Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Zak Foster. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Zak, appreciate you joining us today. Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?

I am now at a place where I can make a living as a full-time artist and community organizer. It was a long road to get here and it’s still a lot of hard work, but I’m so thankful to be where I am now. I was a public-school teacher for nearly two decades, and for the last 10 years of that, I felt like I was working two jobs at once: I was establishing myself in the quilt world as well as a teaching during the day. The downside, of course was that it was exhausting, but the upside is that it gave me time to build a really solid foundation for my creative practice and community outreach.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

When I first told my partner’s grandma, the first quilter I ever knew, that I was interested in learning how to quilt, she grabbed my arm, gave me a serious look, and said, “Buddy, you don’t know how much fun you’re gonna have.” And it’s true, I’ve been having a blast ever since. I’ve been quilting since 2010 and it’s been life-changing. What interests me most about quilting is not only that intersection between art and utility, but also how quilts can be comfortable messengers for uncomfortable truths.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

It takes a LOT of hard work to create something out of nothing. But the alternative—working a job that doesn’t feel like the best fit—is also hard. Pick your challenge!

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

I love being able to connect with people over the stories I’m able to tell through my creative work.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.zakfoster.com
• Instagram: @zakfoster.quilts
• Other: nook.zakfoster.com