Creating Success around the World

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 - Molly @ 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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Today's guest is another of the many talented illustrators and painters on etsy. Geneviève sells her beautiful pictures and other sweet handmade goods at her shop "Mademoiselle G". Visit her blog here.

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 started making portraits of characters that I had in mind in 2006-2007, during my first year of university. I had made arts studies before that, and had some paintings envies again, but in my little appartment far away from home (had left my parent's home near Montreal to go study history of art in Brussels and…to be with my belgian boyfriend!) I just didn’t have the space to work on big canvas. So I decided to work on smaller and easier supports like 8x10 canvas and thick papers, in a more „illustration“ mood.

When I heard about Etsy by my little sister and my mother, I decided to open my shop online, and that was it! I sold there prints of my paintings and drawings, but also paper goods, some other goodies like pendants and I also started to make art dolls about a year ago.

 

Please, tell us a little bit about the place and the country that you live in.

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I live in Brussels, Belgium, since 2006 but I’m from near Montreal in Canada. Brussels is really a city I like, where there’s always something exiting to do but at the same time with a kind of village atmosphere. Belgians are very sweet people, very friendly and funny!

Do you think that your surroundings influence your creativity? How? 

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It maybe does, but it’s more people and other artists that inspire me than the place where I live. I discovered many awesome things when I was studying history of art, and primitive belgian artists like Jean Van Eyck, Bruegel, or contemporary artists like René Magritte that are very impressive! Brussels is also a very important place for the Art nouveau movement, and we can see this kind of architecture everywere in the city

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

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When I discovered Etsy, I was very surprise to see how many talented illustrators and artists that where there. I understoud too that I had to bring there my own little world and share it with others, so I tried (and still do) to keep that personal touch for each creation that creates a global atmosphere.

 

 Why did you decide to sell what you are creating?

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When I discovered Etsy, I thought that selling some of my drawings would be fun, just to know what people would think of my work. Didn’t know it would become such an important part of my free time!

How did you start your business?

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Things got started in a very simple way (and they still are). I just decided to put some of my creations online, and then started a blog to talk about these items and the way that I work, and that was it! Things are pretty the same now, because I only do this as an amateur. I also participate to caft markets about one or two times a year.

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

influence your work?

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I would say that it’s the fact that I like to try everything and discover new techniques. I started with paintings, and then some ink drawings, some jewellry, and then dolls…And don’t know what will comme next! It surely has an influence on my work by creating a constant evolution. Making dolls is also a new way to bring characters that I have in mind in a even more „concrete“ way.

What would you regard as your greatest weakness in terms of your creativity and how do

you deal with it?

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Think I’m a bit pessimist sometimes. If I’m in a day where I’m not able to make anything good, or if I have a „no inspiration“ period, I can quickly think thant this is the end of creation for me, for ever! But when I have moments like these, I try to put things into perspective and just take some time to do nothing, or to read or make cookies…Everything but not art! Must give a break to your brain sometimes.

How do you stay motivated and inspired?

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I really like to go search for some inspiration on the web. There are so many sites that can be a great source of ideas, like flickr, other artists blogs, or even wikipedia to discover artists, historics persons or costumes…But I always keep my eyes open in everyday life. New ideas can appear everywhere!

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

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I don’t really think about future for now, because I have to search for a „real“ job as I have just finished my studies. As two years is not that far, I hope I will at least have a new appartment with my very own little space to work on my creations. For know, I make them on my kitchen table! Maybe I’ll take some illustration lessons too, or photoshop and Illustrator classes.

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

creating?
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I think that is very important to see this kind of business as something fun, and not try to make as much as possible items to have a large offer when you begin to sell online. It’s better to have a smaller amount of items, but well made with love.

Also trying new techniques and see your creation with a new point of vue can be very positively surprising! Keep your eyes and your mind open and the most important: keep dreaming like a child!

Thank you so much for your openness, Genevieve!  

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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!