it was my mother’s innocent suggestion—“Why don’t you paint some flowers on the wall?”—that set me on a path blooming with color.

    The white, drab, and dreary before.

    I feel like I should note here that I had technically worked as “an artist” in high school when I ran my own henna business. But it was mostly copying pre-fab designs, and the henna we used only came in one color—no guesswork needed. Also, this cow was our most popular design.  Truly high art.

    The bestselling cow.

    At this point in my life, I rarely even doodled. And if I did, I only doodled in black because I was afraid. Afraid of color, afraid of not being “artistic” enough, and struggling with the loss of confidence and creativity that many of us face in adulthood.

    So, painting the bathroom meant approaching the world of color from scratch. I was terrified. I tried to explain to my mother how this was a grave mistake, but she was having none of it. She dug up pictures of the magical Maison Atelier Suzanne by Nathalie Lété to act as a guide and sent me on my merry way.

     

    View this post on Instagram

     

    A post shared by NathalieLete (@nathalie_lete)

    I worked seven days a week for five weeks during that long, hot quarantine summer learning how to choose colors, mix paint, and get literally anything to look good on the walls. By the end, I had to repaint the first wall I’d done because it looked so amateurish next to the others.

    The bathroom was completely transformed, and so was I. Did you know you have the permission to just transform spaces with color? It’s WILD.

    The behind-the-scenes chaos of learning.  Failed mixed palettes everywhere, endless swatches trying to get the right color, and lots of inspiration pinned to the walls.
    From drab to fab, a glimpse of the finished space.  Complete with my favorite part–gold paint!

    From there I couldn’t stop dreaming about building a more colorful world. The fear was still there, but it was assuaged by the idea that even my beginner effort had brought joy into the world.  The only permission I needed to work large and make big, colorful mistakes was my own. I took online art classes and spent hours with the Procreate app and painting projects trying to figure out what the heck to do with color.

    A year and a half after my first mural, I launched my very own mural business: Anne Meredith Design. A couple months after that, I went full time. Color has helped me take charge of my spaces, my career, and my life. And now my whole life revolves around transforming spaces with the power of color!

    Living the dream painting in a ski cabin.
    Can you resist this color moment??

    With each new project, I get to help others take control of their spaces with color. One client had been slowly trying to make her home feel truly hers. We painted beautiful fat naked ladies in her living room—and now there is absolutely no doubt that the space is hers.  Another client had a windowless “zoom room” at their corporate headquarters that was so depressing, staff would vie with each other to not use the space. After we added a wrap-around flower garden, the staff now fight to be in that space.

    Now that’s how you stake a claim on your space!
    This workspace went from zero to hero.

    Before launching Anne Meredith Design, I worked in the world of history and museums. And that side of myself needs to tell you something. For thousands of years humans have expressed themselves, their culture, their status, their dreams, and everything in-between by adding color to their clothes, walls, pottery, and furniture.

    At no time in history have we had this much access to color–whether it’s in paint, dyes, inks, etc. Nor has it ever been this cheap to use it. We’re pretty much obliged to use color these days. It would be rude not to, right?

    Why are we letting our spaces be less cool than this Etruscan tomb?

    If there is a time to approach color without fear, it is now. I’m not saying you have to paint your whole house pink and wear yellow crossed garters. But maybe paint your room white with a tint of color in it, and let the joy of self-expression in a little (and make your ancestors jealous).

    Embracing color, creativity, and pushing past fear changed my life. It’s been just over a year since I launched my business, and I’m in awe every day that this is my life in color now. Come paint the town red with me. Or even just your bathroom.

    Caught in the colorful act.
    Living the dream painting a bridal boutique and playing dress-up.

    You can find Anne:

    Follow her journey on Instagram
    See more of her work on her website

    Read the first essay in the My Life in Color series here

    Interns: Where Are They Now? with Lindsey Deschamps

    Brittany
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    Interns: Where Are They Now? with Lindsey Deschamps

    Who is Lindsey Deschamps?

    Lindsey Deschamps is an artist & illustrator based in Salt Lake City, Utah. She creates cheeky art, stationery, and accessories for people who like an artful aesthetic, but with a little bit of offbeat humor thrown in there. Inspired by food, flowers, weird vintage tchotchkes, and all the other little things that bring her joy, she loves to create products & illustrations that make people smile.

    What did you dream of becoming when you were younger?

    When asked as a young kid, I always told people I wanted to work at an ice cream shop so that when people asked me, “Lindsey, how’d you get so buff?” I could say (with a proud, smug face) “Scoopin’ ice cream 😏”(Just my right arm though I guess…? haha) And for the unlimited access to ice cream samples, of course.

    When I got a little older, I considered journalism, but once I started taking art classes in high school, I knew I wanted to do something visually creative. It was around that time too that I realized my ultimate goal was running my own business. Now, I sell ice cream art & products in my shop, so I guess you could say I’ve come full circle? 🙂

    Lindsey Deschamps flowers

    How did you originally hear about The House that Lars Built and the internship you did with us?

    While I was studying graphic design at BYU, I kept seeing more and more of my classmates’ cool projects on Instagram that they were doing at their Lars internships. So as soon as I had some free time in my schedule, I knew I wanted to apply!

    What was your internship focus/how long did you intern with us?

    I did a graphic design internship August – December 2017.

    What was your favorite part of the internship?

    I loved being around a bunch of creative people all the time who loved color, art, and craft as much as I did! It was also really fun to see how Brittany’s ideas went from idea to execution and everything behind the scenes.

    Lindsey Deschamps strawberry

    How was the internship influential in your creative journey to where you are now?

    At my Lars internship, I got a crash course in creating high quality designs on a tight schedule and receiving real-world feedback, which helped me learn how to design more quickly & efficiently. This has helped me soo much in jobs & gigs I’ve had since, I can’t even tell you! Most importantly, being around Brittany’s artful influence was really foundational for me as a young designer. Watching her & the Lars team style photos, edit things down, curate art, etc. helped me learn how to discern my own tastes and what I like & don’t like for my own art style.

    What is one accomplishment in your creative life that you are proud of and why?

    Opening my online shop, designing my own products, and selling at my first in-person art market. These three are lumped together for me as a huge milestone that I’ve been working on for years, and finally reached this summer! I’ve known for about ten years now that I want to run my own creative business doing something that makes people happy, and after trying 3-4 different businesses over the years, it feels amazing to have finally found the one that I LOVE doing and feels like the right step moving forward.

    What are some goals you have moving forward?

    My biggest goal right now is to grow my online shop and product line to a point where I can leave my day job as a motion graphic designer and focus on my business full-time. (Fingers crossed. Don’t tell my boss. Jk he probably already knows cause this is pretty much all I can think about 24/7.) It’ll probably take a few years, but I’m slowly getting there step by step which feels great. Also I’d love to sell at more local in-person markets soon! Talkin’ to all the people is so fun. 

    Lindsey Deschamps I have no idea what I'm doing

    Any fun things coming up in the near future? 

