I had a moment the other day, while I was doodling in my sketchbook, when I realized how fresh, freeing and joyful it is to make stuff that you have no intention of sharing with the Internet. I was simply having fun on a Saturday afternoon, feeling the joy and freedom of experimenting and learning and making something with my hands.
Make, do, create … all while knowing that you’re not obligated to share every single thing with anyone. Art is for you, so get messy, experiment, have a grand old time without the fear of “who is going to like this?”.
I was in desperate need of creative inspiration, so I treated myself to a day at the Isabella Stuart Gardner museum in Boston. I had missed museums SO MUCH during the year of the pandemic, and though it is not over yet, it felt a little safer to be in public like this.
The museum has set times for entrance, and is big enough that you are never in crowds or groups inside. The interior is large and spacious and gorgeous.
I specifically love the Isabella because it reminds me of Europe. And for a good reason, Isabella Stuart Gardner was a big fan of Italy and the house was designed in that classic Italian architecture style.
I knew I would be seeing a lot of tile, arches and detailed architecture, and mixed textures and materials. All those things inspire me so much. They don’t necessarily come through in my artwork, but I can definitely feel a boost in my inspiration after visiting this lovely place. (Not to mention Isabella’s art collection is stunning!)
Let’s talk EMBROIDERY. It’s currently my main creative outlet, but only since last September. I tried this hobby on a whim, just before Julien was born. I had watched a couple Instagram tutorials and thought it looked cool, and that’s honestly how I decided to start haha! So I went to Joanne’s and got a few basic supplies, just to try it out.
Super beginner embroidery supply list: – Hoop – size of your choice (~$2) – scrap fabric (cheapest option) or small cut of fabric ($2-4) – pack of embroidery needles ($1.50) – 3-4 few colors of embroidery thread ($.60 each)
I’m not joking when I say that, to learn this skill, I watched upwards of 100 Instagram and YouTube tutorials. (The internet can be helpful sometimes 😉 ) Eventually, after lots of finger pokes and knotted threads and more tutorials, I felt like I had a decent hang of the craft. It definitely takes practice. And patience!! For real, don’t be discouraged, you will develop the muscle memory and get better the longer you practice!
Until I started embroidery, my art had exclusively been 2d (graphic design, lettering, painting, photography). But thanks this new adventure, the idea of 3d art, specifically textiles, has become really fascinating to me. I am actually looking into learning about the loom! What I’m loving the most about embroidery is all the textures that the layered, crossed & knotted thread makes.
I wanted to share more specifics about one project. The photos above are of my jean jacket! It was hard for me to make progress on this jacket at first, because I was scared that I would mess it up. It was the first embroidery project that I couldn’t scrap if I didn’t like it. Plus it’s my jean jacket, so I was worried if I didn’t completely love the design that I would never actually wear it. Thankfully I just went with the flow and now, the more I work on it, the more I love it! It’s slightly inspired by Santa Fe colors and style and I’m hoping to have it done soon, so I can wear it during the spring season.
Is there anything you want to know about embroidery? I’m not an expert, but I have a few tips and tricks if you need them! Let me know in the comments.
PRO TIP: If the thought of coming up with your own designs is what is keeping you from trying embroidery, find a KIT!! Search Etsy for embroidery kits, pick a design you like, and you will be sent everything you need to make that design. It’s not the least expensive way to jump into embroidery, BUT it’s convenient and will give you a good starting point.
Lately I’ve been living my life as a consumer, especially when it comes to the internet. I’ve been feeling the exhaustion from all this consuming and only a few days ago did it hit me as to why. I’ve been watching and invested and curious about the awesomeness of other people’s lives and art, but completely forgot about creating something awesome for my own.
I’ve become someone who only consumes. And as a creative person, consuming so much of other people’s art, life, and content has had a negative effect on my own creative process. I haven’t truly created anything I am super proud of for a very long time. I’ve been so consumed with consuming that my own self expression & my own creative process has been at a standstill.
That ain’t healthy!
There is value in consuming for inspiration, yes. There is inspiration in seeing how other people live, how other people create. But there is a time when it becomes a distraction and an overload, or straight up overwhelming. There is such thing as too inspired. There is also such thing as too MUCH.
My point is! I’m taking a step back from some of my social media accounts, from some of the websites and blogs I read. I am taking a minute to myself, to create a life I want, instead of wishing my life looked like that person’s. I’m planning to create some things that suck, but also some things that are really good. Things that matter to me.
I suggest you evaluate how much you consume versus how much you create and take a step back from the ‘inspiration’ if you need to!
Last Saturday morning I was a vendor at my very first market! I’ve been a long time attendee of the Natick Farmer’s Market, so it was extra special to actually be a vendor at it! I honestly went in with no expectations; I knew I would probably give away a lot of business cards, and was OK if that was it. But luckily 4 sweet souls found pieces of art that they loved! I was so surprised! I had a lot of good feedback on my work, and quite a bit of interest in custom work, which I am praying will pan out in the future. I loved being part of the local action and getting to meet a variety of people from my town. One observation I made was that teenagers were particularly interested in my art. I am wondering if that is because hand-lettering is so prevalent on social media these days… or if they were just really cool teenagers 🙂
I also had a personal squad who came to support me! Nate was key is helping me set up the tent and tables, and bringing me coffee 🙂 My parents, my in-laws AND two of my four siblings-in-laws came to hang out (my mom was the principal photo-taker). A few different friends from bible study and my running group stopped by, and my sweet friend Amy surprised me with a visit as well! Thank you to all who made time in your day to say hi!
I will be back at the Natick Farmer’s Market on July 30th and August 6th and I’d love to see you there!
