Creative Family Series | Adriane Duckworth
by Jennifer Cooper, posted on May 31st, 2012 in creative family series
Adriane Duckworth is pretty much a powerhouse. She paints! She’s blogs! She’s smart! She’s charming! And all of this shines brilliantly throughout her work. I was recently introduced to the Canadian artist and was instantly smitten. Not only is she incredibly warm and friendly, she’s crazy talented. Take a peek at her nursery collection. Swoon!
So naturally, I thought I’d ask her here today to talk about creativity and how she got where she is today.
How would define creativity?
Creativity to me is the ability to trust your instincts and allow yourself to just DO something. Whether you paint, write, draw, sew, build, etc. Just let yourself try it. You don’t have to be the best at something to be creative.
Have you always considered yourself creative?
Always. I remember being about 4 and telling my Mom that I wanted to write and illustrate a kids book. It was a book that I had made on graph paper, folded in half, and there was something about a lion. That’s about all I remember. That’s my earliest memory like that, but there are about a million in between.
How do you nurture your own creativity?
For me, being creative is a two step process. First, I am always, always open to inspiration. There’s a lot going around the web these days about inspiration, how it can be bad, Pinterest concerns, etc. But to me I couldn’t be creative without being inspired. They’re hand and hand. The second part is to make time for it. It’s not always easy for me, with a one year old, a husband, a to-do list a mile long. But I won’t let too much time pass without designating time to paint.
Did you grow up in a creative household? If so, what were some of the ways your parents nurtured your creativity and curiosity?
My Dad is an artist/musician, so I was always surrounded by creativity. For me, it was all about playing with everything in my Dad’s work space, which probably drove him nuts. But he let me…and I think that’s when I fell in love with art in general. Not only that, but both my Mom and Dad have such specific tastes in art (my Dad is all Picasso, my Mom, Van Gogh). I grew up knowing that it was important to be moved by something.
How do you hope to nurture it in your children?
I’m hoping that Benjamin will have an interest simply because he will be surrounded by it. If he doesn’t seem into it, I plan on trying things out with him, little projects, to show him how much fun it can be to create something. Maybe he’ll be really into painting, or writing, or sidewalk chalk. I’ll take it in whatever form it comes in.
What are some of your favorite ways to spend time together as a family?
My absolute favourite thing to do as a family is spend time outside. I feel SO good after a day down by the waterfront in our city, or even just a picnic in our backyard.
How have you been able to integrate work with pursuing your creative passions?
For years I’ve been in Marketing roles, which I suppose is artistic in a business-y way. But, when I went on maternity leave last year I started selling my paintings on Etsy and have had a really great response so far. I’ve read about artists going years without making a sale and my first one came within a day. I have a long way to go before I’m a success story, but I have big plans, and I hope to get there.
Tell us how you got into painting?
To be totally honest, it started out as a result of me wanting art for our home, and not being able to find what I had in mind. I had done it off and on for years, until one day I painted a large piece for our living room…and that was it. I’ve been doing it constantly ever since.
What are you working on now?
I’m in the process of creating a couple of exclusive lines of paintings for two boutique shops that are opening up soon. It’s such an exciting project! I’m also working on commissions here and there for clients and interior designers, and I have SO many more paintings I want to do for the shop. I also have plans to expand on my kids line. That’s my next big goal for sure.
From time to time everyone’s creative juices wane. How do you handle that? Does it cause you any anxiety or do you just let it pass?
Oh yes, it’s a vicious circle. For me, I feel like I’ll have a week where all I want to do is paint, then the next week I’m so focused on marketing that I don’t have a second for it…it comes and goes like that. But I think you know something’s a good fit for you when it keeps coming back. If I’m ever feeling just completely uninspired, then I try to surround myself with things that will get me thinking about colours, textures, etc. Magazines, shops, books, Pinterest. There’s so much out there to inspire you. For the most part though, it’s more a struggle of having enough time to paint. I have a constant list of things I want to try—it grows and grows.
You can find Adriane on her blog the A & B Stories, shop her collection on etsy, follow her on instagram and twitter.
Vi Masney Says:
