Meet creative paper artist Lia Griffith and join her Instagram takeover

We're very excited that papercrafter and all-round creative lady Lia Griffith will be taking over our Instagram feed this weekend. Make sure you follow us @inthemomentmag and keep track of the hashtag #ITMtakeover.

We put our questions to Lia to find out where she gets her inspiration…

How did you end up running your own company?

I was working for a wedding stationery company and started creating projects for their blog. One of my favourite projects was a paper rose that I designed. I loved figuring out how I could create a simple pattern that would allow others to make a gorgeous paper flower without any prior DIY experience and with a low budget.

When I saw the success of that paper flower, I knew this was an opportunity to do something that I'd wanted to do for such a long time. I left my city apartment and moved into an old craftsman cottage on the east side of Portland, Oregon. From there I worked everyday to create DIY projects that I could share with my growing following.

One day it might be a felt animal, the next a gluten free recipe, the next a paper holiday ornament. I used that home as both a backdrop and inspiration for my projects so it was very authentic. My aim was, and still is, to provide daily elevated DIY projects that are simple and easy to achieve by everyone and anyone!

Do you find it easy to be creative all the time?

Yes, it's such a huge part of who I am. I grew up in a very creative family where my mother made all our clothes, we canned all our food and my father built our house. I didn't know it at the time, but it really shaped my idea of creativity and instilled in me a passion for living a handcrafted life.

How do you find your inner creativity? What inspires you?

Our members inspire me every day – their courage to explore and nurture their creativity is a joy to see. I am also inspired by my team, who show up every day enthusiastic to share their creativity. I'm also heavily inspired by fashion, nature and Scandinavian culture.

What do you do to relax?

I listen to a lot of audio books when I'm not working. I pop the speed up a little faster so that I can get through them more quickly :) I also love to go to yoga, particularly hot yoga. The warmth of the room just helps me instantly relax.

I also listen to a lot of music. People are always surprised to hear that I love electronic music. I love British electronic band Bonobo and make sure I see them play every time they come to Portland!

What’s your workspace like?

We just moved from a city loft to a suburban home. It's just gorgeous. We were feeling restricted in the loft - it was a fun place to be, but we missed simple things like having a pretty front door to hang our handmade wreaths from, our a garden to set up our DIY tablescapes, and a mantle to set our paper flowers upon. The house we just moved into is a dream. I live there, so it's just like the old days!

We work out of an open plan space on the top floor. On the first floor we have a craft room, sewing room, video room and my living quarters. On the ground floor we have an open plan kitchen, dining and living room which give us lots of space for photography. We also have a large deck and a garden to play with!

It allows us to go back to our roots in a more authentic way. We are back to living the handcrafted life which feels so right for us. I just love it.

What will the next big craft trend be in your opinion?

We are predicting a rise in fibre arts over 2019. We will be making more projects with rope, yarn, felt and fabric. And it'll be exciting because these will not be your traditional fabric projects - think macrame jewellery, felt wall hangings and fabric decorations. It's going to be a really fun trend!

Do you find that crafting helps your mental health?

Oh my goodness yes! That's exactly why I do what I do, and why I want to help others to get back in touch with their creativity. Our creative soul never goes, it just gets forgotten and I see it as my role to help people to rediscover what has always been there. Crafting is not only calming, it is nurturing and empowering all at the same time. It allows us to build community, to get to know ourselves better and to keep our minds healthy! What's not to love about creativity?!

Lia's book Crepe Paper Flowers is out now – available on Amazon.co.uk