    Yes! Right now, I’m working on a fun new collection of stickers, tees, and Christmas ornaments called Foodie Friends – and everyone’s invited to vote on their favorite designs! Starting on September 19th, I’ll be posting a different ‘foodie friend’ illustration (person wearing a food costume haha) every day for 30 days. Then each week, everyone gets to vote on their favorite ‘contestants,’ and the winners will be available as shirts and Christmas ornaments in my shop in early November. Follow along on Instagram or Tiktok @lindseydaystudio to join in and vote!

    What advice would you give to someone trying to decide if a creative internship is for them? 

    If you want to get real-world experience in a fun, art-focused, colorful business, you’ll love interning at Lars! Whether you want to work as a creative professional or not, but especially if a creative career is your goal, interning at Lars is a great way to meet people and be inspired.

    Where can we find your work?

    You can find Lindsey Deschamps’ work at @lindseydaystudio on Instagram and Tiktok, and her website, www.lindseydaystudio.com

    More Inspiration

    Loved this former intern interview with Lindsey Deschamps? You might also be interested in our Becoming Series, where we interview female creatives about their process of becoming who they are.

    Becoming Emily Henderson

    Brittany
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    Becoming Emily Henderson

    What do you consider yourself ? Example: Artist, designer, illustrator, maker, business  person, educator, etc.? 

    These days I identify most with being a design content creator and writer. 

    Where did you grow up? Were there aspects of your childhood that have influenced what  you do now? 

    I was born into a Mormon family in rural Oregon. A big family with a lot of crafting and DIY.  I learned from a very young age the fun of thrift and how much can be done from so little. Hence my deep and intense love for all things vintage. But, what my childhood really taught me was how to work VERY hard, of which I am extremely grateful for because it’s one of the big reasons I’ve been successful. 

    What did you dream of becoming when you were younger? 

    Growing up in the 80s in rural Oregon, no one really knew Interior Designer was a career choice you could do. It was Teacher, Doctor, or Lawyer so I grew up thinking I would be a teacher like my parents and studied history and english in college. It wasn’t until I worked at Jonathan Adler and met stylists that I became interested in a creative career. Now I can see that most of my interests merged (writing, history, and design), which isn’t as rare as it sounds in the creative world. You collect knowledge throughout your various interests and sometimes the culmination of it all directly affects your career.

    What inspired you to become a designer? 

    When I was in my 20s living in New York I was a shop girl at Jonathan Adler and that’s where I met stylists and learned what a stylist even was. I couldn’t believe people got to shop and borrow and make things to style out sets for their job and I thought that sounded really fun. So that experience plus my love for vintage is what got me interested in styling and interior design. 

    What is one piece of work that you are especially proud of and why?

    The Mountain House I designed and renovated is my favorite place to be. I designed it for my family (and friends) to enjoy and we love spending months up there during the summer. It’s open, airy, warm and inviting. It has this very special positive, calming energy that I can’t get enough of. 

    We’re so excited about your new book! Can you tell us more about it?

    My book, The New Design Rules, is all about empowering and educating through the renovation and decoration process. It has all the construction vocabulary, distilled renovation process (and my preferences) with the intent to communicate effectively with your contractors so you don’t get man-splained, make as many mistakes, fight with your partner, and feel like a total failure. And yet it’s full of beautifully styled inspirational shots of homes – kitchens, bathrooms, living, mud and bedrooms, office, basements, and more 🙂 It’s all about knowing the rules so you can creatively break them. 

    What is your design process like? Where do you find inspiration for new creations?

    I use Pinterest to get some initial ‘look and feel’. When I first start designing a room I will pin a bunch of rooms until I can get a sense of what style/feeling I am going for. 

    I always design a room by asking myself  “how do I want this room to feel?” Every room is different, truly, and the process is driven more by the needs and wants of the room than a step by step process. But I always try to design the space with UTILITY in mind – not in a boring functional way, but more ‘how do I want to USE the room’, which easily separates the family room from the formal living room. I lean into comfort on most things these days, knowing that we gravitate towards rooms that are the most comfortable (so why not make every room extremely comfortable?). 

    What artists and creatives do you look up to, both historical and present? 

    I’m all over the place. I find that the people I admire the most have such different style than what I want in my own home, so I try to analyze WHY I love them so much and be inspired by their work, then create my own version. I love Beata Heuman, Heidi Caillier, Jessica Helgerson – all their work is so inspiring. But more livable spaces I also love Amber Lewis and Sara Sherman Samuel. I think what they all have in common (despite being so different) is confidence, clarity and comfort. And they attack that in such different ways, aesthetically. 

    What is a piece of advice that you have carried with you and who is it from? Do you have a  personal motto? 

    ​​”I don’t know the key to success, but I do know the key to failure is trying to please everyone.” As someone with a large following of readers who watch my every move pretty closely, I know that I have to act from my inner moral compass, listen to my close team, friends and family and make decisions based on experience. Trying to please everyone is simply as impossible as trying to be perfect and once you realize that, your life gets so much easier. 

    How do your surroundings influence your work?

    I’m a huge nature lover and need to be outside to calm down this dumb ruminating brain of mine. So while I don’t think I design specifically around nature themes or anything (although I have done many a tree mural now that I think about it) I think after being in nature is when I do my most grounded work. 

    What is a typical day like for you? 

    I am currently mid-renovation and right now there are a lot of things happening FAST so I usually start my day going to the farmhouse to make decisions. Then I write for a few hours and check in with my team. I have two kids that have reached the wonderful ages of 6 and 8 which makes them pretty independent and extremely fun to hang with. As a design content creator in the wild west of digital media I have to really monitor my time to ensure I don’t work 80 hours a week. Right now I feel relatively balanced with a great team and a decent work life balance but it took YEARS to get to this point and it wasn’t easy (lots of nervous breakdowns and Eckhart Tolle if you know what I mean). 

    Do you have a secret talent? What is one skill that you are working on?

    When your life is on social media there really aren’t any secrets, but I have a strangely good sense of direction 🙂 In the fall I’m going to start teaching myself photography – I have the camera, I know angles and lighting, I just don’t know how those buttons work so I’m extremely excited to take some time to learn that next year. 

    What advice would you give to someone who wants to self-teach a new hobby or skill?

    The best advice I can give is to simply START. You can’t let fear or perfectionism get in the way. 

    Nobody likes to talk about it, but can you share any advice regarding financing your  business? 

    There are a billion ways to run a healthy business and frankly we all have to figure out what works for us which can often be a messy process. But I kept my overhead pretty low for years and it wasn’t until I had a large team and a big overhead that I struggled financially. It’s a process that I needed to go through to learn what is best for me, but just know that bigger isn’t always better for creatives running a business. I spent the first 5-7 years of my career building my portfolio, proving the value of our work and working my ass off with the help from my team, so at this point we charge a lot for our time and services because we know the value of our work. But it takes years of figuring that out (and maybe you’ll do it a lot faster). 

    Is there anything more you would like to “become?”

    I’m shifting more into the teaching and mentoring phase of my career. I don’t have the same lust for new marketing ideas that I did 8 years ago, but I do feel passionate about synthesizing what I’ve learned and passing it on – both in design and career. While I still blog about swimsuits and tanning lotion because it’s good for the business, my passion is still creating good design content. As soon as we are done with the farm I want to start working with my brother (an aspiring contractor) and do projects together and document them, with a more hands on approach. 

