Any Art fanatic that spends a major part of his day scrolling through artsy content on instagram must have heard of Kirsty Spoelder. Doesn’t ring a bell? What if I say ShinyStuffCreations ? Yes that’s her. Well we spent some time with the artist and asked her several questions because such a creative artist deserves to have her story told.

However before we begin share the interview, here is a very short biography about the artist for those who don’t know her yet.

Kirsty Spoedler, known as ShinyStuffCreations on the social platforms is a 26 year old dutch artist that grew up in Tiel. Being raised in an artistic environment she developed an interest for art at a very young age. However, would you believe me if I tell you that Kirsty did not actually study art? She Graduated college with a degree in Pedagogy, child behaviour therapist. She is a self-taught artist. An impressive one.

Interview:





1. When and How did you start doing art?

I grew up around art with two very creative parents. My father is a painter and my older brother makes wonderful drawings. So I started doing art at a very young age. . I've always been creative with all kinds of materials, but I never 'fell in love' with drawing/painting/calligraphy or all the other things I tried, until I found polymer clay. That was about 8 years ago.





2. Who are the artists that influenced you the most ?

I tend to keep away from other polymer clay artist, because I want to keep my own style and not be influenced as much by other people. There are so many artists making wonderful things, and I'm always afraid my work will be (unconsciously) too much inspired by them. So I only follow a few people on social media, and they are mostly far away from my own style. The only artist I actively follow and who helped me a lot with the development of my work is the wonderfully talented

Tanja Jensen -

SugarCharmShop.





3. Tell us a bit what happens in your studio while you are creating things ?

A lot of Netflix, mostly. I love watching shows in the background while I make things, and I can't stand it if it's quiet. I use my time well and I always know what I'm going to make that day, luckily I'm never without a plan or inspiration. I have a little book with tons of ideas which I keep around and use when I have time for some new designs. When I'm not at home I send myself messages with ideas to write them down later, so I don't forget. Due to the high demand on my already existing designs, I find myself making a lot of the same items, but I still love to do it as much as I did the first time I made it.

4. If you had to describe yourself in 3 words ? What would they be ?

Perfectionist, patient, ditzy (I'm not saying it's a great combination)

Find more about this item on her shop









5. Where do you find your inspiration for new ideas ?

Mostly in just looking around and thinking: that would be cute if I make it smaller. I find most of my inspiration in the real world around me. Sometimes it's friends, customers or followers who suggest I try out certain designs or who have lovely ideas. Since I mainly work with miniatures, as long as there are things I can 'shrink', I don't think I'll ever be out of inspiration!





6. Where do you see yourself in 5 years ?

In 5 years I hope to be exactly where I am today. I can't be happier doing what I love for a career, in my office from home. If I can do this the rest of my life, that would be a dream that came true.



7. You influence many young artists on instagram, any advice for them ?

Absolutely, keep doing what you love! Find your own style and don't get discouraged when it takes time and practice to perfect your work. If you're working with polymer clay, keep a clean work space so you can keep your clay dust/hair free. Baby wipes, sticky rollers and white tiles as a work surface are my go-to items.





8. And what about instagram ? Is it a proper platform for artists ?

I'm no Social Media expert, but I definitely think Instagram is a great platform for artists. Since it's so focused on pictures it's a good way to show people your work and find other artists. It's been a lot easier for me to build a proper follower base compared to Facebook. To be honest, I might be getting old but I never got the hang of Twitter/Snapchat so my opinion might be a bit biased.





Here is a link to her store:

And as an extra she sent us photos of her studio!