Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Emily Lane. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, Emily thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. How did you learn to do what you do? Knowing what you know now, what could you have done to speed up your learning process? What skills do you think were most essential? What obstacles stood in the way of learning more?
The process of creating my art is ever evolving. It’s been a lot of trial and error to figure things out along the way – and I’m still thinking of ways to improve! Because there are no tutorials or books about creating what I make – I took an idea and figured out what worked and what didn’t. I used the knowledge available online and in books about dyeing wool, and tried out different techniques to get the end result I was wanting.
I think having the mindset that it may not turn out perfect the first time is essential. You have to be okay with mess ups and failures, to be able to learn from your mistakes and be willing to try new things. There have been pieces I’ve scrapped because I’ve hated the way the color took, or the design didn’t come together like I hoped. I’ve accidentally dropped pieces in spare dye, even spilt stain on a finished piece. Even when things don’t go as planned, you have to see everything as opportunity to learn and improve. It’s amazing to look at some of my earlier pieces and compare to what I’m creating now! I love seeing how far I’ve come and looking forward to what I’ll create in the future!
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
I create one-of-a-kind wall tapestries using wool yarn and dye. I started out by creating a piece for myself to hang above my bed, posted it on instagram and received a lot of positive feedback! My sister in law encouraged me to open up an Etsy shop – so eventually I did and I’ve slowly been growing my business between Etsy and social media. I think a lot of people are looking for unique art to fill their homes, and I love being able to offer a completely customizable product. I specialize in mountains and landscapes, but I’ve also recently have had a lot of customers interested in cityscapes! I can take a customer’s picture from a favorite hike or vacation and turn it into a one of a kind art piece. I still am shocked that people choose my art to display in their homes – and I’m so honored to create something special for them. Every time I get feedback from a customer saying they smile every time they see it on their wall, it is the most rewarding feeling.
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
Social media is the best and the worst thing about owning a small business. It’s the best way to grow your audience and build your brand awareness, but yet it’s one more task to add to the insane list of duties you probably already do. Trying to balance everything can definitely be a challenge. Staying on top of the trends and algorithms is so important to help build your social media presence. Currently Instagram reels and TikTok’s are what is going to help you grow. As much as I dislike adding that to my list, I’ve figured out how I can incorporate filming a step of my routine that I already do, and seems to be popular videos people like to see. That way I can still have content to post, without taking up too much of my limited time.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
The most rewarding aspect of being an artist is getting positive feedback from my customers. I love creating what I do and it brings me so much joy to have others also enjoy my art and want to hang it in their homes. There are so many amazing artists out there – so to have someone excited to have my artwork is so special.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.etsy.com/shop/FiberArtsbyEm
- Instagram: FiberArtsbyEm
- Other: TikTok: FiberArtsbyEm