    Becoming Cassidy Demkov

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    Becoming Cassidy Demkov

    Please write a short, 3rd-person bio about yourself

    Cassidy is an artist and surface pattern designer living in Salt Lake City, Utah. She enjoys designing intricate hand-drawn & painted floral patterns. Her art & patterns are inspired by her love of traveling,  flowers, animals and vintage things. Her love for art began at a very young age; from the moment she could pick up a crayon her grandma & family was always encouraging her creativity. 

    Cassidy has always had a love for art & architecture. That love is what originally drew her into the interior design field for many years including a summer spent studying in Florence, Italy. Her favorite part was working with the textiles & home decor. Her passion for color and pattern made her dream of designing her own textiles. When she was given the opportunity to return to college for Visual Arts & Graphic Design she knew she had to pursue it. While she was finalizing her Visual Arts degree she accepted a temporary job to gain experience which led her to creating art & patterns for paper collections. This opportunity gave her a lot of experience designing patterns & paper products. However, she still wanted to design her own textiles so after 5 years she left to pursue her dream. 

    Currently, Cassidy works as an illustrator & surface pattern designer and has designed multiple fabric collections currently licensed by Cloud9 Fabrics. She also licenses her designs to be used on a variety of products such as women’s clothing, baby products, pet accessories, stationery & gifts. In addition to this she has started a small but growing stationery line where she incorporates many of her patterns & illustrations. She hopes to expand this stationery line into including a variety of stationery & lifestyle products. Most recently she has been spending time developing more designs and patterns for wallpaper, home decor, pillows and fabric which she plans to put more focus on in the next few years.

    What do you consider yourself ? Example: Artist, designer, illustrator, maker, business  person, educator, etc.?

    I would consider myself a few things including artist, textile designer and illustrator. 

    Where did you grow up? Were there aspects of your childhood that have influenced what  you do now?

    Mostly in Salt Lake City, Utah but I did live in Texas for a period of time when I was a child. My grandma and family always encouraged my love for art and creativity. 

    What did you dream of becoming when you were younger?

    My love for animals made me want to be a veterinarian until I realized what that really involved. Then I had being an Interior Designer in my head for a long time. I remember even dreaming up how I would design my dolls’ houses and decorating my own bedroom. 

    Is there a person who has been influential in your chosen career path?

    There are a lot of people who have been influential, including artists, designers and creatives I admire. I have also definitely had a lot of encouragement and support from friends and family to be able to do what I am doing now.  

    What sparked your interest in art?

    I remember my grandma always being so creative and really admiring her. Even her home decor and  garden always seemed very unique to me. The first piece of art that really caught my eye was “The Girl with a Watering Can” by Renoir. She had a print of it in her hallway that is now in my home. This interest grew over the years. Then, when I spent a summer in Florence and had the opportunity to see original works of art like Botticelli’s, the appreciation grew even more.

    Years after that I have had some great opportunities to travel. My travels have always been focused on seeing historical architecture, museums &  gardens. This has had a huge influence on inspiring my creativity and design. Visiting so many beautiful villages, estates and gardens has influenced the design of my own home and garden.  

    What inspired you to become a surface designer?

    I was inspired to become a surface designer because it gave me a way to collaborate with other brands I admire. It also gave me the opportunity to see my artwork come to life on their products. Seeing a flat design come to life on fabric or a product that someone will use in their daily life is very rewarding. Anytime I am in a store I see products and instantly think of how I would design them or what patterns of mine would look good on them. I especially love designing fabric because I instantly get to see the way my designs inspire  another person’s creativity and all of the different things that are created with the fabric.  

    What is one piece of work that you are especially proud of and why?

    I don’t necessarily have one individual piece, but I am proud of my stationery collection. It started out as a little side project to sell some of my designs on cards at a local shop, Salt & Honey Market. This little passion project quickly grew to become more than just a side project. 

    I am also really proud of my recent fabric collection, Flora, because I was able to see so many of my floral patterns come together in one single project. This project took a lot of time and detail but overall it came together really well.

    What is your design process like? Where do you find inspiration for new creations?

    Anytime I am traveling or in my own garden I take tons of pictures of flowers. I save all of these images in folders so I have inspiration when I want to design a floral or other project. Sometimes I just go to my garden directly when the weather permits and I gain a lot of inspiration there. I spend time arranging bouquets or gardening which always inspires me to draw.

    Then I sit down and sketch ideas. This is often ideas for future projects that I can easily reference. From these sketches I refine my ideas and patterns. After sketching, I trace over them to get a really crisp, detailed illustration. Depending on the style or detail of the project, I do additional layers with paint or more pencil drawings. From there I scan these drawings into Illustrator to create the final patterns. 

    What artists and creatives do you look up to, both historical and present?

    I received a set of Beatrix Potter books when I was a child and I was always fascinated by all of the cute drawings in the stories. I loved her style and creativity. Recently I visited her home in the Lakes District of England where I learned more about her life. I have grown to appreciate her as a person just as much as her art. She used a great deal of her wealth from the sales of her books to preserve land in the area she lived.  

    Other artists and styles of art I really love are many of the Dutch Masters florals and impressionist artists including Renoir, Van Gogh and Monet. I definitely hope to work on my fine art skills in the near future. I would love to be able to create some of my own floral masterpieces.  

    As far as textile designers, a few I greatly admire are the hand-painted interiors of de Gourney, the botanical prints by Josef Frank and the design work of Dorothy Draper. 

    What is a piece of advice that you have carried with you and who is it from? Do you have a  personal motto?

    A few of my favorite quotes, which I have incorporated into my own work and life are: “Even the smallest one can change the world,” (Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter).

    “I’m going to make everything around me beautiful-that will be my life,” by Elsie de Wolfe.

    How do your surroundings influence your work?

    My surroundings have a great deal of influence on my work. I am much more creative in the months that  I am able to spend time outside in my garden and in nature. I think this is why I enjoy illustrating flowers so much. The little animals that live out in my garden have been featured in a quite a few of my designs because they inspire me. They make me smile every time I am gardening.  

    What is a typical day like for you?

    This varies a bit depending on the season. An ideal day is one where I am able to wake up and spend the early morning entertaining my pups and sitting in my backyard. When it is warm enough I like to spend the morning out there working and planning out my day. Once I have my tasks planned out for the day I get to work. This varies from day to day. I have days that are dedicated to my personal work projects and creative work.

    Other days are focused more on client projects, my stationery brand sales, and packing/shipping products. I think a lot of people think being an artist means getting to just sit around drawing  flowers all day. But I do have to do a lot of other things like sales, packing/shipping, ordering products, restocking stores and even some accounting.

    Do you have a secret talent? What is one skill that you are working on?

    I don’t know that I have any secret talents, but I have a few skills I am working on and would like to focus more on in the future. One of these is floral arranging. Another is focusing more on some fine art skills such as oil painting. I would love to someday be able to create and paint florals like some of the Dutch Masters.  

    What advice would you give to someone who wants to self-teach a new hobby or skill?

