The Creative Wild: featured

Showing posts with label featured. Show all posts

Featured: Michelle Rollinson-Berry of Cynical Redhead

Michelle, handstamping jewelry maven behind Cynical Redhead

Fun, smart, edgy, and chic are just a few of the adjectives that come to mind when I think about Michelle Rollinson-Berry's line of jewelry and guitar picks. With a business name like Cynical Redhead, you get the vibe I'm talking about. That kind that makes you want to grab a coffee (or a beer?) with this girl. While I didn't get to partake in a bevvy with Michelle for geographical reasons, she was kind enough to answer some of my questions about her creative business. Read on for a glimpse into the life and biz of Cynical Redhead.

Tell me a bit about yourself and your creations.

My background and education is actually in psychology. I have a Bachelor’s degree in Psych and a Master’s degree in Counseling. I worked in the mental health field for almost 20 years before deciding to make my jewelry business my full time career. I’m completely self taught as far as jewelry making and pretty much anything else creative goes. I love books more than just about anything in the world. Much of what I make is inspired by my love of books.

Why did you start your creative business?

I have always loved making things and I always felt that I had the potential to turn it into a business. I don’t have a problem working with others, but I do generally prefer to work alone. I had worked in mental health for a long time, and I had reached the point where the low pay, demanding schedule and stress level were making me consistently unhappy. I had been doing both my Etsy shop and my day job for a little over 3 years before I decided to take the leap into doing it full time.

Tell me a bit about your creative process.

I generally work in a small extra bedroom that I staked out a corner of for my studio space. I am not a day person, definitely not a morning person. The bulk of my work gets done between 9p.m. and 4a.m. (though during busy seasons, it is more like 12p.m. to 4a.m.). I have always loved being up late at night when everyone else is asleep. I like the lack of distraction. I love the quiet.

The items I make vary in the time they take. I can do a simple bracelet in maybe 10-15 minutes, but some of the more intricate pieces can take a few hours each.

What do you absolutely need to fuel your creativity?

My main necessities for motivation to actually make things are: coffee, kitties, travel, and Netflix/DVDs. I don’t really watch TV as I work, but I love to listen as I work. Last Christmas season, I listened to my Game of Thrones DVDs over and over again as I filled orders. This year it’s Sons of Anarchy. The kitties (I have two) are the best stress relievers I’ve ever encountered. They show up to interrupt me periodically and let me know it’s time to put down the hammer and spend some time snuggling with them. Without them, I’d probably end up completely burned out because I am bad about taking breaks. I have a hard time leaving anything unfinished.

What is your favourite part of the creative process?

My very favorite part of the creative process is when an idea strikes. Sometimes it is after reading a particular sentence in a book or seeing something unexpected when I travel. A lack of ideas makes me uncomfortable. I always like to have something new on the agenda that I am excited to make. A lack of new ideas feels a little like being dead inside.

What challenges do you face in your creative business and how do you overcome them?

One of the challenges is the juggling of all the different parts of running a one-person business without making any major mistakes. Everything from ordering jewelry and packaging supplies, designing business cards, staging and photography, promoting and advertising, customer service, shipping, etc. is my job, on top of the actual creative process and making of the items. Sometimes it feels like there is little time left for creativity.

It’s sometimes hard to prioritize when every part of what you do is important and necessary.

Luckily, my jobs in mental health required me to be extremely organized, handle multiple things at once, and to be very deadline oriented, which is a huge help.

Where would you like to see your creative business in 10 years?

In 10 years, I would love to have brand recognition on a global scale. I would love to be featured in a major magazine/website by that point, definitely.

Who are your creative inspirations?

I know it sounds odd, but I don’t really have anyone that comes to mind for that. I have always kind of followed my own instincts when it comes to what I want to make and wear. I love both art and fashion and can happily spend entire days in museums, but I also don’t want to be too heavily influenced by anyone else’s work.

Where can we buy your super cool creations?

I sell primarily through Etsy at http://cynicalredhead.etsy.com My jewelry is also available at Vintage Karma in Tuscola, Illinois. It is a wonderful little tattoo/vintage shop that sells both vintage and handmade items.

Thanks SO much to Michelle for letting spend a little time her world. To follow Michelle and her work, check out the links below.

Get Social

Instagram: www.instagram.com/cynicalredhead

Your Facebook page: www.facebook.com/CynicalRedheadCreations

All images courtesy of Michelle Rollinson-Berry

Featured: MiKa Art

Everyone once in a while you stumble across something that just makes you stop, look, and then your heart melts into a puddle of mushy love. This is exactly what happened when I first saw the work of MiKa Art. In a cynical world, her art pieces are so completely and unapologetically loving and precious. It's incredibly refreshing and reminds us all, even if just for a moment, about the really important stuff.

