We were lucky to catch up with Emelia (mia) Archer recently and have shared our conversation below.
Emelia (Mia), thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?
From a young age I have always been surrounded by art! My dad was an incredible cartoonist, and my mom was very crafty with home projects like scrapbooking and making decorations for our home. Growing up I always loved art projects and drawing. As I got older I took all the art classes in school and my art teachers were always impressed with my work. In High school one of my projects made it all the way to state in the reflections contest. In another art class one of my teachers asked if he could keep a sketch study on the human face to show future students! So art has always been a part of my life. After school, I made some extra money by drawing custom portraits for people! As the years went by and work became more time consuming I didn’t have much time for art anymore, which always made me sad but it was just reality. I met my now husband in 2011, who was/is a tattoo artist. So once again, my world started to swell with art, and being surrounded by art daily. The spark started to ignite! When I became a stay at home mom in 2016, I found myself with a little more free time again! In 2017 I began doing custom digital portraits, which lead me to open my first business profile on instagram to showcase my work and get more clients. I did that for a couple of years and really enjoyed it! By 2019 I had dabbled in so many side projects, I wanted to do it all! I taught myself to sew, I scrapbooked my kid’s baby book, started watercolor painting, and I learned the art of Calligraphy and became obsessed! In January 2020 I signed up to take a short embroidery class for fun. Little did I know that that class would ignite a passion in me that would outlast any of the other crafts I had tried out. Ever since that class I started doing embroidery religiously and soon started taking custom orders. Soon after, Handmade From Mia was born. Eventually I tried out doing craft markets and quickly felt overwhelmed with love and praise from everyone who saw my work. I realized then that I could really make something of this little hobby. I’ve been doing markets for three years now and I couldn’t be happier with my little business and my passion for embroidery has only grown!
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
My name is Mia, I’m 31, born and raised in Utah! I’ve lived all over the Salt Lake Valley and have lived in St. George Utah for a brief time. I have two kids and an awesome husband! I have always been an artist at heart, but this is the first time I have done anything with my art! I took a short embroidery class in Jan. 2020 and have been doing it ever since! Besides that initial class, everything I know is self taught. I offer handmade custom embroidery pieces in various forms, ranging from keychains, necklaces, pins, magnets, hoops, and frames. I focus mostly on florals, botanicals, and lettering with my work.
When working with clients on custom pieces, I make sure the client’s vision is first and foremost, along with my artistic advice to create a stunning piece!
I make all the designs for my pieces myself! No AI or computer programs are used to create my designs. I have a four step process I follow with every design I create. Starting with a sketch and rough draft, refining stage, a final outline, and finally a color study. I knew florals were what I wanted to create with my art, so long ago I set out on a side journey of learning to draw florals and compose beautiful floral arrangements. I do step out of my comfort zone every once in a while and try something different so I can learn new techniques and just try my hand at something new!
I am proud of my journey and what I have accomplished with my art! Bringing people joy and love with a beautiful handmade art piece makes me happy! I also love to teach others in hopes it sparks joy within them, and maybe will give them the confidence to try something new for themselves. I truly believe every person should have at least one hobby they are passionate about. Something they can’t wait to sit down and do when they get home from work, or something to relieve their stress and leave the world behind for a moment. Hobbies are a form of therapy in my eyes, I want everyone to experience the same joy and happiness I feel with what ever they choose as their “thing.”
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
Of course I love creating for others, seeing the excitement on someone’s face when they’re taking a new piece home is an amazing feeling! Knowing that you have created something that people love is definitely a humbling and rewarding emotion. However, there is another level of reward for me. I have the privilege to create, to express myself, to have a thing that is all mine and something to be proud of myself over. My own two hands and imagination were able to work together do this. It is a rewarding emotion whenever I create something new and share it with others!
Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?
I think most people don’t realize how much time and work goes into learning a craft. Yes, some people are just naturally talented and gifted in certain areas, but they still have to put in work to completely understand their craft and become a master. One phrase I think we’ve all heard in our lives is, “I can’t even draw a stick figure.” Yes! You could! With patience, and practice anyone can learn a skill. Someone’s journey may be completely different than the next person’s. Whether it’s longer, shorter, easier, or harder. But you can learn anything you want to with enough dedication to it. A quote I love is, “10,000 hours makes you an expert.” Meaning that practicing anything for a good amount of time can sculpt you into an expert on the subject.
When admiring someone else’s work, I try to refrain from using phrases like, “oh you make that look so easy” or “You’re so lucky that you’re good at that.” It can feel insulting sometimes, because that person probably put in a lot of hard work, time, and effort to get to that level of skill. They weren’t handed the ability, they had to work hard for it!
For us artists, makers, and creators out there..our craft takes so much of our heart and soul, and we appreciate being recognized for that dedication!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.etsy.com/shop/HandmadeFromMiaArt
- Instagram: @HandmadeFromMia_
Image Credits
John Barkiple
Nataly Hudson
Mia Archer