Creative Process Interview with Angela Flicker

Thanks to everyone who has shared feedback about this series. I am glad that you are enjoying it and hopefully gleaning useful bits and ideas for your own creative process. If you haven't had a chance to read the previous interviews you can find them here (and there is much more to come!)

Today we get to hear from Angela Flicker who is an amazing quilter and fabric artist. She also shares so much inspiration and information for all of us who are creating at her blog, The Artists' House. I am amazed by the variety of things on her blog from a quilt along, to photoshop tutorials, to interviews. I am inspired to see such a great example in what Angela has done to complement her artwork with a really vibrant blog. You can see more of her work here and here. I'm happy that she was able to share her thoughts on creating with all of us!

First, just tell me a bit about yourself and your creative pursuits.
When I was young, creative woman surrounded me. I remember wearing extravagant handmade dresses and sleeping under blankets made by loving hands. Yet, while I was surrounded by the art of sewing as a young girl, I myself didn’t start sewing until I bought a nest of my own. Naturally, when I was pregnant with my daughter, I signed up for my first quilting class as a means to make my daughter the perfect quilt, based off a design I had in my head. A short time later, as a new mother with one quilt and pattern under my belt, I found myself sketching quilt ideas constantly. When my daughter would nap, I would sew. One quilt turned into two, two to three, and soon I realized that not only did I have a gift for design, I also had found something I was truly passionate about. And so my creative pursuit is to sew everyday, to sew with my head and my heart, and hopefully learn to make a living out of this passion. 

Tell us a little bit about your work space.
When I decided to quit my day job and stay home with my daughter while starting a creative business on the side, I knew a functional and peaceful workspace was a must. We remodeled a front room in our house to create a space for me (see photos).

What goes on in there?
Everything really, computer work, sewing, drafting, packaging orders, planning, etc. The only think I rarely do in there is blog –I often do that early in the morning before my daughter wakes up, while I’m still in bed drinking my coffee.

What do you like about it/why does it work well?
The space works well because my husband and I did a lot of thinking before we designed and refinished the space. I wrote a great post about this on my blog titled, “Creating a Space that Works for You."

What would you change about it if you could?
I would make it bigger.  My family lives in the city, so homes are small –around 1000 square feet total. I feel this is a great sacrifice to make for all that the city has to offer, yet when it comes to space, I do wish I had a bit more.

What motivates you to create?
My mind is constantly shouting ideas at me, and since I can’t ignore shouting, well, it motivates me to create.

What stalls or inhibits your creative process?  Fear. When I let fear of failure sneak in, often I’m stifled by indecision. These moments are hard because in these moments my heart isn’t in my work. When this happens, I try to force myself to work through the fear. Sometimes that works. Other times I need to just take a break from sewing for a few days and often my confidence and motivation comes back.

What or who helps to support your creative work?
My husband is my biggest supporter and fan. Everyday he comes home from work and watches our daughter for a few hours so that I can have time to work. Along with that, he is always encouraging --he believes in me even when I don’t. And when my mood gets bad due to the stress, well he understands. I’m so grateful!

Tell me a little bit about your creative process – where do ideas come from? When do
you usually do your work? How does the process compare to the final product (if there is one)?Everything, that’s the problem, haha. I’m constantly coming up with ideas of things I want to create. Every day sort of things inspire me –a walk in the park, my daughter’s hands, children’s books, magazines, my home, travel, a city sky line, and so much more. The problem is not coming up with ideas, the problem is figuring out which ideas are best to run with since there is only so much time in the day.

Do you have any words of wisdom or advice for people who want to create more or people who are trying to earn a living from creating?When you feel overwhelmed, go on an electronic fast. One mistake I continue to make is that I sometimes get too caught up in social media and blogging, and then I struggle to find time to create. Sometimes you need to just shut it all down and just indulge in your art since that is where the true passion usually lies.