Beginnings

Starting a new blog is tricky. At least, it has been for me. This is not my first rodeo, blogging-wise. I used to blog about beards. Then I blogged about art and design for a while. Now, as I begin a new chapter of my life as an artist (under a new business name!), I want to start fresh. A new beginning.

The pressure of the first post is immense. I want to start off my new blog with a bang, to proudly announce “Hello, I’m here, take notice!” But what could possibly be good enough for that first post? I kept thinking of new ideas: “What about a tour of my workspace?” “I know! I’ll post my full range of new work!” “Oh, even better, I’ll start with a tutorial!” Every idea felt more exciting than the last, but somehow it just wasn’t happening.

So this is what I’ll share with you today. It’s a bit of a “behind the scenes” of my week. I’ve been trying to take better photos of my work: the textiles, the prints, the collages. I want to make them feel more tangible and show how they fit into a home. Documenting my work takes a lot more time than I ever seem to plan for. The perfectionist side of me will take 50 photos of the same pillow, each time changing the angle, the props, the lighting. It’s easy to get pulled into the most minute detail when you are looking through a camera lens.

But that perfected product photography isn’t really what I want to focus on for this blog. I want to share my new projects, of course, but I also want to share what my life as an artist and maker is like. I want to document the process behind what I create, and share the things that inspire me, because that is so much more interesting than those product photos. You’d never guess that below that stack of pillows, the first photo in this post, my friend’s adorable beagle was just out of the frame. These are the things I want to share. I hope you’ll enjoy.