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

Alright, Courtney thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

I have always been drawn to and more comfortable along the road less traveled.

The Summer following my freshman year in college, I mapped a course for the West coast after securing a design internship in Huntington Beach. I owe quite a bit of credit to my Dad for that one. Initially, I had planned to spend that Summer at home in Florida and work in a local surf shop. Sure, I would have earned job experience and a pay check but for him and for me, as I know now, there was more to it than just a Summer job.

He pushed me to look beyond my immediate reference points and pursue the creative career I dreamed of with intention. It was a pivotal season. Life and experience in CA- on the coast and in the field alongside design teams, independent artists, creatives and other entrepreneurs became the catalyst for the life I live as a textile designer and small business owner.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I am a free spirited and left handed lover of all things creative. I am an environmentalist at heart and serial adventurist in pursuit of wide open spaces and all of the things you find along the way.

Formally trained in drawing, painting, graphic and fashion design, my deep dive into creativity began with a Summer course at Parsons in NYC and pushed West to the Otis College of Art & Design in LA. Unlike my peers, I didn’t step into a corporate design career immediately following graduation. That wasn’t the right answer for me. I needed to first take a step back, and gain some distance to determine my vision and voice as a designer.

Fast forward to the present.

AT300NELSON, our mission is to bring joy and playfulness into your space while promoting sustainability and reducing our carbon footprint. Time and efforts spent to make things better is essential. Every design begins with a pencil, pen or brush pressed to paper or canvas (although I have been known to snag a nearby cocktail napkin from time to time). From there, it’s all about the details. Line, shape, color and pattern are thoughtfully mapped out, fine tuned and prepped for print. Our fibres are available by the yard, printed regionally on heritage linens. Both process and ground have reduced environmental impacts. Our dry goods are created and finished by regional artisans close to home, allowing us to remain in touch with our designs from start to finish. Heavily influenced by the road less traveled, architecture, a love of surfing and Nature our designs are as open as the eye of the beholder. We can’t wait to see how you translate our designs into your vision.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

I am not only a creative, but also a small business owner.

So many of the non-creatives I know, think I am simply crafting trinkets and trading them in the marketplace as a hobby. While there is nothing wrong with that, it is a strange feeling to be misunderstood and underestimated by those closest to you.

I am fortunate to do something that I love and to know what I am passionate about. This journey is not carefree although it is rewarding. Profit is not my driver, but I am personally invested in the survival of my creative, small business.

I am encouraged by the non-creatives who do understand and support, but I am not offended by those who don’t. How we get there is often more important than where we are going and at some point, our paths may cross.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist and creative is getting to do what I love and spark joy in others.

As a creative and as an individual, I don’t enjoy being singled out and quickly assigned.

My intention AT300NELSON is to offer a building block of inspiration and to provoke imagination.

I love seeing my art taken out of the context that I have imagined and placed into another. The creative exchange is inspiration in itself.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.at300nelson.com
• Instagram: @at300nelson
• Facebook: At300Nelson Fibre & Dry Goods
• Other: Pinterest AT300NELSON FIBRE & DRY GOODS

Image Credits
Christina Karst