This beautiful eyewear cleaning cloth collaboration is Clara's expresion of our manifesto to help people Reframe Your World.
Here's Clara's words:
What does being an artist mean to you?
For me, an artist is someone who takes the way they see the world and the things / inspirations that excite them and translate it into visuals / whatever art form it takes. I think it can be quite a loaded word, and I definitely get imposter syndrome around using it, but am gently trying to put it out there. An ‘artist’ in their medium accesses a certain kind of flow which feels ‘just right’ when It comes to saying what they want to say with their work, or even if it’s just satisfying and lovely in the process itself. I think it can have deep meaning but equally be really playful.
What challenges did you need to overcome as an artist (or personally) to reach the level you're at?
I’ve been self employed for a long time, I’ve never actually had a ‘grown up’ job on the other side of university, which I think has been a lucky but strange one to navigate as I’ve kind of ‘winged’ it on on my own steam since quite young with my work, and have had my seriously high expectations of myself. I think a huge challenge is definitely around treading the line of being a ‘creative’ in a capitalist system, and having to sell that creativity for money, whilst preserving some. Recently I’ve realised you so have to keep some creativity for yourself otherwise the well will run dry everywhere, but when your to do list is long and the clients are expecting work it can be hard to find those moments to experiment, to sketch and pursue your own ideas. Also, I bridge quite a broad spectrum of ‘creativity’ - I’m a brand designer and an illustrator, as well as dabbling in more traditional ‘art’, so have a solid foot in more ‘commercial’ creativity, and trying to switch between those hats can become quite difficult.
Has producing art changed or altered your outlook on life?
I was lucky enough to grow up in a creative household, where ‘art’ and creativity (in all its forms) was apart of life and not a luxury or something separate to yourself. I can’t remember being inseparable from the art and work I produce, so for me it flows with my life as opposed to something that moves it. I think as I get older and have sold my creativity for a longer time, I realise how important it is to keep art and creating as a joy as opposed to a job. As a child it was something that would relax me and be full of playful exploration, but when you are are employed to wield that in a certain direction often, it can be super hard to keep that essence for yourself and appreciate the benefits yourself. You can be so focussed on the end result you forget to appreciate and relax into the process also, and let it delight you and move you like it can when there are no expectations.
How are you reframing your world through art?
For me, my art and work as broad whole, is my trying to bring beauty into the world through the lens of my interests and intrigues. Folklore, mythology, nature, spirit are all aspects that deeply inspire and are woven through my work - I hope that the playful, contemporary expression of those stories, creatures and symbols that we all share in our collective psyche feels resonant with people, even if it is just for the aesthetic aspect. I love depictions of strong feminine characters, and I know there are people who love that about my work. I like the idea of reconnecting myself to these stories and what they mean, symbolise etc, and helping others tap into that connection; with nature, with myth, with esoteric, unexplainable things about the world and earth that modern society seems to want to reject. I feel delight in that reconnection and expression.
