We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Laura Skinner a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Laura, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with 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’ve been really into creating fashion / wearable artwork recently. I learned a lot of sewing basics as a kid – my parents gave me a tiny sewing machine for Christmas when I was 7 or 8, my aunt taught me how to properly use a machine when I visited her during summer break, and I had a middle school teacher who taught me hand sewing techniques in an after school craft club. I sewed dresses for my sister and me out of these really awful pink curtains when I was around 10. Several years ago, I inherited a beautiful 1960s Singer machine from my Nana and have learned sewing tricks from countless creatives on YouTube. Whether it’s been people in my family, local community or online community, I’ve found that the best way to learn anything is to talk to people who know what they’re doing!
My favorite thing is combining other skills with my sewing projects. I’ve created pieces where I start by painting a design on canvas, then take that design into Illustrator to create a repeating pattern. Then I get that pattern printed on fabric and sew it into whatever garment I’m creating. Don’t be afraid to stack your skills! I had no idea how to use oil paints before taking a painting class. I had no idea how to use Illustrator before spending hours playing around in it. I had no idea how to get designs printed on fabric before doing a lot of Googling. We are incredibly lucky to have so many resources available to us in this day and age. Be curious and don’t be afraid to ask for help from people who have the skills you’re trying to learn.
Laura, 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?
I decided I was an artist in college and never looked back. I received my BFA in Studio Art with a music minor from Virginia Tech in 2016. I’ve worked in marketing and as a graphic designer and make weird stuff when nobody’s watching. I’ve dabbled in painting, ceramics, wool felting, crocheting and most recently I’ve been on a sewing kick. I love creating physical objects, like the banana outfit I sewed or the Breakfast Berets I needle felted from wool. My brain is obsessed with patterns and building up layers of a piece.
Every once in a while I add some fun things to my online shop, but for the most part I just create for the thrill of it. I’m always proud of myself when I post a project and someone connects with it or sees the humor in my art. The biggest win for me is when people are entertained by my work. Life (especially with the Internet) is one big performance piece and I love leaning into that.
Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?
In order to pursue a creative life, you have to be extremely brave. Contrary to the “starving artist” narrative that everyone loves to reference, there’s not just one way to be an artist. Creating your own path through life is pretty intimidating, especially if you have people questioning every move you make. Then continuously sharing your artwork on top of that – pretty scary. A lot of times people will say “I could never draw like that” when what they really should be impressed with is all that it took for the artist to be in a place to share their work with the world. Because creating art comes a lot more easily then sharing it a lot of times.
Support creatives. Even if it’s just encouraging them and letting them know you see them, it really makes a difference.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
The most rewarding part of being an artist is connecting with other people through my work. Connecting with other artists who have similar skills who you can chat about technique with. Connecting with random people on TikTok who comment “so cool!” on a video you posted a year ago. Connecting with people in a gallery who can relate to the work you’ve made because their grandchild has similar dietary restrictions. People love having an opinion about art, which can lead to some of the most interesting conversations. I make art for myself, but putting it out in the world gives it a new life that I love learning about.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.lauraskinner.art
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lauraskinnerart/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lauraskinnerart/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWzUgQxy-tDTTHuhxSp5qTA?view_as=subscriber