    I personally think that there are so many wonderful online classes available. Having a budget for taking online or in-person classes will always make you a better artist, even if the class isn’t necessarily directly related to what you do. I have found that even something like a gardening class can easily spark my creativity. I also think it is important to try out many different art styles and constantly learn new skills. Doing this has helped me find the things that I enjoy creating. It’s also helped me realize that even though some things inspire me, I don’t necessarily enjoy them myself. Another piece of advice is that  you won’t be great at anything without continued work and practice. It takes a lot of experimenting to develop a skill. 

    Nobody likes to talk about it, but can you share any advice regarding financing your business?

    This one is really tough because what is available or works for one person doesn’t always work for another.  However, I can say that if you really want to pursue your dream, you have to be willing to work for it. You also have to do the research. It requires a lot of trial and error. Another piece of advice I have for new artists is that you cannot expect to be successful immediately. It takes time to learn, grow and really refine your work. I highly recommend looking for jobs that will allow you to do this.

    Once you are no longer growing or feeling fulfilled, it is time to move on from that and look for your next step or opportunity. This may even mean taking a step back financially so you can move forward. Leaving a full-time job to work for yourself means taking on so much more responsibility and sometimes even a pay cut. Personally, I’ve had to make some lifestyle changes because of this but my progress is worth it to me. I’ve been fortunate to have lots of support and understanding from friends and family. I have had to work much more than I did when I could just clock out and go home for the day.

    Also, being willing to invest in yourself and business is big. You will see more growth by  doing so. Sometimes you have to work multiple jobs to help fund your dream. I actually started my stationery line to bring in a little extra income each month and now it has grown into a much larger portion. I have also had to do freelance jobs and pick up projects that I didn’t necessarily love. By working the extra hours and doing these things I have been able to continue working towards being able to pursue my own projects full-time.  

    Is there anything more you would like to “become?”

    This is a hard question to answer because there are so many things I would love to become. Career-wise I would like to see myself focus more on my home decor and interior textile designs in the near future. I’d love that to become a larger part of what I do. It’s difficult because I originally had home textiles as my main focus but along the way I have found that I still have a passion for designing stationery products, clothing and other non-home decor related things. I hope that in some way I am able to balance all of the things that I enjoy designing and creating.  

    What is your long-term goal? or What do you hope to accomplish within the next 10 years?

    I’d love to have more opportunities to collaborate with more brands while I also grow my stationery and home decor lines into their own unique things. I hope to grow my business to a point where I don’t  have to “do it all” and I can focus more on the parts that I am most successful like the creative direction  and illustration. 

     

    You can read more of our Becoming interviews here.

    Photos by Clara Jones Photography

    Becoming Olivia Herrick

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    Becoming Olivia Herrick

    Please write a short, 3rd-person bio about yourself.

    Olivia Herrick is a graphic designer based in the Twin Cities of Minnesota,
    best known for her playful, vibrant, and positive artwork. Though you will often find her glued to her computer at her studio, Olivia finds her greatest inspiration in the great outdoors.

    What do you consider yourself? Example: Artist, designer, illustrator, maker, business person, educator, etc.?

    I consider myself a graphic designer!

    Where did you grow up? Were there aspects of your childhood that have influenced what you do now?

    I grew up in the Twin Cities, Minnesota. Our house was adjacent to a bunch of wooded land and a pond, and we spent nearly every second of every day outdoors. It was so blissful. I have extremely fond memories of my childhood and it deeply impacted the way that I interact with nature today. My mom was an art director/graphic designer before becoming a stay-at-home parent, and her love of color and general aesthetic sensibilities also influenced me greatly.

    What did you dream of becoming when you were younger?

    By the time I was about 13/14 years old, I knew I wanted to be graphic designer! I got the bug pretty early. But before that I think I went through an interior decorator phase and also the quintessential veterinarian phase as well.

    Is there a person who has been influential in your chosen career path?

    My parents. My mom was an art director/graphic designer and taught me from a very early age to see life through a creative lens. She’d point out beautiful colors or save type from magazines that she loved. My dad was an inventor and has an incredibly creative mind. Not in the same type of “technical” creative way that my mom is creative, but he really instilled this deep desire in me to think outside of the box and problem solve. I sometimes refer to myself as an “idea woman” and my dad is the original idea man. He is also one of the hardest workers I know and set a great example of what it means to give something your all.

    What sparked your interest in art/design?

    I went to a small school that placed a heavy emphasis on the arts, so from 5th to 12th grade I was exposed to a wide variety of mediums and spent a lot of time in choir, theater, photography, painting, drawing, ceramics – you name it. I came to have a deep love of the arts and expressing myself creatively.

    What is one piece of work that you are especially proud of and why?

    One project that I am especially proud of is my upcoming children’s book and first word flashcards products – they are currently scheduled to release this fall! I made both for our daughter, and then worked with my publisher to bring them to a broader market, and they are just two pieces that I am extremely proud of and feel are quite personal to me given their origin story.

    What is your design process like?

    It really depends on the project–my work is different every day, which I love. I might be working on a visual branding project, or a brochure, or food packaging, or a product for retail. It keeps me on my toes! Almost everything starts with sketching of some sort, followed by an exploration of ideas. I try to get a wide variety of concepts out of my head and onto paper/the computer and then move into refinement.

    Where do you find inspiration for new creations?

    I try as hard as I can to stay off Pinterest and social media when looking for inspiration and really try to ground myself in the real world. I love the library, I love design books, I love clippings from magazines, old packaging.

    What artists and creatives do you look up to, both historical and present?

    I am fortunate to be surrounded by a community of incredible artists – one perk of social media is being able to connect and build relationships with people that I have never even met in real life! Lately I have been especially fond of following artists in other disciplines – a current favorite is Madison Holler of @rubinskiworks, who does the most stunning beadwork.

    What books, movies, shows, or music are making you excited these days?

    The library is one of my favorite places in the entire world – I have 3–5 books checked out at all times! Right now I am reading The Way of Integrity by Martha Beck. TV-wise, I love easy-going shows. We just rewatched The Office and Parks and Rec. I have found that I don’t have a lot of emotional bandwidth for dramatic television anymore after becoming a parent! Music-wise, Ben Rector has a great new album out called The Joy of Music. I highly, highly recommend!

    What is a piece of advice that you have carried with you and who is it from? Do you have a personal motto?

    One of the best pieces of advice I have ever received was from my 11th grade history teacher. Her mom passed away and when she eventually came back to class she could tell that we all wanted to say something but didn’t really know where to start. She stood at the front of the classroom and told us that all you really have to say is “I’m sorry.” You can start small. But you should always find the courage to speak up, always find the courage to connect.

    It has impacted my life in many ways – I think we all have moments where we want to reach out to someone / offer condolences / connect / check in, but we don’t really know what to say or how to say it, or if we should even say anything at all. But ever since that day in 11th grade I have made a point to always reach out. And I have never regretted it.

    How do your surroundings influence your work?

    I would consider myself someone who can work well almost anywhere! But I definitely feel the best in a relatively neat, simple space. I work out of my studio which is a small but mighty space a few miles from our home. It is perfect for what I need!

    What is a typical day like for you?

    Right now I am working from 8 AM – 2 PM each day – these are the hours we have childcare at the present moment! Motherhood has deeply impacted my ability to go with the flow over the past three years. I used to work from 7 AM – 4 PM every day. Now I get twice as much done in half the time. It’s incredible! I typically wake up at 6, journal and have coffee, spend time with my daughter, and then head to work.

