An Interview with Lace & Whimsy

Marie Enamel Pin * and Piece of Cake Enamel Pin *

I am super excited to share an interview with Kathy, the founder of Lace & Whimsy, a magical space on the internet filled with kitschy cute enamel pins, stickers, prints, and more! I have been following Kathy for quite some time now, and watching her build Lace & Whimsy from the ground up as been incredibly inspiring. Here, we talk about inspiration and what to do when you don't feel "enough".

How did Lace & Whimsy come to be?
I started Lace & Whimsy back in 2014 as a personal style blog and creative outlet. I didn't have any end game in mind, I was honestly just bored and uninspired with my day job in the accounting industry and wanted a place to share some pretty things in my little world. I soon found myself dabbling with design and creating my own blog graphics. (Everything I made at first was pretty cringey when I look back on it now, but you have to start somewhere!)

A few years ago, I stumbled up upon an Instagram niche devoted to planners, stickers, and stationery. I was fascinated. I wanted to make my own stickers from my illustrations and became determined to figure out how I could do just that. I launched my first sticker collection in early 2016 and have been expanding ever since. I now offer enamel pins, prints, and other stationery goodies, in addition to my sticker sheets, which are still my biggest seller. I have some other products up my sleeve I hope to be able to launch very soon so I can continue to expand my brand away from just stickers. I always feel like I have too many ideas and not enough time to execute them all.

What are some of your favorite pieces you’ve ever done?
My favorite piece I've ever done is almost always going to be whatever piece I've most recently completed. I'm really just getting started on my creative journey and I feel like my art is evolving very quickly. Though I still look back at many of my earlier pieces with love, I'm always giddy with pride at whatever I'm currently working on. That said, I think my Delicate Fxcking Flower collection may always be my favorite. The pin in particular has been a big seller -- I just love how this design really resonates with so many people!

Where do you get your inspiration?
I get inspiration literally everywhere, it can be a little exhausting at times. My mind never stops. I definitely get a lot of inspiration from films. There are so many times I want to hit pause on a beautiful scene in an old movie and just draw it. I love watching animated shows and classic Disney movies. I focus on the way different things are drawn and what details artists choose to accentuate. I also get inspiration from taking walks or scrolling my favorite Instagram feeds. I'm never at a loss for what to create next. I have notebooks full of ideas I revisit when I'm feeling blah. I know if I browse through old pages, something is bound to spark my interest for my next project.

What advice would you give fellow creators feeling like they aren't "enough"?
Focus on your own creative journey. Don't compare yourself to others. Which is easier said than done, I have to remind myself of this constantly. There is always going to be someone who has better art, or a more curated Instagram feed, or a killer website. I try to focus on letting other creators' work motivate and inspire me on my own journey, while still staying true to my own unique voice and aesthetic.

The advice I give everyone is that whenever someone pays you a nice compliment about your work, write it down in a journal or keep a folder of screenshots. Revisit these kind words whenever you are feeling low and that your work isn't enough. Being vulnerable and putting your work out into the world is a brave thing. Keep on shining.

This post is in collaboration with Lace & Whimsy. All opinions are my own and only products I truly love are featured!