An Interview with a Creative Few: Jenny Larson

I know so many creative people and talking with them about their projects often inspires me to try new things. So I've decided to introduce them to you in a format that I like: an interview.

Jenny Larson is a full-time mom to three kids with a fourth on the way and part-time photographer. She started taking pictures to document her children's lives and has turned the hobby into a career.

She photographs families, children, seniors in high school, moms-to-be and does birthday parties.

An Interview with a Creative Few: Chasity Gunn

I know so many creative people and talking with them about their projects often inspires me to try new things. So I've decided to introduce them to you in a format that I like: an interview.

Chasity Gunn was my roommate during a six-week a summer journalism fellowship at the Poynter Institute for recent college graduates. We became friends during the program, bouncing ideas off of one another and talking about everything.

She taught me about  southern cooking, serious goal-setting and having an adventurous spirit. In the years that have followed, we've kept in touch and held each other accountable for doing good journalism.

An Interview with a Creative Few: Lannette Guerra

Lannette Guerra is a designer for Exhibit Associates in Kansas City, Mo. She designs exhibits for museums, trade shows, private corporate clients like Hallmark, Garmin and Cerner. For fun, she enjoys taking photographs.

(Vinegar and oil display shelf)

1.What do you create?

First question has already stumped me, what DO I create? Hmmm…. well I create form and space. I house our belongings and make things easier and more organized so we can navigate our life better.

(spice rack made from watch cases and magnets)

An Interview with a Creative Few: Leann Wendell

I know so many creative people and talking with them about their projects often inspires me to try new things. So I've decided to introduce them to you all in a format that I like: an interview.

I met Leann Wendell while I was at a fellowship at the Poynter Institute in St. Petersburg, Fla. She had attended the six-week journalism boot camp the year before and stayed on as an intern. I'm don't remember the first time we met, but I do remember going out with a bunch of my fellow fellows, Leann and another intern, Pat Walters (who now works for RadioLab), to a bar to hang one night.

Leann and I sat in a booth and ended up having a long talk about relationships and writing. I remember thinking, "Even though I don't know this girl, I can tell we have a lot in common." I kept up with her career moves (to The Dallas Morning News) and her life moves (marrying Bryan Wendell) through Facebook, and noticed one day that she started a blog.

During the past six months or so, I slowly started reading blogs, adding a new one here or there. I'm drawn to those bloggers who share ideas for cooking, crafting and decorating. But I also enjoy blogs that are just well written. But when you read those people's blogs (like smitten kitchen, or Made, or cjane) who have thousands of followers, advertisers and have made blogging into their business, I couldn't help but feel like there wasn't room for me in the blog world.

Reading Leann's blog, which is relatively new, reminded me that a blog is just a place to categorize your thoughts, to share ideas and to have conversations with people. Blogs don't have to be about just one thing, but can be about all of your interestes.

Leann writes about cooking, reading, music and her life on her blog. As a copy editor, she gets to read, write and ask questions every day. "If I only ever have that job, I wouldn't be unhappy," she said. "But I'm pushing myself to keep creating my own work vs. only reading other people's and going home and relaxing."

An Interview with a Creative Few: Phyl Quance

I know so many creative people and talking with them about their projects often inspires me to try new things. So I've decided to introduce them to you all in a format that I like: an interview.

Phyl Quance is a life-long artist who hasn't ever stopped creating. For years she made clothes for herself, for her kids, knitted and painted. She's held a number of jobs over the years, including working for the Louisiana State Senate and at an advertising agency.

These days, she lives in Wauconda, Ill. near her two daughters. She enjoys hanging out with her dog Tess, who is deaf, playing music and renting movies.

“Sometimes at night, whenever she’s in the mood, Tess and I will sit on our respective couches," said Phyl.  "The TV will be on and I’ll be doing something or another and we’ll take a few minutes out and blink at each other back and forth. Silly, huh? But I love it. She sits, and grins and blinks. That’s how we communicate."