    At work I typically try to kick off the day with what I call my “daily design practice” – it’s a 5–20 minute creative warm-up prior to beginning client projects. I tackle emails, and then I generally try to have 2–3 major things I am focusing on each day. I try my best to pack my lunch (and about 100 snacks) each day as well, but am not always perfect when it comes to that! My productivity has really improved in the past year and I find that I am able to stay on task significantly more than I was able to in the past.

    What advice would you give to someone who wants to self-teach a new hobby or skill?

    Don’t be afraid of being terrible at first! It’s a journey, and it takes time. It’s going to take some blood, sweat, and tears, and creative pursuits are no different. I recently took up playing the piano for fun and it has been such a good reminder that improving at anything takes deliberate practice and a humble heart!

    Do you have a secret talent? What is one skill that you are working on?

    I play competitive amateur golf! It is a huge part of my life and something I have been doing for the past 20 years. I play around 8–10 tournaments annually on both a local and national level, and train with my coach year-round. It is such a wonderful sport and has had a profound impact on my life.

    Nobody likes to talk about it, but can you share any advice regarding financing your business?

    Yes! I am a huge advocate for running lean. Prior to this year, I would outsource a fair amount of work to designers I hired, but it consistently left me feeling stressed and overwhelmed. In 2021 I decided to try something different and take on less work, charge a bit more, and do it all myself. I had my best year yet by every measurement, and was able to allocate those funds to hiring in other categories of my life (childcare, mental health, etc.)

    Generally, I would also say do not be afraid to acknowledge that you want to make money. Do I love graphic design? Absolutely. Do I believe it is truly my calling in life? 100%. But… I am still running a business. I think that there is just a general expectation that women need to be led by their heart rather than a desire to generate revenue. In my experience both of those things can be true. Yes, I love my work. And yes, I want to make a living.

    Is there anything more you would like to “become?”

    More at peace, more content, more grateful, and more present.

    What is your long-term goal? or What do you hope to accomplish within the next 10 years?

    I am someone who is hesitant to map out too many concrete dreams for the extended future, only because time and time again the most wonderful (and terrible!) things that have happened in my life and business have been way outside of anything that I could have ever imagined for myself. But I think I can safely say that in the next 10 years I hope to keep creating, to continue to solve visual problems for my clients, to say yes to new challenges, and to be a present, patient, and joyful wife, mother, and friend.

     

    You can read more of our Becoming interviews here.

    Photos by Clara Jones Photography

    Female Author Booklist

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    Female Author Booklist

    Female Author Booklist

    We’re excited to share this female author booklist with you! There are some amazing classics in here. While I haven’t read all the books on this list, I have read a few. The ones I haven’t read are highly recommended from multiple sources, which tells me they deserve to be named. We tried to pick a variety of books, ranging from older classics to more contemporary reads, and from a variety of genres. Hopefully there’s something for everyone here!

    Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

    This book is the ultimate classic that every woman (and man!) should read. We need more books with strong, female protagonists. This is definitely a frontrunner in that category. Jane Austen is such a legend, we couldn’t leave her off this booklist.

    Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

    Speaking of strong, female protagonists, Jo March is a role model for every young girl (and woman!). I grew up reading this, so maybe I’m biased, but I had to add it to our female author booklist. This is a beautiful book if you want to read a civil war era book about the struggles women faced written by a women. Louisa May Alcott’s perspective just can’t be paralleled by the male authors of her time.

    Becoming by Michelle Obama

    This isn’t the first time this book has made it onto our blog. We LOVE Michelle Obama, and we LOVE her book. In fact, when we read her book for our book club, it inspired our entire becoming series. You can read the interviews in our becoming series here.

    Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

    Another one of my all time favorite books, Jane Eyre is a moving story about a fiercely independent orphan and her journey to find freedom. I love the strength of women this book shows. And did I mention Charlotte Brontë? I mean, all three of the Brontë sisters are essentials to the category of strong, independent women. The fact that three female authors all came from one family at the time they did, historically, is a feat to be reckoned with.

    My Own Words by Ruth Bader Ginsberg

    We couldn’t make this female author booklist without including RBG. I mean what. an. icon. I think she speaks for herself. The legacy she left behind is remarkable and we would all do well to take a leaf out of her book. Or at least read it.

    Circe by Madeline Miller

    Looking for greek mythology with a strong, female heroine? This is the picture of female empowerment. A 2018 New York Times bestseller, this book has proven itself. And dipping your toes into greek mythology is always a pleasure.

    The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion

    Joan Didion died in 2021, and what an iconic writer she was. This is a beautiful memoir that I haven’t read yet but is 100% on my list! It delves into the year following her husband’s death and how she had to deal with her daughter’s health issues in addition to her own. Just reading the summary feels powerful, so imagine getting to read every word from the source itself.

    The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

    Another book I haven’t read yet but that definitely piqued my interest! This one delves into the sexual abuse facing fertile women in near-future New England.

    The XX Brain by Lisa Mosconi

    This is the perfect book to help you understand your brain and body as you age. It contains groundbreaking research on women’s health and how our hormones affect brain and body well-being as we age. More importantly, what we can do about it.

    The Thing Around Your Neck by Chimimanda Ngozi Adichie

    Nigerian writer Adiche explores women in relationships in a series of powerful short stories. It doesn’t take very many pages to write something impactful when you write like Adiche.

    Housekeeping by Marilyn Robinson

    This is a must read (really, any of hers can’t go wrong). They’re definitely on my list! Arguably America’s greatest living literary author, Robinson has won nearly every major literary prize, including the Pulitzer. Her novels explore the human condition, faith, and the origins of our modern discontents.

    The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Annie Barrows and Mary Ann Schaffer

    New York Times bestselling historical novel about a group of people on the Isle of Guernsey under German occupation and how books connected them and gave them hope during a time of darkness. And that movie?! I mean, come on.

    The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. LeGuin

    This is a classic sci-fi novel set on a planet where every person is gender-neutral and the implications of how that plays out in society.

    The Moment of Lift: How Empowering Women Changes the World by Melinda Gates

    We had to include Melinda Gates on our booklist. This book is an eye-opening memoir that explores, among other things, the horrors and hardships experienced by women worldwide, and the ripple effects when efforts to eliminate poverty focus on lifting women.

    A Midwife’s Tale by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich

    Ever seen Call the Midwife? I’m the first to admit I’ve watched every episode. Well A Midwife’s Tale is also a diary, this time of a female medical practitioner and ancestor of Clara Barton. Laurel Thatcher Ulrich is thoughtful and intentional in her research and explorations of the diary. The information she exposes throw open a window into the life of an 18th century woman and the society she lived and worked in. 

    Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

    National Book Award Finalist, the story centers on a Korean woman in Japan. It’s also soon to be made a film!

    More Inspiration

    Looking for more books to read? Here’s a list of books and media by black creatives. Here’s a list of a few more book recommendations we made a few years ago, too! Interested in what we’ve read for book club? Here are the posts.

