Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Interview Wednesdays: BlueBicicletta

Hello there! It's Wednesday, and you know what that means: another interview here with a member of the SactoMetro Etsy Street Team! Since I have not received any new interviews this week, I thought this might be a good time to let you all know a little bit more about me, the poster of these interviews. So, I had a little chat with myself and below, you can see the results.

Also, as always, we want to do interviews with each and every member of the SactoMetro Etsy Street Team, so please check out this post to find out about submitting your interview.


Tell us a bit about yourself
.

My name is Nicole Docimo, and I sell original drawings, prints, buttons, cards and other creative paper items in my shop called Blue Bicicletta ("Beach-ee-clet-tah"---it's Italian for bicycle). I also have a blog called Blue Bicicletta that preceded the shop, and is actually what started this whole online creative escapade. I like to say that making art feels like riding my bike fast, down hills, wind blowing my hair back, hence my shop/blog name.

In a nutshell, I love to put black lines on white paper, and many of my drawings come from that simple place. I also love poetry, words, and the alphabet, so a lot of my drawings bring together simple line drawings and words to create a message about life, or things I value. In the non-cyber world, I live in Davis with my husband Mike and my big beastly (German Shepherd mix) dog, Lance.





When you aren’t crafting, what else are you up to?

I love to cook just about as much as I love to draw, so I do a lot of cooking (and eating, of course). I also love to spend time outside walking and hiking. I am a complete public library nut---I love books and reading, and I don't know if you've heard, but the public library is chock-full of books that you can take home for FREE. Also, as you might imagine from my shop name, I love to ride bikes, and I try to ride my bike most places. My bike is even blue (like my name says).

What first inspired you to become a crafter/artisan?


I've made art as long as I can remember---when I was a little girl, I used to prance around saying I would be an artist. Perhaps being told one too many times that it was near impossible to make a living as an artist, I got away from drawing in college and studied writing, one of my other creative loves. After college, I found the job prospects very unexciting and had a string of jobs that really didn't fit me (in fact, many bored me to tears).

After a few years of the daily grind, I realized something was really missing, and that I didn't want to get stuck in a dead-end job for the rest of my life. I realized what was missing was art, and so I tip-toed back in, with the help of the wonderful book The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron.

I saw other artists really making a space for themselves online, and so I started my blog. My blog motivated me to make more art, just so I could post about it. That art, generated more art, and so, it snowballed from there.



Describe your creative process. What do you do to get inspired? How do you make your pieces, when do you work on them, what materials do you use?

As I mentioned above, I think art generates more art. I notice that the more art I make, the more ideas I get. There is an endless resource of creativity in the world---really! I think it's just a matter of opening yourself up to it and jumping in. A lot of times, I get ideas while I'm walking or riding my bike---I've developed many of my pieces while pedaling around Davis. I often draw up ideas in my sketchbook first and then, once I've gotten a good idea of how I think it should look, I start putting ink to paper. Also, sometimes when I don't have an idea, I'll just start drawing and see what comes. Triangles are a good place to start. I love triangles.

What handmade possession do you most cherish?


I most cherish a number of handmade blankets, sweaters, and scarves made by family members. I love that when I use these items, I can think about that person.

Name your top 3 books, movies, musical groups and websites.


Books: too many to choose, but three I love: Portraits in Sepia by Isabel Allende, Poemcrazy by Susan Wooldridge, Owls and Other Fantasies (poetry) by Mary Oliver

Movies: Four Weddings and a Funeral, Good Will Hunting, Amelie

Musical Groups: Bob Marley, The Temptations, Cat Power


What piece of Etsy advice can you give your fellow team members that has been most helpful to you so far?

Hang in there. Keep trying new things. I keep reminding myself that marketing my art is just another creative project. If I think of it that way it's more fun, and it opens up a whole lot of new ideas. I think it's also important to think beyond Etsy---Etsy is amazing and wonderful, but I think it's good to try a lot of different things to connect with your audience. I try to think of Etsy as one avenue in a whole world of avenues for my art career. Also, find your own path in marketing by doing things you actually like. If you actually like and are excited about doing something, you'll do a better job at it.

How do you promote your Etsy shop/products?


I blog, I renew items a lot, I email other blogs about my work, I do craft shows, I try to visit a lot of other blogs to see what's going on and get involved through commenting. Currently, I'm trying to think of creative ways to use my writing background as a marketing tool, and I'm developing an email list to give people updates on what's going on in my art world.


What is your ultimate goal with your Etsy shop(s)/crafting/artwork?

My ultimate goal is to inspire people to live their best life through my art. There have been moments for me when seeing art or reading something has set my brain on fire, or fundamentally changed the way I look at things. I would love to give that experience to someone else. On a more business level, my ultimate goal is to be able to support myself well through my creativity.

Where can we find you online?

Shop
Blog


Thanks so much for taking a moment to get to know me better! Also, please, please, please submit your interview so that you can be featured on this lovely blog, and I don't get declared insane for talking to myself. Remember, check out this post for interview questions!

3 comments:

Heike said...

Hi Nicole! Great interview :)..I also read "The Artist's Way", and it was quite a revelation to me.

Trucdart said...

Great interview! Thanks for sharing more about yourself. :)

Malea said...

Hey Nicole. I tried to comment the other day while at work but it didn't work for some reason. Anyhow, I love your style. Thanks for the tip about the Craft Center at UCD!

Post a Comment