Creating Success around the World - Blog Hop

Welcome to
Creating Success around the World

The worldwide blog hop tour, that introduces you to creative people from all corners of the globe.

Every Wednesday our hosts on each continent will introduce you to someone new whose creativity is inspiring!

Here's how you can take this worldwide tour with us:

You can follow all the hosts to support them and keep up to date with the fabulous posts they will share every week.  Then if you are inspired to join, just link up your own blog to make some new international friends.

Remember to leave us a comment when you follow us so we can follow you back! And of course we'd love if you added our button to your site to help spread the word!


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Here are your hosts:
Make sure you visit them all to see the inspiration and creative people every continent has to add to our community.
Australasia - Jill @ Creating my way to Success
Europe - Yaga @ The Shiny Bubble
North America - Suzy @ Suzy's Artsy Craftsy Sitcom
South America - Dolly @ Marya Mariah
Asia - Janelle @ Of Pinks and Fairytales

Africa - Sadly, our African host is not able to participate in the Blog hop anymore. We are looking for somebody new to join the team - could it be you?! ;o)

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IngerMaaike sells all kinds of beautiful, handmade fiber items in her etsy-shop Ingermaaike. Her blog is called "daily felt" and shows you snippets from her life and the many other things this talented lady creates day in, day out.

Tell us a bit about your trade: What do you create, how and where do you sell your things,

how long have you been doing this?

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I create anything to do with fiber, felting,sewing,wool,silk,cotton,leather. I love to combine textures and materials. I can not remember a time when I was not making things, so I have been doing it for what must be close to an aeon  , well no I am not that old but I certainly do have many years experience.

Since starting selling my creations have taken flight however, before that there was no place to leave everything so I would not deepen my knowledge. Now I can make and perfect my skill and by selling the creations I can make things again and again till I get it just right. A terrible perfectionist 

 

Please, tell us a little bit about the place and the country that you live in. Do you think that your surroundings influence your creativity? How? 

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We used to live in Holland till about 4 years ago and though Holland is a wonderful country completely stuffed with supply outlets for my creative obsessions it is also filled with people. There are so many that we felt like we were suffocating. We needed more space to breathe so one fine day we decided to move to norway. My mother is from here so we were well known with the country and it’s people. Here nature is all around us, the colours around me are hugely inspiring. The shapes and the way nature grows around me form a large part of how I create. I love natural shapes and the feel of beauty flow through my finger

How and why did you 'pick' your creative outlet of choice?

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I don’t think I picked anything, my love of fabrics,leather and fiber is something I was born with. My mother used to make the most incredible outfits for herself as I was growing up and I watched and learned. She worked from patterns, following them with a precision I shall never attain. I hardly ever use a premade pattern, and whenever I do it is only used as a basis to adapt to my own needs. I see something in a magazine or on the net I desire and then will work till I have figured out how to make it and set about making it. Often combining several images into one.

 Why did you decide to sell what you are creating?

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One day I was searching the net to find me wool tops for my new found hobby of felting and stumbled into etsy, that was in the very beginning of the existence of etsy. I bought my wool and continued perusing etsy off and on. Then one day set up shop and forgot about the fact I had done so till I received a mail stating I had made a sale.

How did you start your business?

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From the first sale onwards it slowly evolved. My skill in photographing improved along side my skill in felting. Now we live in Norway my craft has moved from the kitchen table into a very beautiful barn we built for it. Now I will extend my selling online to selling locally and starting up classes to pass my skills along to those wanting to learn.

What, in your opinion is your biggest strength in your creative life and how does it

influence your work?

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My greatest strength is also my greatest weakness, I can not follow the rules. As soon as someone tries to tell me something must be done so then I think…really??? And set out to do it differently, cause I am always convinced I know better.

How do you stay motivated and inspired?

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I can not exist without making things, so it is not a matter of staying motivated. That would be like asking me how I continue to breathe every day, one just does 

Where do you see yourself and your creative life in two years? Do you have any plans?

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I live by the day, not as some sort of inspired choice but just because that is the way I am. So possibly I will be teaching but I could also be doing something completely different. Only time will tell.

What are your 5 hottest tips for people who want to be more successful with

creating?
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Do not create things you think others might want, create what bubbles up from your own creativity.

Don’t fear the rules, break them.

Smile and laugh often, compliment yourself and others often.

Do not wait till tomorrow to follow your dreams, you may well be dead by then..

Always question everything, the truth is never quite as simple as it is presented…

Thank you so much IngerMaaike!  

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Now it's your turn! Link up your posts: Inspiration, craftsy blahs, tutorials, tips or business talk: We wanna know! 
Link up your blog and you might be the next artist featured in our interviews!


New to the world tour? Check our previous tours here!