     

    Becoming Nina Cosford

    Brittany
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    Becoming Nina Cosford

    Please write a short, 3rd-person bio about yourself

    Nina Cosford is a freelance illustrator based in the seaside town of Hastings, UK. Her work centres around storytelling and capturing the woes and wonders, ups and downs of everyday life – particularly themes experienced by women. She loves to travel whenever possible and never goes anywhere without her sketchbook!
    Nina Cosford illustating

    What do you consider yourself? Example: Artist, designer, illustrator, maker, business person, educator, etc.?

    Overall, I’d refer to myself as a creative. Professionally, I’m an illustrator.

    Where did you grow up? Were there aspects of your childhood that have influenced what you do now?

    I grew up in a small Surrey town, about an hour away from London. My bedroom window looked out onto the North Downs – chalky cliffs and wooded hills – which I would draw countless times in all seasons. I was lucky to live in a place with lots of history, pretty architecture and stunning natural landscapes. It really got me looking at places and people from a young age and encouraged me to document my surroundings through observational drawing and imaginative writing. I think that urge to document and respond has stayed with me ever since, both as a person and as a creative professional.

    What did you dream of becoming when you were younger?

    Ha! A lot of things over the years…an Egyptologist, a detective constable, an astronaut. Funnily enough, I don’t recall ever setting out to be an artist or work in the creative industry – it just gradually happened as my life went on.
    Nina Cosford illustration

    Is there a person who has been influential in your chosen career path?

    Lots of people! But I guess a lot of things can start from home. My dad is a freelance commercial artist so I grew up observing how he worked and how seriously he took his craft. I think that inspired me to see the arts in a more legitimate light unlike many other young people who can – sadly – often be discouraged from pursuing a creative career. I just thought “of course you can draw for a living” because that’s what I could see and thought it could be as normal as any other job. Whilst I wasn’t actively guided into being a commercial artist, I wasn’t discouraged. I felt a sense of unconditional trust and support from my family which I was fortunate to have. This gave me the space and confidence to make my own choices.

    What sparked your interest in illustration?

    I’ve drawn for as long as I’ve been able to hold a pen. I have an inherent need to observe, record and respond to the world around me. I find that illustration is such an effective and powerful way to capture a moment, idea, message or feeling.
    Nina Cosford illustration
    Nina Cosford illustration

    What is one piece of work that you are especially proud of and why?

    Back in 2019, I launched a Kickstarter campaign to create and self-publish a book about the Trans-Siberian Railway. I was amazed and touched at how much support and encouragement I got. It really was the trip of a lifetime travelling from Moscow to Beijing by train, through the stunning landscapes of Siberia and Mongolia. I felt so happy and lucky to be able to do something so epic and turn it into work as well.

    Nina Cosford book

    Another “pinch me” moment was last year when I first saw and held the sketchbook I’d designed! After years of using sketchbooks (my favourite stage of the creative process) and endlessly searching for one that ticked all the boxes for me, I decided to take a leap of faith and design my own. It’s feels pretty surreal to be making work in a product I’ve 100% designed myself and to see lots of other people using it too! It’s something I’m super proud of.

    Nina Cosford sketchbook

    Nina Cosford sketchbook

    What is your illustrative process like?

    Generally, I start a project by studying the brief, researching the client I’m working with, and considering the audience and context the work is going to be made for. Once I have all this information, I think up different ways of approaching the brief. That means trying out different elements, compositions, angles, colour schemes etc. Once the client is happy with an approach, I crack on with mocking up finals or jumping straight into the final execution. Sometimes I do a piece early on which I end up preferring to overworked pieces later made, and try to retain or revert back to the energy and feeling of the earlier works, if that’s working better.

    Nina Cosford illustrating

    With self-initiated work, I generate work far more spontaneously and particularly like to work when I’m on the move or between jobs. When I start working on something, I often begin by making lots of scribbles and notes which turn into tiny roughs. I play around with different composition options until I develop the one I think is best, which I then scale up to a bigger rough. Next, I either trace this to make the final piece from, using a mix of brush pen markers and coloured pencil (if I am working physically) or I make the final artwork on my iPad (using ProCreate and the Apple Pencil).

    Sometimes I just photograph the finished (physical) drawing on my phone and share it straight away, other times I scan it in and tweak it on the computer; it depends on what the piece is for and how refined it needs to be. I do enjoy the immediacy of uploading a piece I’ve just drawn – straight from my sketchbook – as it still feels fresh and raw and not too overworked. I also quite like having more than one project on the go (whether another commission or a self-initiated project) as it breaks up my schedule and bit and keeps it all feeling a little fresher.

    Where do you find inspiration for new creations?

    It’s always hard to pinpoint an answer to this question. It sounds cheesy, but I try to be inspired by (almost) everything or at least have an interest in most things. The best inspiration can be found in the most unusual or unexpected places. As much as I admire the work of other illustrators / artists, I find it’s best not to look too closely or too often as this doesn’t always give me confidence – comparison is not a good habit!

    Instead, I love going to museums, browsing Pinterest where I have dozens of specifically themed boards, listening to film scores, going for walks outside, looking at buildings, rearranging my shelves and making displays, sitting in coffee shops, people-watching, journalling and travelling as much as I can. These habits help to refresh my head and eyeballs and allow me to step outside of myself.

    Nina Cosford sketchbook

    Nina Cosford illustrations

    What is a piece of advice that you have carried with you and who is it from? Do you have a personal motto?

    It’s easy to get into a funk, especially when your job relies on being inspired, motivated, creative and productive like ALL the time (and there’s only one of you!). I think it’s really important to identify when it’s time to take a break and when it’s time to “just get on with it” (that motto helps me get through a lot!).

    Nina Cosford quote

    How do your surroundings influence your work?

    Over the pandemic, particularly during the lockdowns, I was mainly working from home and, whilst I was fortunate to be able to do that, it wasn’t my ideal working environment. I found myself getting so easily distracted and that line between home mode and work mode became blurrier and blurrier. Instead, I love going into my studio to work (which is in a shared building in town, a 10 minute walk from my home).

    I really appreciate having my own space, playing whatever music I’m in the mood for and cracking on with tasks at my big desk with my ergonomic chair (cannot stress how important a decent chair is!). My room is full of all my art materials, inspirational books, my drawing archives, a comfy armchair to read in and all sorts of weird and wonderful trinkets I’ve collected over the years. It totally feels like my own space.

    Nina Cosford materials

    What is a typical day like for you?

    Being freelance, each day is often different which keeps things varied and interesting. But I also like patterns and routine, so I try to implement these where I can, however unpredictable work can be. The day usually starts a little on the slow side; sitting still with a cup of coffee or tea and making a to do list in my sketchbook. I often doodle the date or a title which helps to warm up my hands / creativity (and can be a useful form of procrastination too ha!).

    It totally depends on my schedule and what projects I have on, but I try to tackle the more administrative (or boring) tasks first, and then spend the afternoon drawing or putting stuff together (the more creative aspects of my job). There’s so much more backend stuff that goes into being a self-employed illustrator! Research, time and project management, admin, negotiating contracts, managing my accounts, self-promotion etc etc etc! Drawing is just the fun bit on top

    I’m a keen walker and love being outdoors so appreciate the walk to work (I have a studio away from home). I find fresh air and visual stimulation really important for my eyes and head and like to be able to ease in and out of work mode. Walking always helps!

