Hi! I’m Laura, 20 years old and I currently still live with my mom and my cat Misty in Amsterdam. My health doesn’t allow me to work or study but I’m trying to make the most out of my little energy by creating things that make me happy from inside my home.

Currently I mostly sew for the shop, take pictures and do blogposts, but I always seem to have some sort of side-project going on too, like knitting/crocheting or painting.  Crafting has been my absolute favorite thing to do for as long as I can remember. I first got introduced to felt when I was 6 or 7 I think and I’ve been hooked every since.  I make everything at home. Though I do tend to switch up the places I sit in and sew. Also, I love going outside with my camera, but other than that, everything is done from either my own, or the living room.

Perhaps that I’m generally very excited about pretty much anything. There are so many hobbies I’d like to take up, so many things I’d like to learn or do or see or read. Or collect haha, I have a very full house because of all my supplies, entertainment and collections. There’s definitely a list of things I’d like to start doing once I have more room.

I suppose it’s more of a need within. Creating things is something I do daily, if I can, and I can’t imagine my life without it. Whenever I see any material I just get this itch to start making things, so I suppose that is where it often begins.

Also creating takes you to such a different place, I don’t have that with anything else. Especially when you’re not feeling well and can’t do much it’s great to find something that not only takes your mind of things but also leaves you with something tangible. When you have a lot of couch-time it’s nice to be able to look at your project and think “yeah, I made that today!”

· Do you have a muse?

Not so specific I think, but I do get inspiration from certain people or places sometimes. For instance Frida Kahlo, whenever I see her I instantly feel motivated and inspired, not only because of her stunning art but also because she’s had to overcome a lot of physical things too.

Apart from that I have a love for Japan and most things Japanese. All the art and patterns and even colors are so inspiring.

And owls of course;)

Definitely! Those are both great ways to get inspired! Even if the things you see or read are something completely different from what you do yourself.

No, to be honest, I hadn’t really heard of it before. Though I do love to visit galleries or museums. Especially the little Low Brow galleries we have in Amsterdam, they are always hidden gems full of amazing art work and run by very passionate and friendly people.

Different weather conditions inspire different things. When it’s dark and rainy I love to knit, when it’s dry and sunny I’d rather go out with a camera. Sewing is something I always do though, rain or shine.

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I have a little sketchbook with ideas, always carry around these tiny note cards, but usually I grab a bare sheet of A4 paper and start doodling with a black marker.

· Do you photograph it?

Sometimes. If I’m out and I see something inspiring I will definitely take a picture to keep for later or try to catch this certain vibe.

My blog started out as something to share all my favorite things and inspirations on. I don’t think there is always a super clear link visible between what you see there and what I make, but I’m sure I wouldn’t create as much if I didn’t blog. Basically it helps keep everything flowing and moving.

· Do you keep an inspiration board?

Every now and then I love to make a collage. But a little while back I decided I wanted something bigger, easier and more permanent, so I decided to hang the entire wall above my desk with postcards, art, one collage I did a while back and just all sorts of findings that seem to fit. I really enjoy seeing it every day!

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Well, my house is chaos but I have all my crafting stuff nicely organized. And since I mostly make small things I often move it around the house to work in different spots. Sometimes I sew at the table, sometimes on the couch, but often at my desk too.

When I start I usually get so sucked in I don’t do anything else until it’s done. Sometimes I don’t manage to finish something that same day, but if I don’t I do make sure I stop at a point that makes sense. Say I’m working on a new design. I might have been drawing for a while, found what I was looking for, finish the neat version of it and then leave the rest for the next day. But I do prefer to have things finished up because it’s so easy to get distracted again by a new idea.

For sewing, felt is my absolute favorite. It has everything I want, it’s flexible yet sturdy, comes in all colors you could imagine and you can cut it without having to make any seams or anything.

Other than that I love oil paint, brown and black markers, yarn and I love drawing with charcoal.

I like to finish up orders in the morning or the early afternoon. But to really sit down and think of something new or start a bigger project, I usually wait until later in the afternoon. Though sometimes I’m busy at completely different times.

I pretty much always have a thermos and a cup of tea at hand. And the same goes for Cd’s. I like working with either very calm and magical music or something that is a bit more happy singer/songwriter. And when I’ve found my perfect CD for that moment I often have it on repeat. It’s not unusual for me to play a Matt Bauer CD four times in a row.

When I get into designing new things I tend to make a lot in a row. Sometimes lots of things that aren’t connected by any theme and sometimes it is a cohesive line. I do tend to focus on one thing though, and while I may be knitting a hat while I’m also busy with a new collection, I don’t really do more than one big project at a time.

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Oh, there are always so many projects floating around in my head, just knowing I can start something new again is usually enough motivation.

I do allow myself those days off, except when I have orders. And usually I get excited when I’m working even if I was dreading it a bit up front. Sometimes I really don’t feel like sewing but I know I need to make something and send it out, so I start and all of a sudden get inspired and continue to design and create for the rest of the day.

Not always, because I often feel rewarded enough when I see it all finished. But sometimes, yeah, for instance when I sold my first clickable collar I decided to spend that money on something cute from Etsy as a reward.

· Does profit motivate you?

Yes and no. I get really excited when I sell something and I do love it when I get something in my PayPal. But to be honest I haven’t even made back my investment. So profit is nice, but I’m mostly doing it because I love it.

Initially no, I’m pretty much in my own little bubble when it comes to all the things I make and think of, but as time went on I started to get a lot of motivation from the great people in the blogosphere. Of course to blog, but also to create items as it’s always great to be able to show something new and hear feedback and reactions.

It’s both the love of creating as well as just having something to do and building some sort of “enterprise”. Before I always enjoyed just making things, but to now have collections and lines is really great.

Well I can be very tough on myself and am definitely a perfectionist, so I always have plans and goals I want to achieve. Usually I have the motivation to do things, but not always the energy, so when I do feel like I can do something that day I tend to be very motivated as well. Besides creating is just so much fun and it never gets old.

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Laura, thank you so much for sharing your {creative process} with us.  It was a pleasure getting to know how you make things happen and what keeps you moving forward. 

If you want to share your {creative process}, send me an email at robbielee at chickiedee dot com. ♥ RobbieLee