Wednesday 20 June 2012

An Interview: Creating My Way To Success



What do you create?

Well, basically I create books. Books with lots and lots of empty pages, screaming out to be Illustrated or written upon.  Journals, sketchbooks and notepads all built for a little prose, a lot of doodling or whatever takes the book lovers fancy.

The Little Bird Bindery books come in all sorts of shapes and sizes.  Hardcover and soft leather journals. I’m even happy to make custom orders.

Why do you create?

I create because I must!

I’m one of those people that’s always making something.  From a kid that knitted, a teen who designed and sewed her own clothes, a Mum that made kids hats, to middle aged lady who makes books.  Knitting, sewing, cross stitch, illustrations, painting, letterpress……..and the list goes on.  As for book binding, well, I first learnt how to make books about 3 years ago and love every single itty bitty moment of it.

That desire to CRAFT has always been in me. It’s an intrinsic part of me and I can’t remember a day where I haven’t created something, whether it’s a quick sketch of an idea or actually sitting down at my desk and making and creating.


Do you sell your creations? If so, how? Where? And is it profitable?

I do sell my books.   
You can find all my current books for sale at www.madeit.com.au/littlebirdbindery.

Initially I was very reluctant to put them out on the market. Not because I didn’t think they were good but simply because I thought nobody would want to pay for them.  It’s very easy to be highly critical of your own work so it took me long time before I recognised that other people loved my books as much as I did.

So there I was with a room full of books that needed to go to good homes and rapidly running out of places to store them.   What to do?   Well, I started giving them away.  Birthdays, anniversaries, Christmas, gifts for any occasion really.   And then something fantastic happened.  I realised that there were people out there who loved my books as much as I did and after receiving some amazing feedback I decided ‘selling them” might be worth a go.   

My books are now available to everyone on Madeit.com.au.  My little store is called “Little Bird Bindery”. You can find it right HERE.

It’s been a great learning curve and although I haven’t sold an insane number of books, I’m very proud of what I’ve achieved so far.  It’s great to see them go to good homes and treasured by someone other that myself. 

At this stage my Madeit store finances my binding habit.  One day soon (real soon) I’m hoping it will lead to bigger and better things (like stay at home and madly binding all day long. Sigh!)


What mistakes have you made or lessons you have learned?

Mistakes?   Me??  Never!

Seriously though.

A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.  (Albert Einstein)

When you’re a creative even a mistake is something good.  One mistake and what you began with can result in something pretty spectacular in the end.

But, yes, if I think real hard I guess I have made a few mistakes but by far the biggest would have to be not having faith in my skills and talents and knowing that what I produced was brilliant and admired. 

So for any fledgling creatives out there,   just do it!  Give it a go!  Nothing ventured.  Nothing gained!


What, to you is success? Have you achieved it yet, or are you on your way towards success?


Success for me is being able to be creative ALL of the time.  I don’t necessarily measure it in financial terms (although some extra cash wouldn’t go astray), but in my ability to spend time creating and learning.

Currently I’m spending more time designing covers than actual binding so I don’t have a lot for sale at the moment (must fix that) but it means what I have created, is very unique, not the same old stuff you’ve seen before.  And I’m truly, wonderfully enjoying myself.  That to me is success.


So what's next?

Next?   Gee.  I guess it’s to learn more skills and techniques to enhance my binding skills.  Take some chances and design something a little crazy perhaps.  Hit my blog a little more consistently, populate my shop and show some strength in promoting myself.
Feel free to pop into my store for a looky see. www.madeit.com.au/littlebirdbindery
Or Visit my blog for my latest ventures into the creative world of bookbinding. http://littlebirdbindery.blogspot.com.au/
Better yet.....email me:  littlebirdbindery@gmail.com

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