This week’s Indie Artist Fixx is with Jill Bliss of blissen. The very talented Jill creates useful artisan goods made from recycled or sustainable fabrics and papers. All blissen goods are designed and made by jill bliss in her studio, or in collaboration with other indie businesses. Many of her goodies are inspired by the nature found in her Pacific Northwest home… and happen to be among my very favorite goodies.
Jill is also an accomplished artist and designer and she is available for freelance work. Her art & design portfolio is available here. She has done such varied projects as creating custom illustrations for weddings invitations, murals, web design and more.
I am in love with Jill’s dreamy artistic style and I am so glad that I was able to virtually sit down with her and ask her a few questions.
See my interview with Jill of blissen below.
1. What’s the name of your business and what do create and sell?
blissen is my business. i make artisan goods from reused materials, mainly useful items from fabric and papers.
2. When did you get your start and what made you decide to take the plunge?
blissen is a hobby-gone-crazy. in 2001 i was a freelance designer, illustrator and website designer when i launched my website to showcase and maybe sell things i made from left-over materials in my studio.
3. What’s the design creation process like for you?
most of the things i design are useful items that i, friends or customers need. the artwork that appears on some of the items is inspired by my love for the forest and the beach.
4. What’s been your biggest, or one of your biggest accomplishments, so far?
surviving this long!
5. Tell us one funny/goofy/silly thing about yourself.
i grew up with 70’s disco and 80’s new wave, as a result i adore most dancey top 40 hits, especially ones with cheesy lyrics.
6. What’s the best thing about what you do? And the worst?
the best thing is that i get to create every day and interact with generally enthusiastic and encouraging people. the worst things to deal with are the people who assume i’m rich because of what i do and want a part of it. which is only funny until i have to pay lawyers, who make ten times what i do and charge me accordingly!
7. What blogs and mags do you read and what shops do you shop at? List as many as you want.
i try my best to keep up with blogs, but usually i set aside a few hours every week to catch up with my list of bookmarks and then get them all confused!
my favorite mags are british living etc., utne, orion, teen vogue… i know there’s more but i can’t remember them. i’m a magazine junkie!
shops: besides supporting the boutiques that carry the things i make, i usually shop at thrift or vintage stores.
8. Were you an artsy craftsy kid? If so, what kinds of things did you do?
oh yes i was! my childhood was spent on a farm where we were paid once a year, in january, for crops harvested in the summer and fall. by october the funds would run low so i’d assist my mom in making holiday craft items to get the family through the rest of the year. i graduated from making spice ropes, raggedy anns, pom pom animals and quilts in middle school when we moved back to “the city.” by then i was altering thrift store clothes and accessories or making them from scratch for me and my friends.
9. If you were stranded on a deserted island and you could have only one food or one type of food available to you in infinite quantities, what could it be?
my partner’s thai green curry!
10. What does indie mean to you? You can give a literal definition, choose to be a little esoteric or a combination of both. 😉
“indie” is different for everyone, but for me, indie means not compromising my ideals. i don’t see the point of doing projects just for the glory or money they will bring me. that’s what “regular” jobs are for!
11. What are you reading, watching and listening to?
reading: hand job: a catalog of type by michael perry, micro: very small buildings by ruth slavid watching: the it crowd [uk show], heroes, select hgtv shows, nature documentaries.
listening: the new go team album, the new mia album, 80’s dance music
12. What are your inspirations?
traveling, hiking, camping, walking.
13. What’s next for Blissen? Any new plans or products that you want to share?
since i have to get a full-time day job soon to pay off some hefty bills, blissen will return to it’s roots as my part-time endeavor.
oh excellent design, i love it,i need to copy it and used it in my work sheets.Some of the materials used are from the recycled papers and candy wrappers, it’s so environmentally friendly. i think we need to support this kind of Eco-fashion industry. Go Green!
COOL
Ooooohhh! I love paper and fabric! Thank you both for the time to do the interview.
Can you say original! Her stuff is great!
Oh yay! I love everything from Jill Bliss. It’s great to learn a little more about her and her process, thank you both for doing this!