Interview: Yas of Quill and Fox

I’m a homebody. I can never run out of things to do indoors. I love hanging out with my husband Andrew, who also works from home. I’m a bit of a daydreamer. It’s a habit I never really outgrew from when I was a kid. It’s great, because at my age, and in what I do, it’s actually quite useful! I’m horrible at memorizing things, and I have an inexplainable fear of phone calls, or the anticipation of. Should I be telling you these things?! Haha.

Have you always been creative?

Yes! I’ve always loved illustrating and making pop-ups as a kid. I never really lost my interest for paper and pictures. 

Tell us about your creative process. How does your work go from an idea to a finished design?

I do a lot of thumbnails and rough sketches. I also hash out colors, and just basic color blocking. I spend most of my time in this process really. It’s a lot like giving birth (I imagine..?). It’s really hard but very satisfying once I get an idea laid out and all. Executing it is the easiest and fasted part. 

How long does it usually take for you to develop a new piece, start to finish?

For my cards, they really vary. I’ve had to sit on something for a week or two. Some are a lot quicker. It’s really about when the idea strikes you, and unfortunately, sometimes our brains can have an off day! Which can be really frustrating. I’ve been lucky enough at a few times where I’ve hit gold in one sitting.  

How would you describe your style to someone who hasn’t seen them before?

A softer, maybe clumsier interpretation of children’s book drawings, like The Little Golden Books. I’ve never been really great at drawing impeccably realistic things. So I guess you could say, I’m good at drawing bad! 

What inspires you/your work? 

Patterns, and colors inspire me a lot. I also love things that have carefully structured layouts. You see them in the simplest things like a box match sticks or the back side of a carton. 

What is your work space like?

I share my work space with my husband. It’s in one of our rooms upstairs. I have two tables that I work on, for production work and for when I’m designing on the computer. My large production table at the moment has become a really huge shelf of random things–much to my husband’s dismay! I hardly have any space to work on it anymore. (Making a mental note, to do a bit of tidying up later!) 

Do you have any tips for getting yourself out of a creative rut?

Step back and do something else completely unrelated. Basically, just unwind and kick back. Sometimes you come up with a great idea when you’re not actively brainstorming, even. But mostly, it’s always just good to relax so you can refresh your enthusiasm to keep trying.

Have you sold your creations at markets before?

Not yet, but I do want to! I’d love to experience something a bit more different than selling online. 

Do you prefer selling in person or online?

In terms of practicality, online is definitely a more preferred means for me. Only because I get to reach more people and it’s a lot more versatile. But I do like the sense of community and tactile nature of participating in events and markets. I think it’s important to do a bit of that as well.

Do you want to do a market one day?

Yes! When I’m ready.

If you had to pick one of the items in your etsy store right now to be your favourite which would it be?

Just dive in and immerse yourself on it. I’m not a very technical person, and a lot of the nitty gritty details of producing and selling your own creations, I learned through trying and making mistakes. I’m probably not even the best person to ask, as I’m still learning a lot of these things. 

There’s quite a ton! A lot of the blogs I follow, have pinterest accounts, so it’s been much easier for me to look through all these curated eye candies now.  Currently, I’m always looking at Joy Cho’s blog. She curates a good range of things from paper to fashion. Really freshing stuff.  

Last of all if you were given stuck on an island and you could only take one person and 3 objects with you, who and what would you take? (and you cant take a boat 😉 )

My husband. If it’s actually a paradise beach we’re getting stranded on forever , I would bring a very fluffy soft blanket we can share (banana leaves aren’t that snuggy), a pack of cards, a volleybal for sports and for possible extra company to play 3 player card games with.

Where you can find Quill and Fox

Website // Twitter // facebook

Thanks for giving us a glimpse into your life Yas!