I discovered Andrea on Instagram and was first inspired by her Project Life spreads (still am!). Since then, I’ve enjoyed her creativity that goes beyond paper, and continues into crafts and sewing. I love seeing her incredible creativity in her projects and following along her creative journey. Welcome to the blog, Andrea!
Tell me about yourself. Hello, hello. My name is Andrea. I‘m 27 and live with my boyfriend in Switzerland. During the days, I work in an office and ;ive my creative side on the evenings and weekends. I love reading a good book (my current favorite is: The Time Traveller‘s wife by Audrey Niffenegger), watching some TV-series (Criminal Minds, NCIS, Homeland) and taking naps whenever I can.
What is one weird or interesting fact about you? I love when everything is organized by color. My clothes are organized this way, my books, my project life cards, my cardstock, just everything that could be color coordinated.
What do you do to express your creativity? There is not only one thing that I‘m doing. I always have a lot of things going on and I can‘t stop trying new things. Currently I‘m working on an art journal, knitting my second clothing (a cardigan), making mini-books about special events and ordinary days, painting some abstract art with acrylics and sewing a lot. The one thing that stays the same every week is my Project LIfe album. I work on this constantly and document our everyday life on a weekly basis.
How did you get started doing this? When I was in school, I was very creative. I took some painting classes. My favorite subject was art. I loved to sew. I had an art journal… But with the first job, my free time was very limited. When I was 20, I decided to start further education. I was working 90%of the time and went to school for 10%. It was tough and I was so glad when I had my diploma in my hands. After these 3 years, I felt the urge to start creating again. Painting was the first thing I tried, then I bought a sewing machine. In 2012, I made my first mini-book and fell in love working with paper.
What do you love most about what you do to be creative? I love that I totally forget the time and everything around me when I‘m creating something.
Who or what inspires you? Nature is my biggest inspiration. When I take a walk and see all the beauty around me, I‘m always amazed.
How do you stay inspired? What do you do when you feel stuck or uninspired? I have several notebooks where I jot down all my creative ideas. One notebook lies on my bedside table, one on my desk and one I take with me wherever I go. When I feel stuck I can always use my notebooks as a reference.
But sometimes it‘s totally okay to be uninspired. I accept these moments and don‘t force it to have to create something always and everyday. And when everything doesn’t work, a nap always a good idea.
Why do you do what you do? What motivates you to be creative? Because I love the fact that I can make something with my own hands.
Describe your creative style. I‘m someone who always tries new things and with a new thing comes a new style. So my style is constantly changing.
Name your top five favorite tools or products.
- Journaling cards – they are perfect for Project Life spreads but also to jot down a quote or used as a gift tag.
- Date stamp – I’ve used this one for years and it works very well.
- Glue runner.
- StazOn ink pad (and stamps) – StazOn works best for stamping on everything whether it‘s paper, wood, fabric or your hands.
- Zig Millennium Pens – they come in various sizes and I can write with them directly onto photos without smearing.
Are you an early bird or a night owl? When are you most productive? Night owl. I just get more awake in the evenings. If I didn‘t have to work I would mostly stay up until the wee hours.
What project(s) are you currently working on? At the beginning of May I shared my newest project. It’s called “create.share.love – 27 handmade items“. I turned 27 on May 2nd and decided to create 27 items while I’m 27. My goal is to only make things I’ve never done before. The first project was an abstract acrylic painting which I shared on Instagram.
If you had to be a color in a crayon box, which color would you be? Yellow like the sun.
If you could possess a super power, which one would you choose? I would love to have that time-turner which Hermione had in The Prisoner of Azkaban. This way I would have a lot more time to be creative.
What is your favorite quote? In the end only three things matter: how much you loved, how gently you lived and how gracefully yout let go of things not meant for you. – Buddha
I share snippets of my life on Instagram (@andreacollects) and collect inspiration on Pinterest.
Be sure to follow Andrea on her links and continue being inspired by her!
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Creative Conversations is a blog series getting to know fellow creatives and friends that I’ve made through the internet. Read more about Creative Conversations here.
Loved reading more about your creative life, Andrea! I’m so happy I found you on Instagram 🙂
thank you so much Olya.
Yay Andrea! So great to get another glimpse into who you are and what you do! Blessings!
Thank you dear Cindy.
Andrea, you are such an amazing person and so inspiring. I especially adore your art journals. I loved learning more about you.
thank you so so much Caylee 🙂