A day in the life of an artist/mom can be crazy and exciting, or mundane and repetitive all at the same time. I wake up a few hours before the kids to get my yoga in, and do as much as I can out in the studio. This usually includes organizing my tools, prepping yarn, mixing dyes, or corresponding with clients and attending to Instagram DMs. Once the kiddos wake up, my fiber art takes a break until the evening when they go to bed.
I needed a large piece of art above my mantle. Large-scale art is so expensive, so I knew I wanted to make something myself. I wanted to try something different as opposed to a painting, and voiced this to a good friend. She found a photo of a dip-dyed tapestry and said, “I bet you could make something like this,” so I did!
Besides a few art classes in high school, I'm very much self-taught! Fiber art is such a new art platform, so it was tough to find any how-to’s or instructions. I spent months practicing by trial and error and by dissecting photos. With each tapestry, I would learn something new. It's been about 6 years since I made my first tapestry and I've definitely grown in my skills and knowledge. However, I'm still learning new things all the time!
What do you sacrifice to be good at what you do?
Sleep! Being a mom comes first, but I'm a firm believer that you can find balance. I usually sacrifice sleep in order to work on my art, whether it be waking up hours before my kids get up to work on a piece, or going to bed super late. Thank God for coffee.
Who helped you get where you are?
My closest girlfriends, who were always saying things like, “Can you paint me this?” or, “You need to sell these.” They were the ones that kept my confidence up when it was low, and they truly kept me going when I wanted to give up.
Being an artist is a job. Not all people can create art, so if you have that skill, you shouldn’t sell yourself short. And don't worry about the end product when you first start. Start—because as long as you are making art, it will ALWAYS change.
What are you great at, and what do you suck at?
I’m a great multitasker, and I can make a mean peanut butter and honey sandwich for small humans. I suck at self care, and literally forget when I last washed my hair!
A veterinarian.
Are there any nonprofits you work with that you think we should know about?The stupid "end of the world" earthquake!
Follow copper + sage design on Instagram. Julia’s pronouns are she/her.
Julia's CRAFTY Clothes
Dovetail Workwear Disclaimer: We are not the boss of our Women At Work! They say it their way and wear it their way.