Creative of the Month
Laura Filas
1) Tell us a little bit about yourself and why you consider yourself a Creative.
My name is Laura and I am a freelance illustrator and a full time student (I’m majoring in graphic design). I own and run an Etsy shop and I also illustrate for Local Wolves, an independent monthly publication. I spend lots of time at antique stores hunting for old photographs, magazines, and records. I love the desert and the ‘70s and making playlists. I take photos whenever I have the chance.
I am a creative because I constantly crave to make tangible my daydreams, the things I feel, and places I wish I could visit. I can’t stand the idea of confining my thoughts inside the walls of my head, so I put them on paper.
2) Who inspires you the most?
Definitely my mom. She’s the one who started me out with a crayon and a piece of paper as soon as I could hold one. Ever since then, I’ve grown while observing her relentless spirit and work ethic. She is so dedicated to everything she does and she is the most encouraging and caring human I’ve ever met.
I also have a few illustrators whose work I adore. I’ll make a quick list: Sophie Morille, Henrietta Harris, Ashley Percival, Erin Althea. That list could go on, but I’ll cut it there.
3) What is the last book you read and what is your all time favorite read?
The last book I read was actually a play. It is called Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo and I read it for one of my classes. It was a light read, but the subject matter was incredibly heavy. It was probably one of the most beautifully written things I’ve digested in a while.
My favorite book is either The Great Gatsby or Catcher in the Rye, though I always lean more towards the latter. It’s written in a way that’s almost dizzying and so impossibly vivid. I’ve yet to stumble upon something that seems so real and flows that seamlessly.
4) How do you express yourself?
I express myself mainly through a mixture of illustration, painting, collage, embroidery, design, and photography. But also with fashion, writing, and my obsession with interior decoration.
5) What is your most favorite project you’ve ever worked on?
It’s always the one that you last worked on, right? At least it feels that way. This is always a hard question to answer because I’m truly most excited about what I just finished, but there are also projects from the past that I’m happy with. I’m currently working on a project that I haven’t publicly shared yet and it’s stealing the title of “most favorite”, so I’ll just mention a piece entitled “Sometimes It’s Real”. It’s a small collection of pencil illustrations and marker doodles I created, collaged with a photograph I found at an antique shop and embroidered on top of. It will probably be part of my little project.
6) What would be your biggest and wildest dream concerning your creative talent?
Maybe it doesn’t seem so big and wild, but I’d be pretty content with making a living off of creating art. Having my small business grow and maybe transition to an actual storefront shop, rather than just an online one would be amazing.
7) Describe your perfect day.
Hmmmm, to start off, it would be a sunny day (sometime in late June or early July). I’d wake up early and head into the city and spend the day maybe doing some sketches and taking some photos, wandering into an art museum or two, sitting by the lake. In the afternoon, I would have a picnic and catch one of my favorite bands playing at a local venue afterwards.
8) If you only had one tool for the rest of your life to express your creativity, what would it be?
I would have to say a basic mechanical pencil. I start about 99% of my projects in pencil and ink most, but leave others completely in pencil. I don’t know what I’d do without one.
9) If you were a character in a book, who would you be and why?
You’re asking the wrong person. 🙂 Even though I love to create different worlds in my illustrations, paintings, and photographs I wouldn’t want to lead a different life and I don’t like thinking too much about it. I’m still somewhat of a realist, despite my active imagination. But…. If I really had to choose, it would be Christopher Robin. I love children’s books and the illustrations are so soft and sweet. Also, Christopher Robin is really wise (and he gets to talk to Winnie the Pooh, of course)
Leave a Reply