We recently connected with Kylah Frazier and have shared our conversation below.
Kylah, so excited to have you with us today. So much we can chat about, but one of the questions we are most interested in is how you have managed to keep your creativity alive.
Since I was very young I loved making art. The act of drawing, painting, and sculpting felt soothing and fulfilling to me. It also came naturally. But as I grew up, went to college, and eventually joined the workforce I found that the other side of myself that thrived on organization, process and logic were something I could make a strong career out of. I eventually became probably the furthest thing from an artist that 8 year old me could fathom: an IT project manager.
But regardless of my day job, making things is no less vital to my sense of self and happiness. If anything it has become more important in maintaining a balanced and fulfilling life. Today, my creative outlet primarily revolves around sewing and knitting, activities that allow me to express myself artistically while also providing a sense of accomplishment. When I’m done, these piece become not only functional items but take on a whole other form of self-expression through my personal style. Here are some specific ways I feed and make space for creativity:
Scheduled Creative Time and Dedicated Space:
I prioritize and schedule dedicated time for creative pursuits. This helps me maintain a consistent practice and ensures that my creative time is not neglected when work gets busy. Having a dedicated space is also really helpful. I use a corner of my home office as my sewing corner where my machines and in progress work can stay out where it’s easily accessible. Before I allowed it to have dedicated space, there was a whole set up and breakdown rigamarole I had to go through any time I wanted to work on a project. I’d come home from a long day at work and would want to sew but wouldn’t have the energy to set it all up. You have to give your passion space in every sense of the word and making that space made a huge difference to me. One day I’d love to have a whole room dedicated to it!
Artistic Inspiration:
I actively seek inspiration from various sources, including art exhibitions, craft fairs, and online. But really it comes from everywhere: books I read, movies I watch, people I see on the street. Exposure to diverse artistic styles and techniques sparks new ideas and keeps me excited.
Mindful Creativity:
Engaging in creative activities allows me to practice mindfulness. This has been big for me, especially as it concerns the materials I use. I love to make things but hate the idea of making stuff for stuff’s sake. There is so much over consumption in the world that I really struggled in the beginning with the idea of creating waste (albeit on a much slower and smaller scale than the fast fashion I was consuming before). I’ve counteracted this by using thrifted and recycled materials as much as I can. I’ll still buy new fabric every now and again for special pieces, but I get a great sense of satisfaction from rescuing fabric at my local creative reuse store or transforming something that already exists in my closet that I don’t wear anymore into something totally new.
Community Engagement:
Quite a few of my close friends have also really gotten into their own forms of crafting. We’ll get together for crafting circles at each others places and we even had our first mini front yard craft fair this year! We met so many cool and interesting people who stopped by to chat as they perused the tables. LA is such a big place and like any big city people tend to be guarded as they move around in their day to day life, it was so refreshing to engage with people in an atmosphere where everyone felt open. There’s just something about putting a thing you made and poured time into in front of another person, stranger or friend, that opens up the way for connection.
I also participate in online communities to connect with fellow creatives. The sewing community on Instagram (affectionately referred to as Sewstagram) is super active and generally a very welcoming and encouraging place.
Learning and Growing:
I continuously seek opportunities to learn new techniques and skills related to sewing and knitting. This ongoing learning process keeps my creativity fresh and allows me to incorporate new elements into my projects. Looking back at what I’ve made over the years I can also see how much better I’ve gotten and it keeps me excited.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
I mostly make things for myself, family, and friends and started a dedicated Instagram account a few years back as a photo journal to document my crafts. Most of what I post are garments that I’ve sewn or knitted but have included other home projects as well such as quilts and my yearly hand sewn Christmas ornaments. I used Instagram so much to gain inspiration that I wanted to start posting my creations there as well and to participate in the conversations I was seeing others have. I expected it to be a fun way to document my work and nothing more, but what has been surprising are the opportunities that came from it. Because of that account I’ve been commissioned to make several props for TV shows and even a hero prop for an immersive experience installation that involved none other than Pedro Pascal!
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?
1. You don’t have to wait until you’re “good enough.” There’s no such thing and no such bar. I really held off from posting my work at first because I thought it wasn’t interesting or well made enough or insert your adjective here enough for anyone to care. If you are interested in what you made, guess what? Others will be too. We’re all just people, you don’t have to be a prodigy. Do it because it make you happy and you’ll be rewarded with finding your community.
2. Persistence has served me all my life long and it’s been no different with my making. If it doesn’t turn out the way you imagined it in your head, you can always try again and odds are good that you’ll get at least a little bit closer. Art in all its forms is a practice, you have to put in the reps and don’t forget to enjoy the process.
3. Stay excited and keep growing. If something doesn’t serve you or make you excited anymore, move away from it. You can also put things down and come back to them later. I used to draw and paint a lot years ago, but then I discovered garment making and dove into that head first because it made me happy. When I was younger I put a lot or pressure on myself to be good at things, devoted to those things. If I wanted to paint I better be good at it and do nothing else so that skill could exponentially grow. But now I recognize the value is in doing the thing that makes you happy and not committing yourself to something for the sake of trying to be “the best.”
Who has been most helpful in helping you overcome challenges or build and develop the essential skills, qualities or knowledge you needed to be successful?
I feel like the biggest challenge to myself is often myself, I can still get in my head about being “enough.” I think self confidence comes in waves for a lot of us and it’s not always easy to remember how and why you are enough in a society that demands perfection. What has been essential to my forward progression has been the support of my loved ones, and specifically the support of my husband. He’s first and foremost my friend and believes in me and pushes me to push through even when, in a moment of weakness, I don’t believe in myself. Having people that ground you is so important.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kylahstitches/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kylahfrazier/
