We were lucky to catch up with Zoe Gunter recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Zoe thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

I always struggled to find what art medium was perfect for me. It seemed like everyone else in my art classes knew what they liked the most. It never felt right to me, and I knew that as soon as I discovered fiber arts, specifically crocheting. Obviously, it took me a few months to learn to crochet, but I knew I wanted to keep doing it when I did a project involving crochet in my art class in December of my senior year of high school. People in my class thought it was odd to use yarn, I mean our class didn’t even discuss any fiber related art, which was probably why it took me so long to discover it myself. But once I had finished the piece, my teacher really liked it and wanted to show off the work I was doing. It felt right, it was the first artwork I was truly confident and proud of. My first crochet piece will always have a place in my heart, because it lead me to where I am today.
When I discovered an art school that allowed me to study fiber and material studies, I knew it was the right option for me. Although it took a lot of confidence to believe in myself and my future in the art world, looking back, I’m so glad I made that choice. But I’m more proud of that first crochet tapestry. It’s 45×18 inches and it took me a couple months to make, but it made me realize that pursuing an artistic career was perfect for me.

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

I’m a fiber artist from Houston, but I’m currently studying at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago towards a studio arts bachelor’s degree. Most of the art I make is fibers/textile work. The first fiber technique I was really interested in was crocheting. And what started as a hobby turned into a huge passion for making art. Now I do a lot of other things in my art as well, such as sewing, embroidery, knitting, dyeing, spinning, photo transfers, and sometimes comics. In my practice, I enjoy slow making. I enjoy using repetitive processes that require a lot of attention to detail. I think about relaxation and joy when making art. I feel that if I’m going to commit all this time and effort into my art, I should be able to enjoy the processes/techniques that I’m using.
In my work, I try to blur the lines between craft and art as well as fight the stereotype that fiber art is only made by old women in their free time. Even if I’m not explicitly making work about either of these concepts, I’m still constantly thinking about them. I feel that making my art and calling it art, especially to those who think I just have a hobby, is a way of fighting those ideas. I also make a lot of personal work, I explore themes like childhood, my experiences, and aspects about myself. Although making personal art can sometimes be seen as weird and unrelatable, I find that I’m able to connect to the right people and my audience’s reaction/perception to those personal works are so important to me. When I’m not making big artworks, I crochet and knit smaller things in my free time to relieve stress. I have an Etsy that has a few things on it, like crochet patterns and crochet earrings. In the future when I have more time, I’ll sell bigger items like tops and tapestries.
Even though the future is uncertain, I think being confident with my decision to pursue art is the most important part. I’m proud of myself for pursuing my dreams even though I don’t know if I’ll succeed. I believe that with time, I’ll find more people who love and support my art.

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

The most rewarding part of being an artist is the freedom. Not only the freedom to be fully creative without any limitations, but also the freedom to not “fit” into society’s expectations of what success looks like. Fighting the stereotype of not being a “starving artist” motivates me even more to succeed and continue to work towards my own success. For me, I find the freedom of fighting those stereotypes about artists very liberating. I’m able to feel successful with all the little things I do, rather than how much money I make a year. I get to feel happy about the little things, like how I finished a project or someone saying they liked my work. I mean, obviously there’s a lot of uncertainty with the career and path I’ve chosen, but to have that freedom to do what I love and make art, that’s what makes life worth living.

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 think a lot of people don’t view what I do as art. I think it’s a struggle that a lot of fiber artists face. A lot of people view my art as craft, something women used to do in their free time years ago. But obviously, there’s so much more to it than that. There’s intricate stitching, soft textures, 3D elements that stand out, and these are all things that can’t be said for most forms of traditional art. Art is one of those things that a lot of people don’t even realize they’re looking at until someone points it out. Why is it so easy for society to find value in paintings and blockbuster films, but see tapestries with intricate, laborious detail, and only see a piece of cloth?
Also a lot of non-creatives are unaware of how much courage is needed to not only choose the path of pursuing art, but also to make art and be vulnerable with it. It’s a leap of faith. It’s believing in yourself so much that you’re willing to risk everything. It’s definitely an investment, but if you’re going to invest in anything, why not invest in yourself? I think it’s definitely something that a lot of people need to try to learn to see as normal. Dealing with people who will don’t support or understand my journey as an artist is disappointing, but those people can definitely learn! They can learn that not everyone has a linear path in their life and it’s okay to have uncertainty in your future. As long as an artist believes in themselves, they can do amazing things.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://zoe-gunter.webflow.io/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crochetedthingsbyzoe
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zoe-gunter-018830313/
• Other: Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/crochetedthingsbyzoe