We were lucky to catch up with Eva Parker recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Eva, thanks for joining us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

I’ve always had a love for making art. Whether it was photography, digital art, painting, the list could go on and on. I would made things for myself or paint gifts for friends and family but I always saw it as a hobby. Thinking that I had to get a desk job and unhappily work at something I didn’t love so that so could be successful in life. It wasn’t until I was 24 stuck at my desk job with a decent salary that I realized it wasn’t enough for me to be successful, I really wanted to be fulfilled. So I picked up painting again, posted a picture of it on social media, and just like that had someone want to buy it from me. I don’t think I could describe how happy it made me but it also made me realize there are people out there that appreciate my talent and are willing to support it. That led me to making resin earrings and eventually working with polymer clay. Which I would say is now my specialty.

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?

My name is Eva and I am the owner of Theydy’s Things. I specialize in making clay accessories though it didn’t start off like that. In college I minored in photography but took a plethora of different art classes such as life drawing, graphic design, woodwork and many more. I like to consider myself a well rounded artist because i’ve tried any medium I could get my hands on. When is realized I wanted to make art professionally it started with resin. I made resin earrings, trinket trays, and coasters but I realized resin didn’t give me the creative freedom I needed. So I ventured into polymer clay and really worked on building that skill. I started off heavily relying on clay cutters to make things but as I grew into my craft I wanted to make things that really set me apart. So I started creating my own stencils using card stock and free handing clay art. Now I think I’ve really found my own creative niche and I think a lot of my work this year shows that.

Recently I’ve started making more custom polymer clay earrings. This includes logo earrings for other small business owners, creating things that the customer has in mind and wants me to bring to life, or remaking an old design of mine but tailoring it to the customer. Whether you’re getting a custom piece or something I’ve created already, you are getting something unique and creative. I like to constantly push myself out of my comfort zone and make things that test my creativity and technical ability. If I can put in the time and work, I think I could create anything (within reason or course).

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

What is most rewarding, to me, is how my art makes people feel. One of the best feelings in the world is having someone tell you how many compliments they got wearing your art. And just like that you’ve made someone’s day just a tiny bit brighter. It may not make much of a difference to the world but if it can make someone a tiny bit happier or their day a little better then it makes all the difference to me. Knowing that people love my art and are excited to see what I can make is what keeps me going.

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 don’t think a lot of “non-creatives” or even creatives in different mediums understand the work that goes into my art. I started off with little to no knowledge of polymer clay and so things were priced a lot lower to a point where so was barely scraping by. But as a grew and learned more about craft and started putting more time into it I had to price them to reflect that. I don’t think people understand how disheartening it is to hear “That’s too expensive” when they don’t know how much time and effort you put into it. It’s basically like telling someone their art isn’t worth it and that you don’t value their skill. I know that I’ve learned and worked hard to get to the point I am right now in my artist journey, as others have as well. So it’s important as a “non-creative” or as an artist in a different field to recognize that there’s a lot more to someone’s art than just a finished piece or product.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.theydysthings.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theydysthings/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100074139949169&mibextid=LQQJ4d
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/theydysthings