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

Brianna, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

Originally, I started crafting as a way to destress from a long day. I had no idea what I was doing. It was fun to try and figure things out, just as much as it was frustrating when things went wrong. Most of what I have learned came from trial and error and watching youtube channels of other professional clay artists. I watched, and still watch, a lot of videos from AceofClay. I then applied similar techniques for my own projects. I initially started with creating fan art. I would take pictures of things I liked and tried to make them, usually simple forms until I started to expand and get more creative. Looking more at anatomy pictures for both animal and human figures would probably also have helped a lot in learning form besides just looking at pictures of completed designs!

The most important thing I can think of is having patience. Patience with yourself, your craft, and the learning process. Even now, I compare myself to other artists, but they have a different path. It is not about comparing your work with someone else; it is comparing your current work with what you’ve done in the past and seeing your own growth. It is okay to make mistakes. That is how we learn what works and what doesn’t.

That leads into the greatest obstacle, at least for me: Self-doubt. There is a lot of ways that an artist can get knocked down. We often think we aren’t good enough, we are imposters, who cares about our work anyway? Emphasis on social media for likes contributes to that and sometimes I feel myself falling into the self-doubt spiral. But as mentioned above, it is important to instead look at how far you’ve come and what you learned. No one is perfect. Your idols also make mistakes and have days where nothing comes out right. Just breathe, take a break, and come back to it. Skill takes practice and likes/follows will come later.

Brianna, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I went to school to be a social worker. My background is in psychology and sociology. Art wasn’t on my radar at all. I only picked up clay crafting the last couple of years of my schooling as a way to decompress from the day. I found it was a lot of fun and I could just focus on creating something. I absolutely love fantasy and wanted to bring to life dragons and other fantastical creatures in a 3-D form. I wanted to bring a little bit of magic into the world. Foxes and dragons are one of my favorite creatures, so I spend a lot of time creating different kinds of creatures from these bases.

The more I crafted, the more I wanted to make. When I started posting pictures of my art, it brought me joy to see that others enjoyed my work as well. When customers let me know that a piece has made them smile or brought them joy to look at it, it made me smile. I may not be solving the world’s problems, but if these creatures could bring joy to others as well, why not pursue it, and continue to bring magic to life? Bit by bit, I created my craft and recently turned it into a small business.

Everything I make is one of a kind, unique, and hand-crafted. I am the only person behind ‘ClayLeafCreations’ and I pride myself on the uniqueness of each item. I rarely use molds and usually just hand craft everything. A big thing about my art is that it continues to evolve and change as I continue to learn and grow in my craft. I still do a lot of dragons, which is my main focus, but I like branching out and making other types of creatures as well. I have made birds, insects, foxes, bunnies, lizards, crocodiles, sea creatures, kelpies, and so many other things. I encourage and welcome questions from others. I take commissions and enjoy turning imagination into form. I work with polymer clay and apoxie sculpt, depending on what the item is, and love including mixed media. I use a lot of fake plants and crystals in my work and experimenting with new things. I do both realism and frilly-cute types of things so there is a wide spectrum to pick from and see.

One thing I want others to know, is that I enjoy communicating with them about their piece. There is a human element here. If someone asks for a commission, I share the process of how it is coming along. If something is wrong, we can problem solve together. I like to be upfront with anyone who reaches out to me and try to ensure the entire process is clear. I want the art to be something we all enjoy. I do not ask for payment at the start of a commission as price can vary depending on the actual work. However, this means that if in the end, someone decides they no longer want the finished piece, the commission will be posted in my shop for someone else to purchase. That is how I make it fair for them and myself since I worked on creating it. I accommodate within reason and communication is key, so I encourage others to just reach out if they have a question about anything in my shop or about a custom design.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect for me, is the ability to create. It is taking something from my mind and being able to mold it, shape it out of some wire and foil into something inspiring and beautiful. I am still working on creating a story behind each of the original characters in this world I’m making. However, more than anything, it is simply the love of creating something out of nothing. Making something that inspires me to try something new, see how far I can go, and maybe inspire others as well. I want others to craft or continue whatever art venture they’re pursuing and enjoy something in the tangible sense. Art really brings with it meaning and to each person the interpretation is unique.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

There is something I want to share that I think many artists, even professional ones, struggle with. The idea that we are not doing something ‘worthwhile’. In my life, I’ve had a lot of people ask me why I am making art and not focusing on something else. I was told that making these figurines was stupid and I should stop doing it. I was wasting my life and who wanted to buy this stuff anyway? Sometimes those voices come back; especially when I am feeling low or discouraged about something. Art doesn’t always get ‘likes’ or comments on media and sometimes things you think would do really well in a sale, don’t. That can be very disheartening and brings negative emotions. Were those nay-sayers, right? Should I stop? Should I give up? It is hard.

What I have learned is that a pursuit is worthy if you think it is worthy. I enjoy making art. It makes me happy. Even when I feel upset or sad about something on the business side, I look back at my art. I can see how my skill has changed. I can look back at my progress and can imagine how I’ll improve in the future. Every like, every follower, every person that does say something positive to you, is a steppingstone, and the first one is self. If you like it, then that is reason enough. Everything that comes after is a bonus. As you keep going, more positive will come. It is not easy, but it is important to being human. It creates meaning, joy, and the pursuit of something challenging.

As artists, find a community of other artists and encourage each other. Share tips and tricks, help each other. I guarantee, every single person will have those negative moments, but they are easier to get passed with a community behind you, supporting you. Art is community. You are worthy, what you create, is worthy. The person doing similar things as y ou is a friend you can learn from, not your enemy.

Contact Info:

• Website: clayleafcreations.com
• Instagram: clayleafcreations
• Other: Link Tree: linktr.ee/clayleafcreations