Creativity through Adversity: Inspiring Personalities in Craft

In the words of Johannes Brahms, ‘without craftsmanship, inspiration is a mere reed shaken in the wind.’

Whether you use words, wood or leather, craftsmanship provides a creative outlet for you to express yourself. For many of us, it is a culmination of our past experiences from which we draw inspiration. Experiences help us reference our thoughts and emotions, and adversity is said to create the most profound imprints in our memories.

Whether you are a beginner to the world of creative or a professional, CreateLab appreciates the individuality in every person out there. Rather than focusing on the competition with one another, we encourage craftspeople to showcase their best work with their own touch of creativity.

Crafts empowers you to have hands-on experiences, the very stepping stones to improvement. From architecture to photography, you can work on ventures that solely align with your interests.

In this article, we bring forth craftsmen in the UK who have gained inspiration through their times of adversity.

5 Inspirational Personality In The UK Craft World

What better way to be inspired than to learn about some inspirational personalities in the UK crafting world.
These individuals have harnessed their adversities and leveraged them as a source of inspiration, creating a sense of unique expression through their art forms.

Kyla McCallum, Origami Designer

Whenever the term ‘origami’ is mentioned, the first thing that comes to mind is a folding craft used to form images of animals and flowers. Is that what came to your mind too? Well, Kyla Mccallum, an inspiring personality, the origami designer and the founder of ‘Foldability’, is working extremely hard to change that notion.

She uses her origami to create forms used in astronomy and architecture, highlighting how complex geometries are governed using simple folds.

Her sensational skills led her to create a 2000 hand-folded flower set design for the clothing brand H&M, and is thus fondly known as the ‘Queen of Origami’.

Besides holding seminars to inspire other budding craftsmen, Kyla doesn’t shy away from labour-intensive craftsmanship. Some intensive projects require her to create batches of modular units of hundreds or even thousands of folded paper which take weeks on end to complete.
Despite the hardships that the craft brings with it, she maintains how origami helps her achieve her state of flow. She expresses that the craft puts her in a meditative state and filters out the negative thoughts.

Know more about Kyla, her firm and how she established a base of origami crafting enthusiasts in the UK.

Read More: In Conversation With Kyla McCallum

Lucas Ferreira, Filmmaker And Ceramicist

With clay as his base medium, movies have a distinctive influence on Lucas’, one of the inspiring personalities, creative processes. He is known for sculpting exceptional porcelain images, rhythm guiding the entire narrative.

Having studied film production at a London University, Lucas often experimented with ceramics, thus laying the foundations of his dualistic approach to crafting. As he matured, he developed his own unique style in which he heroes irregularities and imperfections. Thus started creating a sense of distinctive textures when these irregularities were cohesively arranged with each other.

Over the years, Lucas has become one of the most well-known craftsmen in the UK who works with clay, yet his stance on ceramics remains constant. He has propagated how by experimenting with various visual and textural components throughout his career, he creates a sense of mystery, much like the compelling narratives in films.

You may want to read more about Lucas and his intriguing ways of craftsmanship.

Read More: In Conversation with Lucas Ferreira

Elaine Bolt, Mixed-Media Ceramist

Every object has a story of its own – that’s the creative philosophy Elaine Bolt, one of the inspiring personalities, uses in her works. She uses ceramics with commonly found things like twigs, leaves, lichen and so forth. By stimulating our minds to notice everyday objects, Elaine creates a bridge between functionality and aesthetics through her art. Elaine’s creative perspective is thus shaped by her observation as, during her childhood years, she developed a knack for paying attention to naturally available objects.

Her works attempt to stimulate thinking within the observer and establish parallels between how objects interact with people. For some people, an object may be fragile, but the same thing may represent strength for others. These personal stimuli are what Elaine aims to induce in others.

Read more about Elaine and her immaculate pieces of craftsmanship.

Read More: In Conversation with Elaine Bolt

Alex Bishop, Bespoke Guitar Designer

From being an aerospace engineer to a bespoke guitar maker, Alex, one of the inspiring personalities, represents those stuck in the corporate world and can’t follow their passion. For him, the lack of creativity at his job made him switch direction while being a craftsman was always on his mind.

Alex compares the thrill of craftsmanship to that of navigating his way through an unexplored jungle- the randomness is what is most satisfying. His love for crafts is matched only by his love of music, which is why becoming a bespoke guitar craftsman was the most obvious choice for Alex.

The unpredictability of wood’s tautness and how you need to maintain precise focus to create a magnificent product keep Alex in love with his woodwork.

“A guitar made from wood is never actually finished; it’ll always change and move over time; the sound will not stay constant. It’ll mature and sweeten”, he says.

You’ve to know more about Alex Bishop and his innovative pieces of craftsmanship.

Read More: In conversation with Alex Bishop

Majeda Clarke, Textile Designer

Migrating from Bangladesh to the UK as a child, Majeda, one of the inspiring personalities, is well-versed in the alienation that immigrants are subjected to. She didn’t let these emotions become an obstacle, instead, she widened her experience of the fusion of cultures.

Her works are a clear indication of the cultural mix- from textures of the fabric she uses to the patterns imprinted in her designs, everything is reflective of her philosophy.

Majeda successfully uses her textiles to reflect the tumultuous history, associated with both Britain and Bangladesh. At the same time, her modern designs are indicative of the colonial history between the UK and the Indian subcontinent. Majeda is a great patron of the crafts, and you need to know more about how she has used her adversities to inspire her works.

This is CreateLab –  A Inspiring Personality

CreateLab was born out of adversity when we couldn’t find what we’re looking for – the right leather goods manufacturing company in London to produce our own line of products – Nosakhari.

We founded CreateLab to deliver you an unparalleled quality of leather products in the UK. We’re incredibly passionate about design and also value the art of making excellent handmade leather products while retaining our brand aesthetic.

Be it making a sample product, sourcing leather or helping you with small and regular production runs, we have you covered!

As the article draws to a close, we hope that these inspirational craftsmen’s stories were able to kindle the creative spark within you. Don’t let adversities get in the way of your creativity; instead, harness them to unleash your emotions in the medium of choice. We at CreateLab understand your pursuit of excellent craftsmanship, which is why we work tirelessly so that you can enjoy the luxuries of authentic handmade leather accessories and experience authentic UK design at it’s finest.