Phyl, whom I know as Aunt Phyl, is my grandmother's big sister. I never knew her very well growing up, but then we became friends on Facebook. She posted these beautiful, quirky paintings, knit creatures and talked about practicing ragtime music. What incredible talent exists in my family that I never even knew about!

Aunt Phyl was one of the reasons I started this feature. I wanted to talk to her more about her creative process, and learn more about continuing to grow as an artist throughout your life.

self-portrait

What do you create?
Well, I've been creating one thing or another for as long as I can remember.

I was a very shy kid - spent a lot of time with coloring books, paper dolls (making my own clothes for them), and besides my two best friends, the pencil and paper was my other best friend. Later, the piano moved in, at first under protest, but for an extremely long time it has been the best stress reliever I've ever had and such a good friend.

Music. I have started playing ragtime again. I used to play Scott Joplin at a catfish house in Louisiana. It was a night job after the Senate got out, during the interim. I have been told by several professional musicians that ragtime is difficult to play, including one big-time piano teacher who couldn't play it.

For some strange reason it's not difficult for me (except that octaves are a little harder to reach than they used to be.) So, I figured I'd take it up again and be ready just in case a market pops up. I'm ready!!! (Or will be soon!)

Besides, even a market doesn’t pop up, it's happy, fun music to play. And we all need that so much nowadays.

Other stuff. Lately, I've been making a bunch of different things: knitting, crocheting – little amigarumi critters, just finished an afghan I'd started years ago, hats, market bags, blah, blah.

I used to sew - taking a hiatus, along with computer graphics. I used Illustrator and Photoshop, but my new operating system won't take Illustrator anymore – bummer.

Now, it's drawing and painting after hundreds of years. The reason, other than completely enjoying making them - is trying to make a living in these days.

How did you get started?

Other than escapism as a kid – necessity. Money was always a problem, and I found it much cheaper (back then) to make my clothes - and my kid’s clothes. Dadden Quance (my grandmother) was a seamstress at one time, and she made all of our clothes when we were kids. She always tried to get me to learn to sew - but dummy me, I wasn't interested at all.

Then, I got married, and pregnant! And it definitely became a necessity then. That's when I learned. Once I got started, I really got a feeling of accomplishment and enjoyment! I do remember when I'd made a really special dress, I took it and showed to Dadden – and she told me I did a great job. Imagine how proud I was!

What inspires you?
Well – that's hard. Getting started is the hardest part for me. You know, the blank-page syndrome. Once started, the ideas slowly start coming.

Another hard part for me is knowing what direction to go. Either serious: pastels, watercolor or (seriously wish-I-could-do) oils, or the ridiculous: caricatures or mixed media. The kids think I have a quirky side. I think the words "skewed" and "off-center" were used!

How do you market your work?
Obviously I have no marketing skills! I have tried craft shows without much luck. Everything wound up as Christmas and/or birthday presents.

Phyl is planning to start an etsy account soon, but until then, if you'd like to order one of her creations, leave me a comment and I'll put you in touch with her! Thanks Aunt Phyl!

An interview with a creative few

I know so many creative people and talking with them about their projects often inspires me to try new things. So I've decided to introduce them to you all in a format that I like: an interview.

Marge David is a retired teacher who lives in Columbia, Mo. She likes to cook, collect fabric and read for fun. She also enjoys bicycling, working in the yard and refurbishing her home.

When I was about eight, Marge taught me to sew. Marge was one of my mom's closest friends. She lived in our neighborhood and was a part of our lives for as long as I can remember. Marge is a quilter. One Christmas, my sister Shannon and I went to her house and she helped us make quilted pillows for our mom as a gift.

We each got to select the fabrics - pretty peach, dark green, pink floral. She guided our hands as we used the sewing machine for the first time. I was so proud to give that pillow to my mom. It was something I made myself. She still has those pillows in the living room.