Studio Tour with Kristen Richard from @kristenanne__

1. TELL US A BIT ABOUT YOU AND HOW @kristenanne__ BEGAN?

 As the pandemic began I was in the midst of some very big life changes & the desk job I had taken the year before was no longer getting me out of bed in the morning. I have always been a creative and the first time I saw a picture of a macrame piece I became lost in wonder of the creative process that brought this art to life. I quickly found how therapeutic fiber art was for me and once I picked it up I couldn’t put it down. 

 Early into my fiber journey, a friend of mine invited me to be a vendor for a pop up he was hosting & I reluctantly said yes. I showed up with a handful of the most basic pieces that clearly showed how new to the game I was. I think I maybe sold 3 of them, but because I had done something so far out of my comfort zone I left that day feeling on top of the world. For the first time in years I was an active participant in my own life. I left my job and have spent the past two years pursuing a career as a fiber artist

 Stepping out and leaving behind all the securities I had become so used to in order to venture into a business where I am honestly still learning my craft everyday was the beginning of me learning to want the uncomfortable & to always follow the dreams that make me most nervous to go after. 

 Kristen Anne Fibers was built on a foundation of no longer being bystanders in our own lives, & serves as my personal daily reminder to not just dream but actually be. 

      2. WHERE ARE YOU ORIGINALLY FROM AND HAS YOUR UPBRINGING AND BACKGROUND SERVED AS INSPIRATION FOR YOUR WORK?

 Although I was born in Louisiana, I will always claim East Texas as my original home. My mom has painted for as long as I can remember. She actually built my first doll house and I swear I’ll never forget the feeling of waking up to that & all the hours of playing in this house, standing as tall as I was, that my mom hand painted, just for me. Although I was young, I still understood that money was a factor in why my doll house was handmade and not from Toys-R-Us, and I’m so happy I did. Growing up, before I was even aware of it, I was watching my mom show me that in life you can always create your own happiness. Because we could not afford to have every single thing we wanted or go everywhere we would have loved to travel, we learned how to turn our wants into something we could create for ourselves.

3.  HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR STUDIO / HOME SPACE AND DOES IT REFLECT YOUR PERSONALITY?

We hang our hats in a 200 sq. ft Airstream that has been renovated more times then I know at this point, as it has been a constant evolving reflection of who we are mentally at the time. 

 Almost 50 sq. foot of our tiny home is my extra tiny fiber studio. Spending almost my entire day within these 200 sq. ft quickly brought to light the importance of functionality and inspiration these 4 walls needed to hold. Our most recent renovations transformed the space into an organized minimalist meets jungalow vibe, with built in wood cabinets, a mood setting color palette, a jungles worth of plants and the most intentional curation of pieces that hold deep meaning to us. 

 4. WHAT IS YOUR PROCESS OF CREATION AND OR MAKING, DO YOU HAVE ANY RITUALS?

We kickstart our day off pretty solid to get our heads mentally geared for the day of creating that lies ahead. When our bodies are ready to start the day, one of us gets coffee going, the other gets the bed set up for a good morning session where we bust out the days “To Create List”, go over goals, take care of any engagement or emails, get out any writing that’s been sitting on our brains, and take the time to slowly take in our space and gaze out the window for some much needed daydreaming. Once we’re ready, the quick 6 foot walk to my studio gives me just enough time to get the days playlist started and then we’re off to creating. 

      5.DO YOU GIVE IMPORTANCE IN THE INCORPORATION OF OTHER ELEMENTS IN YOUR WORK OTHER THAN FIBER?

As much as the fibers mean to my pieces, the foundation which they hang from is picked just as intentionally. 

 Before the tying of the knots or even planning out the designs, we hop on the road to our favorite local ETX beach to spend the next few hours digging, crawling through bushes, stacking up piles & making what feels like 1000 hauls back & forth with our arms loaded down with washed up driftwood.

 By the time we’ve collected all that we can, we’re covered in sand & absolutely exhausted, knowing that we are heading home just to get back to work for the rest of the evening in our studios.

 It’s a long, sweaty, sandy day.

 But as much effort as step one of creating my pieces is, knowing that what I get to create isn’t only my work, but the work of something much bigger than me is absolutely exhilarating. It’s some of the truest beauty in the most natural form.

 Erica, owner of THrō Ceramics, also hand makes all of the ceramic beads and rings that I use in my plant hangers. Not only does it set them a part, but using elements purposefully made to compliment my work created by my favorite ceramicist makes a simple hanger hold so much significance.

 It’s the combination of the different art mediums all tied together in my work that ignites so much inspiration & has me itching to get my ideas out of my head & into the world.

      6. ZODIAC SIGN

I am a Gemini.

 7. WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE GANXXET COLOR FIBER? 

My favorite Ganxxet fiber color palette is hands down my Canyon Ritual series palette I am currently working on. The Zero Waste 4mm Soft Cotton Cord in Brick, Rust, Canyon, Dune & Taupe make for the perfect red rock inspired collection.

 8. WHAT HAS MADE YOU HAPPY LATELY. 

So much has brought me joy lately. I recently attempted a dream I had for years to go work/live at a national park. While there I had some solid realizations about myself, my work and what matters to me so although the experience was cut short, it ended right when it was supposed to. Since coming back home the series of events that have followed are consistent pieces of proof that I am where I am supposed to be. That feeling of knowing I’m headed in the right direction has been incredibly motivating to keep digging into myself and not holding back with my work. Life has made me really happy lately.

9. WHAT HAS BEEN AN EXPERIENCE THAT HAS MADE YOU GROW AS A FIBER ARTIST. 

My recent Zion National Park quest really shifted something in me as an artist. 

It’s as if it peeled back a layer I hadn’t yet tapped into, with much more vulnerability and drive. I came home with the realization I was ready to take my seat at the big girls table as both an artist and a business owner. Since being back I have started tapping into much larger scale pieces and ideas I had been holding back attempting.

    10. WHAT HAS BEEN THE BEST PART ABOUT THE LIFESTYLE YOU HAVE?

I am currently sitting on my rug I tossed out in the middle of the yard, full comfy vibes in my lounge attire (aka my pajamas), hair on top of my head, sunshine beaming down on the computer screen from my pouf desk, while working on the unacceptable number who knows of coffee today, with my headphones playing our favorite playlist, typing out answers to these wonderfully thought provoking questions to a fiber company I greatly admire. What more could I want? 

 I love how my work keeps me connected to the simple pleasures in life. 

 My lifestyle is pretty unconventional, and being a fiber artist compliments it so well. 

 The freedom my career gives me is worth every sacrifice it requires.

 11. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TOLD YOU LOVED THEM?

My favorite person, my girl friend, Erica Williams, owner of THrō Ceramics, my muse.