We were lucky to catch up with Anna Browning recently and have shared our conversation below.
Anna, appreciate you joining us today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?
Stained glass has always caught my attention. At the beginning of 2024 I decided I wanted to try my hand at stained glass. As a self taught stained glass artist, I made a lot of mistakes in the beginning. I think in the beginning I thought I could figure it out without much help. So, my first pieces weren’t the best. But, I kept at it. I kept watching videos and reading blogs to get tips and advice on what I was doing wrong. I kept creating more pieces and eventually they started getting a lot better. I just had to keep practicing.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
My name is Anna! I graduated from Appalachian State University in December 2023. I began my stained glass journey in January of 2024. I didn’t start actually putting the time into making glass until June of 2024. I had moved to Cary, NC where I had a hard time finding a job post grad. I spent a lot of my time trying to find a job and also leaning the craft of stained glass. During this time I got to figure out what designs I liked making best. I am naturally drawn to plants and nature so, I incorporated a lot of that in my work. I am very proud how much I’ve managed to improve this past year and can’t wait to see what I make in the new year.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
One of the most rewarding things to me is being able to make things for friends and family. Handmade gifts are 1000% better! I love being able to share my craft with my friends and family.
Have you ever had to pivot?
Late into the year I decided to try selling my glass at a market. I was so nervous nobody would want to buy my glass. Luckily, I did great! It was a way to share my art with others. It made me realize I could make some revenue, even just part time. Since that market, I was able to sell at two more! It’s been a great way to get my name out there and grow my social media following to locals.
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