Today we’d like to introduce you to Hannah Sandler

Hi Hannah, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.

My creative path and becoming of the individual that I am today has been nothing but non-linear. I have always had creative intuitions since I was a young kid, but it wasn’t until high school that I caught a glimpse of my artistic tendencies becoming something bigger than just a hobby. Having barely scratched the surface of my artistic potential, I took the leap and went to Savannah College of Art and Design in Georgia. It wasn’t until my years in college that I really honed in on my passion for color, detail, and texture in so many vast ways that inevitably led me towards a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Fibers. Ever since, I have maintained being a maker of many things working towards evoking passion, innovation and meaning by design.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?

I think the beauty of life is the process and the little, unexpected moments in between. Teetering between the avenues of graphic design, fashion marketing and fashion design, my wandering mind kept me untethered to any major in my first year. There was a lot of uncertainty in this time, but it was also coupled with excitement and wonder. I managed to find more solidified comfort when I decided that Fibers was calling my name as a major. Having many ‘firsts’ during the 4 years in the Fibers Department not only meant first time succeeding at something new, but also first time failing at something (new or old). When you are so passionate about the work that you do, negative feedback and mistakes can knock you down a couple of pegs. Grappling with the idea of holding myself to the highest standard for performance led to a lot of imposter syndrome, self-doubt and anxiety. But, you can’t dwell on these thoughts – so, all of my struggles in turn became my biggest learning blocks. The last half of my first year of college was turned remote via Covid, and let’s just say learning to crochet through a mirrored Zoom video was not my brightest moment. With Covid came lots of pivoting: indigo dyeing in the bathtub, crocheting with anything but yarn, and a holding onto the idea of a distant lively creative environment. Having Covid occur in my first year exploring Fibers was impending on my creative pursuits, but it also drove the fire that made me want to create more when I was ‘out’. There were lots of setbacks along the way, but I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for them.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?

I’d like to call myself a maker of many things, always focusing on evoking passion, innovation and meaning by design.
Fuelled by challenge, I believe creativity stems from seeking new ways to create and invent something from nothing.
Operating between the tactile and digital worlds, I believe in the power of unexpected color, fine detail, and contrasting texture. With an appreciation for all things beautiful and special, I am passionate about challenging the ways that we operate and create in a way that allows us to see the world through newer, brighter lenses.

Valuing sustainability and innovative thinking, I work a lot with pre-loved items that I rework, integrating waste into my designs and designing with longevity in mind. This includes crocheting, embroidering, painting and illustrating, print design or pattern making to name a few. Recently, I have been expanding my creative horizons and trying new techniques, materials and designs which I have been intuitively enjoying. Professionally, I have been honoured to receive notable recognition for my pattern design work and zero-waste patterning garment designs – which I aim to continue to explore and re-work. A lot of pride comes from these accolades, as they affirm that a greater audience is inspired by my optimistic views of what ‘creating’ in the future could look like.

An an evolving person and creative, I am constantly evolving and changing which I embrace in my creative/professional worlds. With my practice stemmed in wonder and optimistic innovation, I try not to put too much pressure on what I think I should be doing and focus more on what brings me joy. So far, it’s been a wild ride but I’m looking forward to what’s next!

We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?

When there is a reason for everyone coming together, the world can actually begin to feel small. In a good way. Covid made me realize that the world can be reached, influenced and inspired. With Covid came an appreciation for the finer things in life as well as a learning to be ‘free’ and environmentally-conscious. This has given me a new insight on the world at large, which is that: people care, and people want the world to be a better place. This made me want to push my work to be more emotional and forward-thinking. That has really dictated the trajectory of my artistic pursuits that made me the artist I am today.

Oh – and another major lesson: design doesn’t have to be compromised for sustainability. People got creative, people were thinking more critically, and everyone was influenced by so many vast emotions. Seeing how people wanted joy in their lives but wanted to maintain ethically sound inspired me to marry the two more in my thinking. The two can exist together, we just have to work towards helping people see and value both.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.hannahsandler.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/art_shtuff/?hl=en

Image Credits

Hannah Sandler