Inspired By: Katie Licht

For this Inspired By post, I'm absolutely delighted to introduce to you someone who has inspired me in my paper crafts for quite some time: Katie Licht. She is a professional graphic designer, a homemaker, a crafter, and a mother (of almost two) to boot! Every time I look at her work, I have the urge to dig into my paper supplies and have a crafting party.

Q. You are a graphic designer, and make things for your job. How do you still stay motivated to be creative in your downtime?

A: Most times, having a personal outlet for my creativity is actually a nice change of pace from my corporate-ish graphic design job. But it's easy to become overwhelmed with so many ideas and all the inspiring things I see online everyday, so I try to take it easy on myself. For the time being, my art is really something that is just for me and it's always better when I don't put too much pressure on myself to be perfect. Sometimes I want to make stuff every day, other times I just want to doodle, or take a break for a while, and I let projects slide. I'm pretty flexible in that way.

Q: Being a mother, and a creative, do you find yourself wanting to encourage any creative aspirations in your young child (soon to be children)? What are some ways you let them express themselves creatively.

A: Yes, completely! I have been so excited lately because my son has been asking to paint, and I'm more than happy to get out the paints and play along with him. Since David is just barely 2, we haven't done too many organized art projects yet, but I think there is a lot that we do to encourage his curiosity about the world. Exploring the little details in nature, singing and dancing, building with play-doh or blocks, and reading lots of books are things I really enjoy with him. I try to keep it all pretty light because I'm not a huge believer in forcing little kids to learn something; it's better to let it happen organically and that's where the creativity will come from. And of course I'm excited to do all those things with Baby # 2, whenever he or she decides to come out and join us!

Q: Tell us a little bit about your own creative process when it comes to collage art.

A: Most times I start with a specific photo, scrap of paper, or a phrase I've written or cut out, and the rest of my collage builds from there. My small art journal is the main place I work, so I also have a feeling or event that I'm trying to record. Next, I take my time going through my stash of paper and fabric scraps, finding colors or images or patterns that I think would work well together. I tend to use a lot of vintage materials, because I love the feel of old paper, or papers that I've painted myself. Then it's all about cutting, pasting, arranging and re-arranging. That's the fun part! Letting the materials guide me and just following through with the work feels like magic sometimes. It's the best feeling.

Q: When do you feel most inspired to create?

A: The start of a new project or fleshing out a new idea is super fun. And collage is a pretty cheap thrill too, because a lot of times I get the most inspired by whatever dusty old book I found at a thrift store for 90 cents. To be totally honest though, whenever I can catch a quiet moment and I'm not already worn out from my work/house/family duties is when things really happen! I have to take advantage of those little pockets of time whenever I find them.

Be sure to check out Katie's flickr and tumblr for plenty more inspiration. Thanks for participating, Katie!