Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Constance Willoughby. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Constance, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Do you wish you had waited to pursue your creative career or do you wish you had started sooner?
I’ve always been a late bloomer. My entire life I’ve watched peers, friends and family pass me in areas like puberty and finding their gift in life; the “thing” that they were really good at. I was smart, an honor roll student through college, but I struggled to find a path of purpose, one that I was naturally good at that didn’t require an instructor and a textbook.
My parents (and later my husband) would hear me lament about not knowing why I’m here or what my “thing” is, until I began to endure unexpected stress from my job of seven years. I has taken on a new role during a leadership transition which caused tension and feelings of anxiety. I can remember coming home, panicked with deadlines and pending deliverables only to find myself listening to music while rearranging furniture, or painting a patterned accent wall, or upcycling bathroom fixtures.
One day, I looked out the window and saw our next door neighbors tree had shed some branches after a recent storm, one of which had fallen on our garage. My husband apprehensively climbs the garage to retrieve the branch for me and for seven straight hours, I sanded, drilled holes, and covered the branch in cotton cording that I went out to purchase specifically for this project. I was fully immersed in this creative process and by the time I was finished, I was in awe of what I’d made; my very first macrame on a giant piece of driftwood. From there, I have fallen in love with wood and fiber and the beautiful, sustainable relationship they can have together.
For the first time in 35 years, I had found my “thing.” Months later I quit my job to pursue entrepreneurial endeavors, with art being the foundation of the business. I’m glad it took this long to begin my creative career because everything I’ve learned leading up to this point and how I process the world around me allows me to take art seriously while still allowing myself the grace and ability to play through it all.
The best part about blooming late is that while all the other flowers begin to wither, the late bloomer is glorious in a moment that is all her own.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
After decades of feeling like life for me would mostly be spent in an office organizing overseeing programming for mission led organizations, I found art.
Prior to retiring from the workforce as an employee, I launched a fashion brand called nwär, an acronym for now we are royal. nwär is a direct expression of my cultivation journey as a human and my gift of aesthetic and cultural relevance to the world.
nwär doubles as a fashion boutique and art gallery in Chicago’s historic Bridgeport neighborhood and offers a variety of ethically, locally made fashion apparel, accessories, home decor and art. We take blank, boring walls and turn them into conversation starters with our earthy art pieces, we upgrade everyday outfits with our fashionable statement pieces, and offer creative staging services for photo ops and events, while emphasizing sustainability and earth consciousness.
In my journey as an artist and business owner, I am most proud of the ability to shine a spotlight on the toxic relationship between fast fashion and climate change.
My recent artworks are a poignant exploration of the millions of tons of waste generated by the fast fashion industry annually, much of which ends up buried in landfills, where it continues to impact our planet’s delicate balance. In fashion, many of our pieces are made from natural fibers. I partner with hyperlocal contractors to bring my designs to fruition which helps create jobs within the community, and each online order is shipped in recycled, compostable, and/or biodegradable mailers.
Through sustainable, circular fashion and art, I hope to inspire a reconsideration of our choices as consumers and their profound consequences on our environment.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
The most rewarding aspect of being a creative is the ability to take the image that lives in your head, and create a version of it that can be shared with the world. The ability to create something that doesn’t exist and offer it as an extension of yourself to the world.
How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?
The best way to support artists, is to invest directly into the creatives that produce the art. Purchasing their work is a start, but visiting pieces on exhibit, following their journey, and amplifying their voices.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.nwarluxe.com
- Instagram: @nwarluxe
- Facebook: @Nwar Luxe
Image Credits
Glenn Willoughby