My Creative Friend: Claire

{ Claire }

My creative friend, Claire, is an all-around creative gal who writes the Heart Handmade UK blog. We connected through the blogging world, and I visit her blog daily for creative inspiration. She has a degree in photography (easy to tell – her photos are SO gorgeous) and graphic design, and she began creating more with her hands when she grew tired of using the computer. The result is her wonderful blog, which includes beautiful photos, indie biz tips, crafty tutorials, and a whole lot more.

What is your medium and how did you get started with it?

I work in a mix of mediums - I love art journaling and it seems to be what I do most because it's the most simple but I sew, I learned to crochet this summer and I learned to knit at the start of the year (my new years resolution!). I also made my first patchwork quilt this summer and I bake and make jams lots. :)

How would you describe your creative process?

Higeldy pigeldy! Unplanned. A journey with no map :)

How do you make time for your creative practice?

I'm actually suffering from a long term illness so when I feel well enough I craft… sometimes I feel just ok to throw some paint around and other days I want to do everything but I need to pace myself!

What was a successful creative moment that you've had?

Mm.. depends how you view success I think. I got mentioned in the local newspaper twice for having controversial exhibition pieces! My small town wasn't ready for it lol. I got my degree - thats successful. But I feel like I've been successful when I've reached a creative goal - like learning to knit made me feel amazing when I completed my first project.

Have you ever been in a creative rut? How did you get out?

YES! Several. Mostly when I was studying. After my degree ended I didn’t do anything for 6 months! I couldn’t face it! It felt like the life had been sucked out of me it was just that much work! I just had to ride it out. I had no desire to do what I was doing and I had no interest in what I had to create... One day it just clicks that you want to create something new and different and places like Flickr etc. are great places to find inspiration!

What is your favorite thing you've ever created?

Oo…my living room. I decorated it. It’s my favourite :)

What is your creative ambition?

I just want to do this for as long as possible. I love crafting... I would love a little shop but I will be happy as long as I can continue creating and inspiring!!

Thanks for sharing, Claire! Check out Heart Handmade UK or join Claire's flickr pool to get connected to some amazing inspiration!

**My Creative Friend is a series of blog posts featuring the creative practices of creative women in my life, posted on the last weekend of each month. By sharing our processes, my hope is that we can all learn, grow, and be inspired in our own work. To view previous posts, click on "my creative friend" under labels on the left side of the screen. If you're interested in being featured, please contact me!**