We were lucky to catch up with Emily Carter recently and have shared our conversation below.

Emily, appreciate you joining us today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

I never considered myself a true artist until recently. Growing up I did ballet as a hobby, but have always leaned more towards the sciences than the arts: I completed my BS in Biology from UCLA, my MS in Environmental Policy and Management from University of Denver, and I currently work in energy efficiency. Despite my extensive science background, I have found my true passion lies within the arts.

Both of my siblings are real artists – my brother a professional musician and my sister a professional ballerina. As the youngest, I always felt somewhat ashamed and embarrassed I didn’t follow in their footsteps. I thought I wasn’t as good as them, so the arts weren’t worth pursuing for me personally. In the fall of 2021, when I was just starting grad school and working full time as an energy analyst, I noticed I felt there was something missing, almost as if nothing I did had real purpose or meaning.

My sister, being the incredible older sister she is, sensed this feeling and the next day took me to a ballet supply shop, fitting me for pointe shoes. It had been eight years since I took a ballet class, and here I was, back on my toes. She quickly enrolled me into her own ballet classes, single handedly regenerating my love for the arts.

While ballet isn’t my main passion currently, jumping back into it acted as a catalyst for my artistic journey. Soon after re-entering the art scene, I decided to try out pyrography, which is now my main craft.

I’ll admit I was very very bad at pyrography at first, but I believe that’s what got me hooked. I liked being bad at it and having something to work towards. I felt I was learning more and more each time I picked up my wood burner.

I’m not a natural artist by any means, but I loved the discipline this craft required. I would practice every night after work and my schoolwork, mainly learning new techniques from online videos, and a lot of trial and error. I practiced drawing designs and figured out how to translate them to wood. I was obsessed with the craft!

Pyrography and ballet launched me into many other art mediums. My other hobbies include sewing (I try to make my own clothes as much as possible), costume design (Teatro San Diego, Loud Fridge Theatre Group, New West Ballet), and modeling (IG @EmilyPaigeCarter). For each of these hobbies, I went through the same process of learning from scratch and practicing as often as possible.

For me, learning a new craft requires infinite self-discipline and passion.

Emily, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

There are so many art mediums that I love, but I’m most passionate about pyrography. There’s something so therapeutic about the craft and I recommend anyone who may be interested to try it out!

I make various items including cheese boards, wall art, wooden spoons, and trinket boxes. If it can be burned, I’ll make it!

Custom orders are what I love the most. Collaborating with clients to come up with unique designs that are meaningful to them brings me the most joy. My style is bold and graphic, and often influenced by natural elements. I seek inspiration from the environment around me and incorporate them into my designs.

I also love when pieces require some type of research, whether it be reading about the number of feathers hummingbirds have or what pyrography stroke works best to depict cat fur. I love art that requires research and experimentation!

Aside from pyrography, I sew my own clothes. Since the start of last year, I’ve sworn off fast fashion and dedicated my closet to only sustainable items and practices. I mainly rely on reused clothes or creating clothing myself. My capstone project for my master’s degree focused on ways to regulate the fast fashion industry from an environmental perspective.

I taught myself how to naturally dye fabrics with things like turmeric, avocado peels, and onion skin. You can get some beautiful colors from these without the toxic waste of traditional textile dyes. In this sense, I feel I am fusing my science world with my art world.

I’m most proud of the effort and energy I put into my craft. I believe you can tell when an artist’s piece is a labor of love, and I never want to lose that special aspect of my creations.

It can be difficult to constantly maintain ample energy in your craft when you are producing at large for markets or consignment contracts. It’s tempting to produce things quickly and make less effort per piece, but I do my best not to cut corners. For my own art in particular, I think you can tell when I rush a piece. I want to be proud of every single thing I create, which means I put in consistent energy and effort no matter how small the piece is. I want every creation to be meaningful!

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

This sounds so simple, but it’s so effective – support your friends! Whether you purchase your friend’s creations or just share their work on social media, it’s all so helpful.

In today’s world, it can be so easy to shop from big businesses and corporations. But supporting small businesses instead can be so impactful. Even just mentioning your artist friend’s name in a room can help them grow.

I don’t like placing monetary value on art because I believe there’s deeper meaning to creating than a dollar value, but the hard truth is that artists often rely on consumers like you to support their work. An artist’s success is dependent on the community around them.

If you’re a fellow artist, just remember that we are not in competition with each other. I believe there’s enough room for everyone, and if we all support each other, we can create a prosperous ecosystem.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is bringing joy to other people. I love being a vendor at art markets and talking to each passerby about my art. People usually seem genuinely interested in what I create, which is so heartwarming! I’m lucky to share my creations with others.

Being an artist has also improved my self-confidence in a lot of ways. When I was just starting pyrography and sewing, I felt a bit uneasy stepping into these communities without much prior experience. I was particularly nervous to begin market events where my very-beginner wood burns were on display. But over time, I slowly gained confidence in myself and in my art as people expressed enthusiasm for my creations.

That’s not to say everyone loves what I create, but for the most part, creating has boosted my self-assurance. I’ve noticed a lot of development in my creations as I gain more and more experience, and I’m doing my best to keep progressing forward. Each creation is a learning opportunity for me, and each has helped me grow as an artist and gain confidence in my work.

Contact Info:

• Website: embelinaa.com
• Instagram: Pyrography: @embelinaa | Modeling: @emilypaigecarter
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-carter/

Image Credits
Headshot: David Fay