We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Julia Brukx a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Julia, thank you so much for taking the time to share your lessons learned with us and we’re sure your wisdom will help many. So, one question that comes up often and that we’re hoping you can shed some light on is keeping creativity alive over long stretches – how do you keep your creativity alive?
I keep my creativity alive by never, ever making it my priority. I did that once; I had spent years wishing for my “big break,” when I had finally gotten enough other things out of the way that I could dedicate all of my energy to my creative pursuits. I burnt out almost immediately. My creative outlet is knitting. It began as a meditative activity to unwind after a long day, and has evolved to designing my own garments and experimenting with what is possible in the medium. It has long been a haven for me to indulge in after a long day, to see monotonous work turn into something I could only see in my brain. I had hoped one day to start my own brand, and still do. However, when I dedicated all my time to it, when I set myself deadlines and began catering to customers, I found my creative well empty. At the end of a long day of work, I could no longer indulge in what I had once found comforting. Additionally, when the entirety of my worth is tied in my creative endeavors, and how that fares compared to others, I have to detach it from myself. It suddenly felt too personal to design from my heart, because there was the chance that when rejection inevitably comes, they were rejecting me, not my work. So now, I occupy a kind of double-life, knitwear designer by early morning and late night, student by day, toiling away over history books and archival documents in the library, engaging in uncreative work so that I still have creativity to give when I go home.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I am a designer, currently showcasing my work on instagram @teapotknits, but soon to expand to other ventures, including selling patterns and finished pieces. I am dedicated to slow, sustainable fashion, using thrifted and used textiles and giving them new life. Additionally, I am working on designs to minimize textile waste. Finally, my designs are inspired by timeless styles, not caught up in the rapid trend cycles that contribute to massive waste in the fashion industry. To continue living on the planet that we call home, we all need to do our part to minimize our own waste, but that does not have to come at the expense of expressing ourselves through fashion.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
The most important realization that came in my journey was that other people, though they may be your competitors, are almost always willing, and eager, to help you in your journey. I have relied on people that I have looked up to, feeling guilty for burdening them, and they have helped me reach the position I am at today. More than that, however, now that I have become a person that other people can look to, I adore when people come to me for help, and I want to do everything in my power to see them succeed. Creative fields pit individuals against each other, but when one in the community does well, everyone is better for it. One skill that is difficult to learn, but necessary, is that you are better for having failed. However, it is not enough to just deal with failure, but to go back, undo everything went wrong, and start from the top. Though it may be exhausting, it is far better to deal with the mistake as soon as possible than to power through and hope that it all works out later. This could mean admitting to yourself, and others, that you have failed, when you really don’t want to, but it’s always worth it to fix the problem sooner rather than later. This manifests itself very literally with knitting, when I’ve miscalculated something rows and rows back, I don’t always want to unravel all my hard work in order to fix it. It’s fine, I try to convince myself, I can fix it later. But, as I continue, the problem becomes all the more obvious, and I’ve wasted more time and resources than I would have if I had only fixed it in the start.
And finally, people are always going to tell you who you should be. Sometimes, this can feel so comforting, if you’re lost and searching for your brand, to be able to lean on what others expect of you can seem like one more thing off your plate. However, one day, one way or another, you are going to find yourself, and your expression, and your brand, and you are going to have to rebuild what you’ve built in your own image. So, it’s difficult, but stay true to yourself from the very start, and you will be better for it.
Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?
When I feel overwhelmed, I go outside, I put on a podcast, and just walk. I usually don’t have any destination in mind; I don’t spend time beforehand thinking about what’ll be the most picturesque or what’ll get me to somewhere I need to go. I just start walking, one foot in front of the other. I choose a podcast that’ll keep my mind occupied, more so than music, which allows my thoughts to wander and sometimes spiral. Once I hit play on the podcast, I am no longer allowed to open my phone. Usually, I choose This American Life because the variety of types of stories give me a chance to put everything that I’m feeling into perspective. Other people’s stories are not necessarily earth-shaking, but they are important, and so are mine, but they’re ultimately only one part in this massive experience of life on earth. I walk, separating myself physically and mentally from the things that are making me feel overwhelmed, and when I come back, I find myself able to dedicate myself once again to the issue at hand with fresh eyes. Another strategy for when I feel overwhelmed is to go to bed early, set an alarm, and wake up before the sunrise to complete the work at hand. When the sun goes down, I hit a wall, and my productivity comes to a plateau. However, in the morning, the day is rich with possibility. Time that didn’t once exist is generously granted to me, and by the time the sun does rise and I’m sipping my coffee, I’ve proven to myself that I can get something done in this day.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teapotknits/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julia-brukx-166b28203/
