A Creative Life: Laina

I am so delighted to be introducing our newest "Make" contributor today! Remember that awesome Digital Children's Book project that was featured a few weeks back? That was the creative handiwork of none other than Laina. I hope you'll help me in giving a big welcome to her and all of the fun projects she'll be sharing with us. And stay tuned because I'll be introducing her "Little Lady Totes" project right after this!


Tell us what inspires your "craftiness."

Growing up with a commercial artist for a father (who in retirement has taken up oil painting) and a mother who not only taught art at our kindergarten but also taught textiles at fashion college (oh and with a interior design license thrown in for good measure), I was constantly surrounded by color and design and craft as a child. My mom's sewing room was adjacent to my and my brother's playroom, and I think from very early on that connection between creativity and play was made for me.

How do you balance creativity and work?

Prior to my daughter's birth, I had spent over a decade in professional services. While there were opportunities for creative writing, it wasn't necessarilyy the most creative industry I could have chosen. My own personal balance came from always having some fun project going on - a scarf to be knitted, an evening art class, something to be sewn or painted or any number of home design DIYs. As a stay-at-home mom, I tend to squeeze my projects into nap times, but I so look forward to when she's a bit older and is interested in doing those activities together.

What's a typical day-in-your-life like?

These days, a typical day is chasing my 14 month-old up and down the hills of San Francisco. I feel so blessed to be able to see this city, this world, really, through her eyes. Her wonderment and curiosity are my joy.