M. Claire Design Studio

One thing to know about me is that I have many titles, other than being a true ‘blue’; trust me, I’ve taken the test. Some I like more than others, but some of my favorites are designer, creator, daughter, sister, friend, and geek. The first two are pretty different for a small town in Iowa, especially Emmetsburg, home of Five Island Lake. I’ve been there my whole life, and having a creative mind in a small town has been quite interesting, to say the least, but it sometimes has a plus side.

When not working or spending time with my family, I am a part-time Mama Bear to my friends. I am the oldest out of all of them, so they’ve given me the title of mom. I barely have any free time for myself, but when I do, I create. Creating helps me gain control in my life and helps me gain control over things I can’t control. Sorry, I’ve said control too much. Sure, it is a pretty broad term for what I do, but many things go into that. I collect, draw, sketch, paint, design, rearrange, knit, you name it. There are always endless possibilities as to what someone can do and create, especially when I look at a color, a simple line, an app, a picture, even just a simple wooden pencil.

As a person and as a designer, I hold that philosophy. Anyone can create anything they set out to, and there are endless possibilities as to what someone can create, especially feel and imagine. The human mind is the most powerful and beautiful thing that has been created. As a designer, I strive for creative freedom, all while holding my integrity. I also like to have fun in life and designing. I don’t want to be a rigid designer or person that is always in their box and never tries anything new. I’m working on being a risk-taker and learning to be messy and take my time with things. I’m learning to broaden my horizons all while trying to be nicer to myself and let myself make mistakes while being a little squirrelly. I feel that’s where a lot of my creativity comes from. When I let myself experience, I have an easier time designing, creating, and getting inspired. Moral of the story, as a designer, I want people to have faith in themselves as to what they can create and let themselves truly experience their own creativity and possibilities.