And isn’t that a great reminder for us all at the start of a new year! Sometimes you need to remember just how to be creative and just play.

Zoe describes… “I am drawing more and working on collage and photography. I kind of feel like I’m starting all over again which is really freeing up my creative energy.“

Zoe explained that this freedom in her creative practice has allowed to her explore new avenues that she may not have had the time or patience to carry out before. And this will be her focus for the next 12 months.

Check out Zoe’s tumblr, website and her Society6 store.

How have you got to where you are today? Why? Well, because I didn’t seem to know how to be an employee!

How? I just went for it. I had no clients, no idea of how to get started, but I just put the word out and one job at a time materialised.

I can’t describe how it all happened because it just sounds ridiculous (especially in this economic client) that you can just chuck it all in and start from nothing. I should probably mention I had a supportive partner who encouraged me to get on with it.

In a few words, describe yourself…

Nutty, impatient, addicted to words, colour and pattern.

What are you spending your time on at the moment?

Illustration and building up an online presence to get some hits on my wee Society6 shop, I am Zoe!

I am really trying to concentrate on tinkering and playing as you really can’t beat what comes from exploration and creative ‘mistakes’.

Do you have a ritual for getting into the creative mindset? Or a creative process?

In the earlier days I was motivated by fear alone — fear of failure, fear of the landlord asking for rent, fear of being hungry… There was no need for a ritual at all!

These days I am motivated more by wanting to get the dull bits done quickly so I can really enjoy the tinkering time.

Some days it’s as easy as thinking “ooooh, I’m SO going to get this done”, other days require lots of procrastination and looking through my Google Reader and Pinterest.

Oh, and I can’t do anything worthwhile before I’ve showered.

What or who inspires you?

Young designers who really want to learn how to think. Design that makes me wish I had done it. Three of my former students who are now doing exciting things. Women who have paved the way for me. People who work smarter, not harder.

What are you most proud of?

Those three aforementioned students who are now showing me that my belief in them was warranted.

When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

OH, here’s a list… A florist, a librarian, a teacher, a magazine designer, a writer, Mary Poppins, a pop star, a supermodel *cough*, a broadway star *ahem* or something which allowed me to be surrounded by puppies.

Or even Tom Hanks’ job in the movie “Big” where he got to play with all the toys to see which ones were cool or not – I would have rocked that job.