about herself

“I serve as the creative mind behind hyperart :: handmade goodies & sewing patterns.

I believe that every human being has a capacity for creating. You can call it "crafting" or "diy", or you can call it painting, designing automotives, gardening, architecture-ing, music writing. However, the presumed meaning of the word "crafts" itself is very limiting. It is not just making paper cards, sewing, knitting, and scrapbooking. In actuality, it encompasses all forms of creating ["craft" by definition: skill in an occupation or trade; make by hand and with much skill]. Hence, I sometimes hesitate to say that this is a craft business; but rather, more of a "creating" business—don't want to limit my creating options, y'know?

The particular types of "crafts" you can find at hyperart will vary depending on inspiration and trend. The current focus is on handbags, apparel, jewelry, and accessories (perhaps what one'd call traditional crafts). In the future, men and women, and home products.

My other kind of craft, as you can say, is of the technical type. Academically trained as a mathematics-computer science code monkey,  I crafted websites for a handful of years. It was enjoyable work; however, there was always a creative energy in me that could not be met at the computer screen.

At a computer screen, you cannot feel the texture of the material you're creating. You cannot feel its physical weight, its smell, its density. I felt disconnected from the materials of the physical world that I had once been so intriqued with as a child. As a child, I felt my hands on and hoarded anything I could keep. Candy wrappers, art supplies, what-have-yous. As a child, I was a maniac "crafter". And then came life and stuff...

When I nonchalantly bought a newer sewing machine a few years ago, that creative energy I had not tapped for a long time came rushing back out. Etsy fueled the fire. The Quickie Clutch was my first.

It took a long while for me to figure out how to manage the balance between the personal creative energy and the one stored on thousands of lines of code that also paid the bills. I'm not exactly through with figuring "life" out, but maybe I won't ever. But with hyperart, I have a means to express my ideas, and share my joy of creating with others, via instructions to teach others the same skills, or, the end products that enrich others' lives.”

- Karen