When I go upstairs and enter into my studio, it’s like going into another world. More than just a physical space where I work, full of inspiration and beautiful things; it is where I enter into the creative process and a totally different state of mind.
To help transition into that creative mindset, I turn off the lights and often spray an aromatic scent called Sanctuary, then light my candles and put on some instrumental or ambient music. On occasion during the day, if I feel the need for something special, I will burn my favorite Nag Champa incense in a beautiful silver bowl I purchased while on a trip to Bali. I also keep a studio journal that I use as a sketchbook to get down any flashes of inspiration or to write about any resistance I may be having about getting to work.
My studio is a sanctuary I have created for myself. Some of my favorite places in my studio are the vignettes I’ve arranged using some of my collections and my inspiration boards, which are forever evolving. I have two large, long reclaimed wooden tables: one where I design the bead patterns and the other where I work on the lampshades in process.
“Let the beauty of what you love be what you do. There are a thousand ways to kneel and kiss the earth.”
— Rumi
There is a separate nook for painting my lamp bases, which is adorned with an antique French chandelier. In good weather I take the lamp bases outside on the studio balcony to paint at an outdoor table. I try to balance beauty with practicality in my studio and it’s important for me to feel really connected and comfortable in my space. A great deal of my time I spend working on the floor, so I have a large and colorful bohemian carpet with comfy pillows and a low wooden table from India for my sewing.
Photo by Daniel Newcomb
Once I’m up in my studio and working, I don’t like to leave and break the spell, so when I need a break I have my favorite teapot, an assortment of teas (I love English teas and, in particular, a tea called Paris by Harney & Sons) and I have a collection of trays to put everything on.
There is a narrative that runs through my lamps. The antique and exotic silks, rare Edwardian trims and Chinese and French appliqués are my muses. My work is mostly intuitive, and while I frequently start out with a concept for a piece, oftentimes it will evolve in a very different direction that I could never have envisioned at the start.
I often feel like the guardian of these rare pieces of silk and beautiful trims, and want to make sure they are reborn and handed over to someone else who will appreciate them. I’ve also come to realize that I’m never going to be able to use all of the beautiful things I’ve collected traveling over the years, so I recently went through eight gigantic boxes. I ruthlessly sorted them and gave them to another young artist with whom I have struck up a friendship and who is definitely a kindred spirit.
Mindfulness to me in my creative space is about being present and not feeling rushed. When you have a creative business producing things, there’s a natural pressure to get things done. I think I find my peace by realizing that I am in charge of defining how I want my business to be.
Photo by Daniel Newcomb
I believe this mindset can be helpful to others in their businesses. It can be their decision if they want their business to be big or small and how fast they want to go. When there is something about running a business that others aren’t enjoying, they can take it as an opportunity to try and figure out a different way of doing something; a different approach or solution.
I think that solving these problems is just another form of creativity. For example, I have found that there is a pleasure in focusing on the devotion that it takes to do this kind of labor-intensive work. All the hand-stitching and detailing have challenged me to develop both patience and an appreciation of the process!
“I tell stories with fabric. Sometimes fairytales.”
I also never worry about trends or color of the year; I just try to make something that I love, and I know if I love it, somebody else will probably love it too. From a greater perspective, I feel like what I’m doing is putting love into a rare, precious object and then people respond to that. People acquire my pieces…they tell me they love them…and they send that love back to me.
Photo by Shante Powders
About five years ago I left my full-time job and transitioned to becoming a full-time artist. I believe that being an artist or a master artisan is as much about the interpersonal journey we travel as it is about the artistic creation. I treasure the inner journey that following and being dedicated to a creative path encompasses.
When I go upstairs and enter into my studio, it’s like going into another world. More than just a physical space where I work, full of inspiration and beautiful things; it is where I enter into the creative process and a totally different state of mind.
To help transition into that creative mindset, I turn off the lights and often spray an aromatic scent called Sanctuary, then light my candles and put on some instrumental or ambient music. On occasion during the day, if I feel the need for something special, I will burn my favorite Nag Champa incense in a beautiful silver bowl I purchased while on a trip to Bali. I also keep a studio journal that I use as a sketchbook to get down any flashes of inspiration or to write about any resistance I may be having about getting to work.
My studio is a sanctuary I have created for myself. Some of my favorite places in my studio are the vignettes I’ve arranged using some of my collections and my inspiration boards, which are forever evolving. I have two large, long reclaimed wooden tables: one where I design the bead patterns and the other where I work on the lampshades in process.
“Let the beauty of what you love be what you do. There are a thousand ways to kneel and kiss the earth.”
— Rumi
There is a separate nook for painting my lamp bases, which is adorned with an antique French chandelier. In good weather I take the lamp bases outside on the studio balcony to paint at an outdoor table. I try to balance beauty with practicality in my studio and it’s important for me to feel really connected and comfortable in my space. A great deal of my time I spend working on the floor, so I have a large and colorful bohemian carpet with comfy pillows and a low wooden table from India for my sewing.
Photo by Daniel Newcomb
Once I’m up in my studio and working, I don’t like to leave and break the spell, so when I need a break I have my favorite teapot, an assortment of teas (I love English teas and, in particular, a tea called Paris by Harney & Sons) and I have a collection of trays to put everything on.
There is a narrative that runs through my lamps. The antique and exotic silks, rare Edwardian trims and Chinese and French appliqués are my muses. My work is mostly intuitive, and while I frequently start out with a concept for a piece, oftentimes it will evolve in a very different direction that I could never have envisioned at the start.