    Nina Cosford illustration

    What advice would you give to someone who wants to self-teach a new hobby or skill?

    Over lockdown, I taught myself to needle punch. It was challenging and frustrating at times but eventually I got the hang of it and ended up really enjoying it! I think it’s super important to channel one’s creativity in more than one way. Our jobs don’t have to define us and I believe everyone is creative – they just need to find their outlet. To self-teach, I used YouTube tutorials (it’s amazing how many resources there are on the internet), books, blogs and some advice from people and friends who had also tried it before. Don’t be afraid to ask others. Just give it a go!

    Nina Cosford illustration

    Do you have a secret talent? What is one skill that you are working on?

    I make video game music! I’ve played piano since childhood and studied music technology at college. I regularly compose and practice on my Nord keyboard as I don’t want to forget how to play. A few years ago, when my partner Ali asked me to make a 16-bit style, retro-inspired soundtrack for the video game he was making, I jumped at the chance!

    Nobody likes to talk about it, but can you share any advice regarding financing your business?

    Don’t be afraid to ask for advice, see what your peers are charging and how they generally manage things, keep all your receipts, have a separate business account to keep everything tidy, try your best to live and spend within your means and learn to recognise when you can / should invest back into your business.

    What is your long-term goal?

    I’ve never been great at setting goals (long term or short term). I barely know what I’m doing next week! Saying that, I think it’s super important to keep stepping back from your work / life / self to acknowledge where you’re at, what you’ve achieved and where you’re headed. I like to do this through journalling and book in little “catch-up dates” with myself every couple of months. When it comes to looking toward the future, for me it can just be a vague outline or a feeling of what I think I want. And I guess that is to always pursue a creative life – not just through my illustration work but in how I live, my relationships with others, with nature and with the world.

    What Iris Apfel Can Teach Us

    Brittany
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    What Iris Apfel Can Teach Us

    Iris Apfel June Book Club Artwork

    Who Is Iris Apfel?

    Iris Apfel is one of the most iconic women in the history of fashion. This isn’t the first time we’ve mentioned her! Here’s another post where we share some of our musings about Iris. Self-proclaimed “geriatric starlet,” Iris Apfel started as an interior designer with an innate interest in fashion. She really became known when her noteworthy wardrobe made its way into an exhibition at the Met. From there, her career as a fashion icon blossomed.

    She didn’t stop there! At age 98, she signed a modeling contract with IMG, blowing all former female model stereotypes out of the water. She even came out with her own sunglasses line a few days before her 100th birthday! From interior design, to transforming the definition of modeling, to her eclectic and show-stopping style, to simply living a full life, Iris Apfel can teach us so much.

    Embracing Maximalism in an Age of Minimalism

    We are living in an age of minimalism. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not always against minimalism. When done correctly it can be lovely. The problem is that it’s become an overwhelming default that squashes so many opportunities for creative expression. If you’re interested more of my thoughts on neutrals and default colors, read this post. Anyway, I’m not here today to focus on minimalism. I’m here to talk about Iris Apfel, who is an example of totally owning gorgeous maximalism. Iris Apfel can teach us so. much. Here’s how she can help us embrace maximalism when minimalism is so overwhelmingly present.

    What Iris Apfel Can Teach Us

    Don’t Fear Patterns and Colors!

    I remember buying clothes with my mom as a kid. She’d always offer up the same advice: “pick something that will go with everything!” There’s a myth that’s been circulating for many years that neutral solids match better than colors and patterns. My mom’s not alone. Many people stick almost solely to neutrals, not because they don’t like color or pattern, but because they feel intimidated. Which is totally understandable! Neutrals are, admittedly, easy.

    But are they satisfying? Iris Apfel sure shows us that there are many, many examples of bold color and pattern combinations that look exquisite together. They’re less common because it’s intimidating to jump into so much color and pattern, but maybe that’s what makes them so wonderful. So to those wanting to incorporate more patterns and colors into their lives but feeling intimidated, remember that Iris would tell you to go for it! You can do it, just be confident in those bold choices and don’t let others dissuade you. As Iris would say, “When you don’t dress like everyone else then you don’t have to think like everyone else.”

    The Bolder the Better

    Speaking of bold choices, is anything every really too much for Iris Apfel? Probably not. She teaches us that, rather than airing on the side of caution when it comes to your wardrobe, go big or go home! She would probably put it just that candidly, too.

    She’s the perfect example of really diving into colors and patterns and showing us that bolder really is better, in her case. After all, she did say, “color can raise the dead.” When you own bold patterns and colors like Iris Apfel, they are striking, completely show-stopping, and do much more than any combination of neutrals could to. So be all in! The key is to be decisive and intentional. A half-hearted effort just doesn’t produce the Iris Apfel effect.

    Mix and Match!

    Another one of my mom’s common statements was something along the lines of “don’t wear multiple patterns together, they don’t go.” Well Iris Apfel would most likely say the exact opposite: Why opt for a neutral that goes with everything when you can go for a wild, wacky combo? And who says multiple patterns can’t compliment each other exquisitely?

    Rather than always going for black because it will match everything in your wardrobe, try branching out. Unlikely combinations can sometimes be best.

    Speaking of unlikely combinations, don’t fear mixing high and low fashions. Iris Apfel was famous for shamelessly mixing designer brands with flea market finds, and patterns, colors and textures of all different eras. The eclectic mix became her signature, and she knowingly broke all rules and conventions. Isn’t the saying something like “learn the rules so you can break them?”

    Accessorize, Accessorize, Accessorize

    Don’t let me finish out this list of what Iris Apfel can teach us without including accessories. Iris’s iconic glasses, boas, and bold bangles with forever be remembered. Nothing is too thick, chunky, or big for her. Accessories can do wonders for an outfit that feels like it needs a little something to be complete.

    And again, Iris Apfel audaciously merged antiquity with modernity with striking success.

    Dress for Yourself, Not to be Stared At

    Above all, fashion is and should be very personal. It’s all about you, or it should be. As Iris says, “I don’t dress to be stared at, I dress for myself.” Iris has us convinced that fashion should be fun, and it’s the most fun when it feels true to YOU. Ultimately, “The important thing is to be comfortable so you can get on with your life.”

    In the Shop

    If you’re looking for something to remind you of Iris Apfel, check out our shop! Nothing helps with inspiration like seeing Iris Apfel’s face every time you open your book and see this bookmark. Or looking up at the wall by your desk and seeing this print! If you’re wanting to prep for the holiday season early this year, we’d recommend this Iris Apfel ornament.

    More Inspiration

    Loved this post on what Iris Apfel can teach us and want to be inspired by other amazing women? Check out our Becoming series, where we highlight female creatives and how they became who they are! You can also be inspired by these in the mood for posts, where we draw style and design inspiration from artists, creatives, and things we love throughout history.

    One last note before you go: Iris Apfel has collaborated with H&M to release a new collection this spring 2022–STAY TUNED! I’m positive we’ll have more to say where that came from.

