In the February issue of Bustle & Sew Magazine we were delighted to feature the lovely Rachel Grant. Rachel is an artist and designer based in ‘The Potteries’, the creative county of North Staffordshire in the middle of England. She lives and works from an old terraced house without a right angle in sight and it’s this love of history, time-worn surfaces and hidden stories that often inspire and inform her work.
We asked Rachel about the best piece of advice she’s ever been given – she told us;
‘Over the years I have absorbed SO much great advice and words of wisdom from teachers, friends, mentors, heroes and I carry them all with me and live them out on a day to day basis. My partner is incredibly supportive and is my biggest cheerleader, always lifting me up if I have a confidence wobble and most importantly reminding me to always be ME in everything I do even when that means taking a risk creatively.
But I think the best advice ever has come from my mother who instilled in me early on two important life skills that have been fundamental in my ability to endure the turbulent journey of creative selfemployment. One is to practice RESILIENCE, to actively train yourself to bounce back from disappointment and knock backs, because there are a lot! The second is the key to that skill and that is Pollyanna’s ‘Glad Game’, these days renamed by many as ‘Gratitude’. It’s amazing how much you can overcome and rise up from when you practice this skill.’
We also asked Rachel where she finds her creative inspiration…
‘I think my overarching inspiration comes from a little world I have created in my own mind where all my interests meet. I pull from my dreams of quiet, peaceful places and tiny 54 future world where we are more connected with simple, slow living. In practical reference terms I find inspiration in vintage books, dystopian films, walks along local canals passing old industrial buildings, modern homesteaders, magazines and of course Instagram and my beloved Pinterest boards! room’.’
You can find Rachel on Etsy and Instagram – be sure to pop over and say hello!
You can read the full interview in the February issue of Bustle & Sew Magazine
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