I often feel like the guardian of these rare pieces of silk and beautiful trims, and want to make sure they are reborn and handed over to someone else who will appreciate them. I’ve also come to realize that I’m never going to be able to use all of the beautiful things I’ve collected traveling over the years, so I recently went through eight gigantic boxes. I ruthlessly sorted them and gave them to another young artist with whom I have struck up a friendship and who is definitely a kindred spirit.
Mindfulness to me in my creative space is about being present and not feeling rushed. When you have a creative business producing things, there’s a natural pressure to get things done. I think I find my peace by realizing that I am in charge of defining how I want my business to be.
Photo by Daniel Newcomb
I believe this mindset can be helpful to others in their businesses. It can be their decision if they want their business to be big or small and how fast they want to go. When there is something about running a business that others aren’t enjoying, they can take it as an opportunity to try and figure out a different way of doing something; a different approach or solution.
I think that solving these problems is just another form of creativity. For example, I have found that there is a pleasure in focusing on the devotion that it takes to do this kind of labor-intensive work. All the hand-stitching and detailing have challenged me to develop both patience and an appreciation of the process!
“I tell stories with fabric. Sometimes fairytales.”
I also never worry about trends or color of the year; I just try to make something that I love, and I know if I love it, somebody else will probably love it too. From a greater perspective, I feel like what I’m doing is putting love into a rare, precious object and then people respond to that. People acquire my pieces…they tell me they love them…and they send that love back to me.
Photo by Shante Powders
About five years ago I left my full-time job and transitioned to becoming a full-time artist. I believe that being an artist or a master artisan is as much about the interpersonal journey we travel as it is about the artistic creation. I treasure the inner journey that following and being dedicated to a creative path encompasses.
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When I go upstairs and enter into my studio, it’s like going into another world. More than just a physical space where I work, full of inspiration and beautiful things; it is where I enter into the creative process and a totally different state of mind.
To help transition into that creative mindset, I turn off the lights and often spray an aromatic scent called Sanctuary, then light my candles and put on some instrumental or ambient music. On occasion during the day, if I feel the need for something special, I will burn my favorite Nag Champa incense in a beautiful silver bowl I purchased while on a trip to Bali. I also keep a studio journal that I use as a sketchbook to get down any flashes of inspiration or to write about any resistance I may be having about getting to work.
My studio is a sanctuary I have created for myself. Some of my favorite places in my studio are the vignettes I’ve arranged using some of my collections and my inspiration boards, which are forever evolving. I have two large, long reclaimed wooden tables: one where I design the bead patterns and the other where I work on the lampshades in process.
“Let the beauty of what you love be what you do. There are a thousand ways to kneel and kiss the earth.”
— Rumi
There is a separate nook for painting my lamp bases, which is adorned with an antique French chandelier. In good weather I take the lamp bases outside on the studio balcony to paint at an outdoor table. I try to balance beauty with practicality in my studio and it’s important for me to feel really connected and comfortable in my space. A great deal of my time I spend working on the floor, so I have a large and colorful bohemian carpet with comfy pillows and a low wooden table from India for my sewing.
Photo by Daniel Newcomb
Once I’m up in my studio and working, I don’t like to leave and break the spell, so when I need a break I have my favorite teapot, an assortment of teas (I love English teas and, in particular, a tea called Paris by Harney & Sons) and I have a collection of trays to put everything on.
There is a narrative that runs through my lamps. The antique and exotic silks, rare Edwardian trims and Chinese and French appliqués are my muses. My work is mostly intuitive, and while I frequently start out with a concept for a piece, oftentimes it will evolve in a very different direction that I could never have envisioned at the start.
I often feel like the guardian of these rare pieces of silk and beautiful trims, and want to make sure they are reborn and handed over to someone else who will appreciate them. I’ve also come to realize that I’m never going to be able to use all of the beautiful things I’ve collected traveling over the years, so I recently went through eight gigantic boxes. I ruthlessly sorted them and gave them to another young artist with whom I have struck up a friendship and who is definitely a kindred spirit.
Mindfulness to me in my creative space is about being present and not feeling rushed. When you have a creative business producing things, there’s a natural pressure to get things done. I think I find my peace by realizing that I am in charge of defining how I want my business to be.
Photo by Daniel Newcomb
I believe this mindset can be helpful to others in their businesses. It can be their decision if they want their business to be big or small and how fast they want to go. When there is something about running a business that others aren’t enjoying, they can take it as an opportunity to try and figure out a different way of doing something; a different approach or solution.
I think that solving these problems is just another form of creativity. For example, I have found that there is a pleasure in focusing on the devotion that it takes to do this kind of labor-intensive work. All the hand-stitching and detailing have challenged me to develop both patience and an appreciation of the process!
“I tell stories with fabric. Sometimes fairytales.”
I also never worry about trends or color of the year; I just try to make something that I love, and I know if I love it, somebody else will probably love it too. From a greater perspective, I feel like what I’m doing is putting love into a rare, precious object and then people respond to that. People acquire my pieces…they tell me they love them…and they send that love back to me.
Photo by Shante Powders
About five years ago I left my full-time job and transitioned to becoming a full-time artist. I believe that being an artist or a master artisan is as much about the interpersonal journey we travel as it is about the artistic creation. I treasure the inner journey that following and being dedicated to a creative path encompasses.
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