     

     

     

     

    Becoming Jennifer Tran

    Brittany
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    1
    Becoming Jennifer Tran

    Meet Jennifer Tran

    Jennifer Tran is an artist and the founder of Papetal. She is best known for her
    work with paper flowers, which is encapsulated in her book Flowersmith, A guide to
    handcrafting and arranging enchanting paper flowers. After years of collaborating
    with fashion clients, (e.g. Hermes, Gucci, Daniel Wellington, Anthropologie etc.), she
    took a break from the flower world to explore new mediums. In 2021 and completely
    by chance, she stumbled across pasta making and discovered the limitless
    possibilities of flour, water and salt. Jennifer Tran’s pasta is the expression of her
    love for colours, textures and forms; and is the culmination of her experiences in
    flower making, botanical illustration and painting. Her pasta designs are like her
    flowers; enchanting, whimsical, playful and most of all, imaginative.

    pink and green checkerboard

     

     

    What do you consider yourself? Example: Artist, designer, illustrator,
    maker, business person, educator, etc.?

    I’m a maker of all things practical and accessible. I enjoy designing and making
    pretty things that everyone can appreciate, make and enjoy. With pasta, the
    materials that I use can be found anywhere. And I pass on the techniques on
    Instagram, so that everyone can have a go as well.

    purple, green and orange pasta

    Where did you grow up? Were there aspects of your childhood that have
    influenced what you do now?

    I grew up in Hanoi, in an artistic family. My father was an actor, who loved taking me
    to all his events. If he was shooting a movie, I would be sitting behind the cameras
    pretending to direct. If he was performing on stage, I would be sitting backstage
    chatting up with his crew. I grew up in a world filled with colours, lights, cameras and
    actions. I performed quite a bit as a kid and had always wanted to be performer with
    an audience as big as my father’s.

    When I came to Australia at age 19, the dream of being a performer did not
    eventuate as English was a struggle. So I turned to visual arts as another form of
    expression. I was trained as a sculptor & installation artist at The University of New
    South Wales, with an Honours first class. I used light as a sculptural medium and
    produced mainly light installations, which worked out very well for me, academically.
    But I had very limited audience because what I used to make could only be
    appreciated in a gallery context. After graduating, I had a change in artistic direction;
    I wanted to create for everyone and not just the selected few. With this goal in mind,
    I turned to other mediums that were more accessible such as paper, and now flour,
    water & salt. And I sought a bigger audience through social media.

    patterned pasta

    What is one piece of work that you are especially proud of and why?

    My book, Flowersmith, which I had put a lot of work and a lot of love in. I wrote the
    manuscript, made the flowers and took all the photos myself, within 3 months. During
    that time, I slept for about 3-5 hours a day, struggled to eat due to stress but did not
    miss a single deadline. I went at it with the strength and the spirit that I had never
    seen in myself before. I am proud of the commitment and the determination that I
    had displayed during the production of my book.

    pink and black pasta

    Your recent work with pasta is blowing us away! Can you tell us more about
    it, and how you transitioned from working with paper to pasta?

    It was unplanned. During Sydney’s 16 week lockdown in 2021, I wanted to make a
    care package to send to my family as I couldn’t see them. While I was looking for
    ideas, I saw my friend’s beetroot ravioli on Instagram. I was so surprised as I had
    never seen red pasta before. I wondered what other colours of pasta there were, so I
    started searching. One thing led to another, I began to experiment with my own
    recipes, and was so surprised by the similarities between paper and pasta. In my
    book Flowersmith, I showed readers how to use turmeric and paprika to make
    pollen. In pasta making, I am able to use these spices, along with a number of
    superfoods to colour my dough. Besides materials, I have been using the same
    design principles in both my flower making and pasta making. When you scroll
    through my Instagram, you’ll see the common threads in colours and compositions.

     

    flower pastapurple striped pasta with flowers

    Where do you find inspiration for new creations?

    I find inspiration in textiles and fashion design. I actually got the idea of making plaid
    pasta from a friend who teaches fashion design. He commented on the similarities
    between one of my earlier experiments with patterns from the 70s. So I started
    looking into textiles and have been able to apply some of what I’ve learnt into pasta
    making.

    red, yellow, green and pink pasta

    What artists and creatives do you look up to, both historical and present?

    I look up to Benja Harney of Paperform, for his inventiveness, skills and style. I also
    admire the designs of Beci Orpin and Alice Oehr.

    What books, movies, shows, or music are making you excited these days?

    Definitely live music, or what to expect of it in 2022. I love heavy metal but missed
    out on both Iron Maiden and Metallica’s concerts during the pandemic, so I look
    forward to their return to touring, hopefully in the near future. I will also be going to as
    many live concerts as I possibly can.

    circle pasta

    What is a piece of advice that you have carried with you and who is it
    from? Do you have a personal motto?

    “Making art makes art” is a piece of advice from my mentor at University, which I
    have carried with me throughout my professional career. It’s a reminder that while it’s
    important to dream up new ideas in my head, I need to physically interact with my
    materials, cutting, moulding, mixing, joining and shaping them. For instance, with
    pasta, it’s through various experimentations with superfoods that I discovered new
    colour mixtures; colours that I wouldn’t be able to see just by thinking about them.

    How do your surroundings influence your work?

    My partner is a valuator and my closest friends are scientists. They’ve taught me
    how to approach both art making and problem solving methodically. For instance,
    when I was writing my book, I had a bit of struggles with Dahlia. So I dissected a real
    flower to examine the layers and how each petals were joint. It was this scientific
    approach that allowed me to create my perfect dahlia at the time.

    purple pastapurple pasta circles

    What is a typical day like for you?

    I have a day job in research infrastructure, so I have my 9-5 like most people. Before
    I start work each day, I would spend about an hour sketching up new pasta making
    ideas in my diary. I only get to make stuff on Sundays. On those days, I wake up at
    5:30am, jump into my water rower, shower then breakfast with a piece of cake and
    Vietnamese coffee. After loading myself up with sugar, I would go right into preparing
    pasta dough, which usually takes me through to lunch. Then the rest of the day is
    just playing with colours and patterns. I try to finish cleaning up by 6pm, so I can
    spend the rest of Sunday with my partner.

    Do you have a secret talent? What is one skill that you are working on?

    I haven’t discovered my secret talent yet. The one skill that I’m working on is speed.
    As my pasta designs are consisted of multiple layers, which dry out very quickly
    when exposed to the air. If I don’t work fast enough, the whole design would dry out

    and all the time and materials would be wasted. I’m okay with wasting time but feel
    quite guilty when I have to dispose of pasta dough. So my goal is to practice and
    practice until I work faster than the speed of my pasta drying.

    patterned pasta

    Nobody likes to talk about it, but can you share any advice regarding financing
    your business?

    Be on top of your expenses. When I was running my flower making business, I kept
    an Excel spreadsheet for everything, so I knew how much I had spent, how much I
    needed to put aside for tax, how much to reinvest in the business and how much I
    could put away for that dream holiday etc. Knowing my expenses kept me out of
    debt, and allowed me to price my work correctly.

    pink and black stripe

    Is there anything more you would like to “become?”

    I just want to learn to take it easy and stop being stressed out about the little things.

    What is your long-term goal? or What do you hope to accomplish within the
    next 10 years?

    I don’t have a 10 year plan for my creative life, I only take things as they come.

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