MiKa (which is her name) is a painter/illustrator/graphic designer based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. MiKa was born and raised in Northern Japan where, during the winter months, she would make things. Her innate curiosity and desire to explore and experience new things fuels her creativity and after arriving in Canada, she began to sell her work via the internet. MiKa attributes the internet to being the vehicle which made her success possible, and that the internet "opened the door" for her to start her creative business. She sells her prints, art, small accessories and decorative objects on Etsy, Zazzle, and Society 6, to buyers from all over the world.

MiKa works from her home-based studio and cites her dog as being the number one thing she needs to fuel her creativity. The simple act of walking her dog around her neighbourhood is enough to refresh her, body and soul. She describes her dog as "a great companion who teaches and reminds me of the simple happiness of life."

I asked MiKa a few questions about her creative biz and she was kind enough to give us some insight into how MiKa Art runs.

What is your favourite part of your creative process?

The beginning of every project – when I’m sketching out whatever is in my mind.

What challenges do you face in your creative business and how do you overcome them?

“Business” part. “Creative” and “Good Customer Service” parts are familiar to me. But “Business” part is something I have to keep learning every day.

Where would you like to see your creative business in 10 years?

I would like to say “I'm in the empire business.”

Who are your creative inspirations?

Beavers. I recommend the documentary “Leave It to Beavers” to anyone. The beavers are super hard working, very skilled at what they do, and family-oriented.

Thanks for hanging out with us, MiKa! To see more of MiKa's work and to buy some of these cuties for yourself, check out her Etsy page, website, or Zazzle page.

Get Social

Twitter: www.twitter.com/mikaartstudio

Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/MiKa-Art-Studio/190951250982187

All images courtesy of MiKa Art

Featured: Kate Koprowski of HandiCraftKate

Kate Koprowski of HandiCraftKate

Happy Halloween, creatives! This feature comes with spectacular timing, since Kate's hats Halloween perfection. From the first moment I stumbled across Kate's Etsy page, I was in love. I absolutely adore whimsical and fantastical creations, and her felted hats are the epitome of both of those adjectives. I was even more stoked to discover that there's even more to Kate than just her hats. She makes garments, scarves, fingerless gloves, bags, pins, necklaces, and felting tutorials. She's a felting wizard, with the hat to prove it.

Felting is one of those things that I have on my "must learn" bucket list (much like learning how to perfectly paint my nails and finally mastering the guitar). Kate's work is inspiring me to make learning to felt my winter project, although I think I'll keep my expectations low considering how high the bar has been set by my felt-idol.

Kate took the time to answers some of my questions about her creative biz. For insight into how she grew from trial and error felting to a successful business that sells to people all over the world, read on!

Tell me a bit about yourself and your creations:

I am 29 years old and am currently living in KY. I have been a fiber artist for 4 years and everything I have learned about felting I have learned through my own trial and error. Right now my most popular creations are my Wizard/Witch hats, but I also make felt bags, garments, scarves, slipper boots, pins, gloves, necklaces, and felting tutorials.

Why did you start your creative business?

I’ve always been a creative person and 10 years ago the only venue an artist had to sell their work was through local craft fairs or by commission in boutiques, but now we have online markets like Etsy that allow us, the artists, to sell without a brick and mortar store or the hassle of craft fairs. I can sell to people in the US, UK, China, Australia it is wonderful! So it was just the right time in my life to sell my work online and luckily I have been able to make a living off of my art.

Tell me a bit about your creative process:

I have a whole bedroom devoted to crafting, but really it has taken over my whole house. I block my hats downstairs in the living room, and dye them in the kitchen, my poor husband is really understanding and says one day I will have a whole studio to felt in so the house can just be a house! It is a day long process. I get up and start and don’t finish sometimes until 9pm at night.

What do you absolutely need to fuel your creativity:

I am addicted to Romance novels! I am home alone all day and it can get really lonely so I listen to books on tape and my favorite by far is the Romance genre! I also got to have my thermos full of ice cold water and my phone nearby to answer questions throughout the day from customers.

What is your favourite part of your creative process:

My favorite part of the whole process is editing the photos of the finished product. I love seeing the item all dressed up and ready to be shown to the world.

Where would you like to see your creative business in 10 years?

I would love to become a pillar in the felting community and be invited to different locations in order to teach felting workshops. I really love teaching and that was my day job before I became a full time artist, so to be able to teach felting at a school or college or even at a local event would be wonderful!

Who are your creative inspirations?

There are several fellow felting artists on Etsy that really inspired me when I was just starting out, I aspired to be like them in their level of skill, I am not there yet but I am closer everyday!

