“To be able to express your personality with what you make and to be able to share that joy with others is an invaluable experience on which I thrive.”
Today’s Awakened Creator Spotlight is on Emma, a dressmaker whose 15 year devotion to fashion that is fun, colorful and fearless has added tremendous joy to the world.
Connect with Emma on her website at www.pinclothing.co.uk or Instagram @pinclothing.co.uk
Here is Emma in her own words on the creative journey and what it means to be an Awakened Creator.
Tell us about your authentic creative expression. What do you love to create and why?
I make clothes because I want to be different, I don’t want to wear what’s in fashion or what the celebrities are wearing, I just want to wear clothes that are comfortable and that make me smile, simple.
Pin Clothing is an indie fashion brand that makes easy to wear, bright, fun clothing for the child at heart. Ever found an amazing garment but it’s in the kids section? Well Pin Clothing aims to fill that ‘dress like a children’s TV presenter’ gap in the fashion market. I love anything with a bright colour and a quirky print, the more random the better! I actively seek out the most amazing fabrics, sourcing pieces from all over the UK and Europe. If the fabric looks like I could find it made up as something on the high street – then it’s a no from me!
Pin Clothing is all designed, cut, sewn, marketed, packaged, and even dropped off to the post box by myself! I’m a self taught dress maker and I work from my studio in the heart of Northampton, and have been doing so for the last 15 years. I pride myself on the quality of my work and I’d never let something out into the wild that I wouldn’t be proud to wear myself.
What most often gets in your way as a creator and how do you stay in alignment and flow?
As a creator, one of the biggest hurdles I face is staying focused on a single project for long stretches. I suspect this is from a long awaited ADHD diagnosis, my mind is constantly buzzing with new ideas, and sometimes a stray piece of fabric or interesting idea can pull me away from the task at hand. Another hurdle I sometimes encounter is translating those bursts of inspiration into finished products. While the initial spark might be strong, keeping myself organized and on track can be a challenge.
Prioritizing tasks, setting realistic deadlines, and managing my time effectively are all areas I’m actively working on improving. It can be frustrating at times, but I’m learning strategies to avoid creative chaos and ensure my projects see the light of day. What I rely on most to keep myself on track is a weekly schedule, which I would prepare the week before, with set time frames for certain tasks. The satisfaction of ticking tasks off of my schedule keeps me on track!
If you could offer words of wisdom or support to your fellow creators, what would you say?
Embrace the spark, wrestle the chaos! ADHD can bring a constant stream of ideas, but struggle with focus. See this as a double-edged sword! Capture those sparks with quick notes throughout the day, then at the end of the day, come back to them to make a proper plan for those ideas rather than instantly getting distracted by them throughout the day.
Finished is better than perfect: Don’t get bogged down in the pursuit of perfection. Sometimes the best way to move forward is to simply get that idea out of your head and into the real world! You can always work on it more later.
Find your tribe: Surround yourself with other creative minds who understand your struggles and celebrate your successes. An accountability partner or supportive community can offer invaluable encouragement and keep you motivated. I’m so lucky that I work from a studio inside an old shoe factory that’s also filled with other lovely creatives that we can bounce ideas off of, or connect over shared issues we face as creatives. Before this I was also a member of various local groups who would meet up regularly to network and share ideas!
What does being an Awakened Creator mean to you?
Want to connect with Emma?
Check out Emma’s colorful and fearless fashions on:
Instagram: @pinclothing.co.uk
Website: Pin Clothing
Do you have the desire to align with your authentic creative expression?
If you want to feel free to create from the heart, my HeART Alignment Creative Ritual guide will show you a pathway home.
I will personally guide you (with quick video lessons) through a simple yet powerful creative ritual that will bring your heART back online so you can start creating from that space again.
