We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Lily Mueller a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Lily, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.
I’ve always loved to make things. I don’t remember a time in my life where I didn’t love to make. I didn’t know what kind of career I wanted to pursue but I knew it had to be something creative. When it came time to make a decision about college I felt so clueless. I knew I really wanted to pursue art but didn’t think of it as a sustainable career. My parents knew I felt this way but still convinced me to apply to the Kansas City Art Institute. I was immediately drawn to their program and decided it was the place for me. Even though I wan’t sure how I was going to make a career as an artist, my drive to create kept me going. I took a quilting class in the middle of my college career and instantly fell in love. The process of quilting really clicked for me and it became all I wanted to do. Ever since then, I’ve worked towards art being my full time career.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers
I received my BFA in Fiber at the Kansas City Art Institute. During my time in the fiber department, I took the quilting elective with my former professor Kim Eichler-Mesmer, and I fell in love with the process. The piecing together of shapes to create a composition plus the fact that I was able to use my own hand dyed fabrics really drew me in. I spent the rest of my college career quilting and that is what I have been doing ever since. I love to create color stories and fun compositions that can bring a lot of energy and movement to a space. My quilts are featured in peoples homes, galleries and now public spaces such as the new KCI terminal.
I think something that sets my work apart is the use of different fabrics to create difference in texture and feel. I use silks, velvets and cotton fabrics to differentiate textures in a composition, It adds a new element to a flat work, making it seem more dimensional.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is the ability to share my joy and passion with others. Art seems to work as it’s own language in the way that it engages people of all different walks of life. People don’t have to speak the same language to enjoy the same piece of art, and that is quite magical. The same can be said for other forms of creativity such as music and dancing. Another very rewarding aspect is seeing how one’s art can inspire another work of art. If there weren’t people sharing their artwork, there wouldn’t be as much evolution in the creative world. I am constantly inspired by the things and people around me, especially other artists. It encourages me to keep making, and I hope I can do the same for others.
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
I look at social media as extra exposure. If you are looking to grow a business, it is an important tool since much of our communication happens on the internet. I think, it’s also important to remember that it’s NOT the most important. For me, that is the work. My physical artwork is what takes priority, however social media allows for others to enjoy it from a far.
One of the best ways to grow your social media is to post consistently. Don’t post what you think other people want to see. Post what you are actually interested in and do it consistently. The people that find it interesting will come with time. This keeps people engaged and interested in what you are doing. I think it also gives people the impression that you take what you do seriously.
Contact Info:
- Website: Www.lilymmueller.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lilymariemueller/
Image Credits
The cover photo of me in the green chair was taken by Amber Deery for the magazine, Herlife. The other image of me by the sewing machine was taken by Kelly Kruse Hyatt.