Thanks for spending time with us, Kate! I can't thank you enough for letting us into your world for a brief moment to see the creative genius behind your incredible work. Kate's creations can be found for sale on line in her Etsy shop, HandiCraftKate. And if someone wants to buy me one of those hats, that'd be great, thanks.

To get social with Kate, see the links below.

Get Social

Website: www.HandiCraftKate.etsy.com

Twitter: www.twitter.com/HandiCraftKate

Facebook page: www.facebook.com/HandiCraftKate

All photos courtesy of Kate Koprowski

Featured: Kate Gurska of Woodland Tale

Kate Gurska of Woodland Tale

My first glimpse into Kate's creative world was through her Etsy page where the images of her incredible hand-embroidered critters, woodland inspired jewelry and home decor, and beautifully hand-carved rubber stamps (created by her beloved husband) made me swoon immediately. I was instantly transported into a fairytale world of friendly woodland creatures, where everything is light, sweet, and lovely. I want to live there, snuggled up with a stuffed bear, with stuffed foxes and birds as my friends.

Kate is a full-time creative based in Ukraine, and sells her work through her Etsy page, entitled Woodland Tale. Woodland Tale came to be through an evolution of Kate realizing that her creativity could not only be a valuable kind of personal escape, but also could be a successful business. What started as a side project while working her day job grew into a full-time living, which Kate describes as being very fulfilling, giving her confidence, and making her truly happy.

When talking with me about her creative process, Kate explains that she attempts to keep her working hours to a traditional 8 hour work day, but described this as "easier said than done, as it is hard to stop making things." I hear ya, sister. Kate's creative process requires a lot of bright, natural light so she tries to work as much as she can during the day, although she tends to be more a night owl. She spends half of the day stitching and bringing her critters to life while listening to music (her favourite bands include Madrugada, Tiger Lillies, and Ane Brun) or having a favourite, know-it-off-by-heart movie or TV show on in the background. Coffee is also a requirement. For Kate, the act of stitching (providing it's not an rush order) is almost a meditation for her. While Kate would love to focus just on creating, like most who run a creative business, she spends a substantial part of her day on social media and responding to messages and emails. She posts regularly to her social media sites (see below where you can follow along with Kate), and spends time on Pinterest and Bloglovin', which she calls "dangerous" and a "crazy time-eater." I can so relate to this girl! Kate loves connecting with people from all over the world, which is good because with almost 4,000 Facebook followers and nearly 10,000 admirers on Etsy, she's definitely one of the super popular cool kids.

I asked Kate a few questions about her process, challenges, inspiration, and where she sees her business in the future. Check out her (super cool) responses below.

What is your favourite part of your creative process:

My most favorite thing about making critters is actual embroidery. I really love adding stitch by stitch and seeing how a naked creature turns into a wily raccoon or a dreamy fox. As for costumed dolls, which I also create occasionally – it’s making the clothes. Maybe when I was a child I didn’t have enough of it and now for me it’s a sort of child’s play, you know. Dressing up a doll and seeing how she acquires her personality is such an amazing thing!

What challenges do you face in your creative business and how do you overcome them?

To organize myself. This is something that drives me mad. My creative process is a mess no matter how hard I'm trying to harmonize. This is the hardest thing about any creative business - you are happy to work for yourself, making things you enjoy, but there is no angry boss who would put the heat on you to make everything regularly, timely and desirably, within a set period of time.
Planning out my day helps a lot. I set up time for work and for rest or change of activity – without this my days would turn into either endless stitching or total social media surfing. Both are not very productive when they are on their own.

Where would you like to see your creative business in 10 years?

Standing steadily on both feet, developing and growing. I hope by that time, my woodland jewelry line has a wide variety of products, my embroidered critters range increases to a beautiful and cheerful huge woodland band of various sizes and colors. And my one-of-a-kind dolls are made on a regular basis. At the moment, they are a sort of an escape but I do have a pile of adorable ideas in my head which just need to come to this world – and they are many! And of course, the stamps created by my husband have their own growth and development, attracting a lot of interest from all over the world.

Who are your creative inspirations?

People. Other artists – illustrators, photographers, doll-makers. Just a person passing me by in the street. Children – there is nothing like watching them playing with your creature and seeing whom they see in it. Animals and birds, too.

Don't you just want to be her friend? I do. Kate is a truly wonderful soul, who lives a life filled with a love for all things creative. She's the embodiment of what The Creative Wild stands for, and I'm thrilled to have featured her on the blog.

Want to know where you can buy Kate's critters, jewelry, decor, or stamps? Her Etsy shop is well-stocked and you can also shop in person via the France-based boutique fée pas ci, fée pas ça. Also, I highly recommend following her Flickr photostream. It's chalk-full of images of her creatures, her surroundings, her works-in-progess. It's awesome.