Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Star Edwards. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Star, appreciate you joining us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

Since I was little, I never saw myself following a traditional career path. I always knew I’d do something creative even while that exact “thing” I was interested in changed often. I’ve tried singing, dancing, creative writing, comedy, photography, fiber arts, and many, many more. It’s *always* led me somewhere interesting.

For example, my very first job was as an assistant teacher at a dance studio at the ripe age of 14. By 16, I was the lead teacher for adult classes. It’s funny to think back on now that I am 44 — I can’t imagine walking into the dance studio and having a teenager leading my class! But that was what I was doing.

Since then, I’ve run creative businesses (my own and others) and teaching/consulting has always been at the forefront. My most recent business, Weaving Wonder Basketry, was born out of the shift to motherhood and my own journey of matresence ( the physical, emotional, and psychological change in a woman as she becomes a mother). It’s really common for women to feel out of place in their previous careers and shift professionally, too. I attempted to adjust my coaching business but it didn’t hold the same interest for me that it once did. There was something missing.

A few years later, perimenopause set in and I realized that so much of my life needed an adjustment. I found myself burnt out, completely anxious, and unsure of where I was going. I felt so scared and began having panic attacks. So I let nearly my whole business go, except for a few private coaching clients, and spent time tending to myself.

I remember being in my living room, having a massive panic attack one day. My husband was with me and hugged me as I was coming down from it, breathing long, deep breaths. I got this idea to create. I grabbed some markers and a notebook and took it out to my garden. I drew my milkweed plant, and a monarch butterfly that was resting on it. Each stroke of the market relaxed my body and unwound the tension within me. When I finished the drawing, I was in such shock because even though most people would consider me highly creative, I held this belief my whole life that I was “bad at drawing.” But this drawing was so beautiful to me!

Whenever I found myself overwhelmed, what brought me back to myself was my creativity. It could be anything — baking, gardening, painting, or finger knitting.

I learned so many new mediums during that time, testing my belief systems that I *couldn’t* do certain things. I especially focused on these beautiful traditional art forms — hand sewing, embroidery, finger knitting, needle knitting, wet felting, needle felting, basketry, and so on. I would first learn it myself and then pass it down to my daughter when she was developmentally ready, and the internal healing I experienced was profound.

My nervous system unwound. My fear integrated in a healthy way. My panic attacks stopped. I found inner balance again. With each stitch, I wove peace.

Now, I pass down these traditional art forms to others through my online craft circle and in-person classes.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Star Edwards, and I am an art teacher and the founder of Weaving Wonder Basketry. I get women off of their phones and using their hands in meaningful ways. No more doomscrolling, we make beautiful art and get back to expressing our hands naturally.

My mission is to create meaningful community for women while keeping creativity and handwork traditions alive. Our ancestors sat around the fire and made baskets together while they talked about their humanness. Somewhere along the way, we de-prioritized this but it is important now more than ever in a world where we are increasingly disconnected from one another and AI is on the rise. It is so beneficial to touch — and make — something real rather than having a bulk of our tactile input coming from a screen.

When I teach, people always remark how much dexterity it takes to make a basket. It feels that way because we aren’t using our hands the way humans have for centuries — we are tapping our lives away rather than pinching, gripping, and so on. This causes degradation in the brain.

When we re-introduce these traditional crafts to our lives, we are not only using our creativity but we are improving our cognition, practicing concentration, utilizing our problem solving skills, regulating our nervous system, stimulating both sides of our brain at the same time, and more.

Currently, I lead an online Craft Circle for women. We meet three times a month and practice art together in community. Each woman receives an art box shipped to her home once per quarter with all the materials needed for three months of projects. We meet live and I guide the project. It’s recorded, too. Meanwhile, we connect — not in idle chit chat but over meaningful self reflection.

I also teach in-person fiber art classes in Wilmington, NC. I collaborate with local cafes, plant shops, and restaurants to create fun, seasonal art events.

And I teach and create the handwork curriculum for a local school in Leland, NC, from pre-K through grade 4.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

I really feel that we need to remove the pressure we put on the term “creative.” So many people that I speak to don’t consider themselves creative at all — but EVERYONE is creative. It is an innate human desire to want to create, whether that be cooking a meal, building a shelf, dancing to feel good, or weaving a basket. And as humans, we thrive on that satisfaction.

You don’t need to be GOOD at something to do it. You just need to try, explore, see what you like. Art is a practice.

Try putting paint on a page just to see what it feels like, not for it to look a certain way. Our perfectionism or desire for it to look good is often what gets in the way of people using their creativity — but it doesn’t have to.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

There was a time when I got stuck in my creativity — feeling like I wanted to create, but unsure where to start and feeling blocked. I decided to paint every morning for at least 30 days. I set up watercolors on my kitchen table. While the oatmeal cooked for 10 minutes every morning, I painted something, ANYTHING. Being consistent allowed me the chance to get out of my head about what being creative would look like, and into the practice of it. It made me feel so calm and joyful each morning!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://weavingwonderbasketry.com
• Instagram: @staredwards_
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61584075885696
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/staredwards/